This simple kale stir fry packs a flavor punch! Aromatic ginger and garlic bring a touch of heat, and sesame seeds add protein and crunch to this easy plant-based side dish.
Y'all, I love kale. I love a kale salad, I love kale in my green smoothies, and I love a simple kale stir fry as the base for an easy meal.
This recipe is so versatile! You can serve it up as a side dish with tofu. It works great in a rice or quinoa bowl. You can even stuff it into a sushi roll for a nutritional and flavor boost.
And the best part is: it only takes about 15 minutes to make this, from chop to finish!
Table of Contents
Recipe notes
You only need eight ingredients to make this easy kale stir fry. Let's walk quickly through the recipe, so you can see how easy it is!
Start by sauteing the kale, garlic, and ginger. Normally, you'd saute the aromatics on their own first, but I add them at the same time as the kale, because I want to retain their fresh flavors in the finished dish.
You only do this initial saute for a couple of minutes. Truly, we're talking one to three minutes. As soon as that kale goes from dark to bright green, it's time to move on. The kale will cook down quickly in the next step, so if you cook too long now, it will end up overcooked or too liquidy.
Now, it's time to add the soy sauce and Sriracha sauce. As soon as that soy sauce hits the pan, the kale will begin to steam, so don't go anywhere!
Cook, stirring, for another couple of minutes, then remove the kale from the heat.
Then, it's finishing time! Toss in your lemon juice and stir in the sesame seeds, and it's time to eat. You can use raw or toasted sesame seeds -- it's all about your flavor preference.
How to serve and store it
There are so many ways to serve this! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- as a side dish. Try it with my Baked Tofu with Peanut Sauce or Crispy Baked Tofu.
- in a grain salad. This is a lovely addition to a grain salad! Pile it over a bed of quinoa, rice, or your favorite whole grain. Then, add cooked chickpeas and sliced avocado. Top it with your favorite sauce or salad dressing.
- in sushi. Kale sushi might sound weird, but it's such a treat! Add it to your sushi rolls, sushi burritos, or air fryer sushi.
If you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container. They'll keep for three to four days. You can serve leftovers hot or cold. I like to warm this up in the microwave.
Ginger-sesame kale stir fry recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 6 cups kale - chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce - or to taste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds - toasted or untoasted is fine
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium-high heat.
- Add the kale, garlic, and ginger, and cook, stirring constantly, until the kale turns bright green. Add the soy sauce and Sriracha and cook for a few more minutes.
- Transfer to your serving bowl and toss with the lemon juice and sesame seeds.
Kate & Milka
Paired this with your peanut tofu recipe and some brown rice. SLAM. DUNK.
Becky Striepe
Ooh that sounds fabulous. Thank you for coming back to leave a rating and a comment!