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Steamed kale with sesame oil is an easy & delicious side dish.

It doesn’t require any chopping.

And it’s a great way to cram a lot of dark, leafy greens into your diet.

Vegan & gluten-free.

Steamed kale with sesame oil has a lovely light texture.

It pops with the nutty flavors of sesame, and tang of tamari and rice vinegar.

It is an easy side dish that’s positively packed with greens.

This sesame kale recipe was inspired by a cold salad they used to sell at my local co-op.

I loved the dish so much, I decided I needed to create my own version. That way I could have it any time I wanted.

And it would be a lot less expensive than buying a to-go container full whenever I was at the grocery store.

Once I started cooking this dish at home, I was delighted by how easy & inexpensive it is to make!

The steamed kale goes down deliciously easy by the forkful.

And the balanced flavors make this a side dish that’s not only healthy but tasty too.

Plus, it only improves with time as the greens soften and absorb the flavors.

So it’s a great one to put in a packed lunch, bring to a vegan potluck, or use for meal prep.

In this post:

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No chopping required
Ingredients
Step by step instructions
Serving ideas
Storage
📖 Recipe

No chopping required

Part of what makes this dish so fast is that no chopping is required.

It’s made by steaming kale, and then squeezing it dry before seasoning it.

Both aspects – steaming and squeezing the water out – make the greens shrink.

That means chopping is wholly unnecessary. The kale will already be in bite-sized pieces.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.

Kale: I like to use curly kale. But any variety will work here.

Toasted sesame oil: Look for this oil at Asian markets or near soy sauces in the grocery store.

Tamari: Tamari is a Japanese soy sauce that adds salt and umami.

Tamari is often wheat-free. That makes it good for folks avoiding gluten.

If that doesn’t matter to you, it can be replaced with Chinese soy sauce, which usually has gluten.

Rice vinegar: Rice vinegar adds tang and balance.

Look for it with other Asian ingredients or alongside other vinegars.

Garlic: Because the garlic is raw in this dish, I recommend finely mincing a small-ish clove. Or use a Microplane zester.

Salt: A pinch of salt brings it all together.

Sesame seeds: Any color of sesame seeds work as a garnish. But white particularly pops against the dark green.

Step by step instructions

Here’s how to make this recipe at a glance. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.

Hands holding curly kale leaf in sink, removing leaf from stem.

Rinse kale.

Remove the leaves from the hard center stems (using your hands or a knife).

Don’t bother chopping it.

Put the kale leaves in a steamer basket along with an inch of boiling water in the bottom of the pot.

Cover the pot & steam until it softens & shrinks.

(This is the steamer pot I use.)

Once it has fully steamed, run cool water over it in a colander (or in the steamer insert).

Then wring it dry by smashing it in your hands into a ball until no more water comes out.

(Or roll it in a clean, dry kitchen towel And give it a good squeeze until it’s totally dry.)

Steamed kale in mixing bowl with sesame oil, rice vinegar, tamari, and sesame seeds.

Put the dry, steamed kale in a mixing bowl.

Then add the following:

Minced garlic
Sesame oil
Tamari
Brown rice vinegar
Salt

Use your hands to rub those ingredients into the kale, until the kale has separated from the ball shape and is evenly coated.

Add sesame seeds to finish and combine.

Eat the sesame kale with garlic right away.

Or put it into a covered container & refrigerate for an hour or more to let the flavors absorb & marry.

Serving ideas

Steamed kale with sesame seeds in small white bowl.

Serve this easy side dish with any of the following:

Bulgogi tofu sandwich with kimchi
Vegan banh mi sandwich
Spring roll-inspired vegan wrap
Bulgogi tofu bowl (instead of sautéed spinach)
Baked tofu bowl (instead of kale chips)
Kimchi fried rice
Dumplings & gyoza dipping sauce
Vegan bibimbap (from Okonomi Kitchen)

Storage

Store steamed kale in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

It will keep for 3 or 4 days.

I like to eat it cold right out of the refrigerator.

However, if you prefer, you can briefly warm it in the microwave.

Steamed kale with sesame seeds in bowl with tofu and rice.

📖 Recipe