Garlic Butter Kale Rice makes a great side dish. I know when I hear the word kale, I’m thinking, I don’t know about that…kale? It’s so bitter and chewy. It’s not as flavorful as it’s cousin veggie, spinach. I know it’s good for me, but it definitely isn’t my favorite vegetable. However, I like to give it a try whenever possible.
This recipe needed some tweaking at first, but it is now so much better than I expected. And it’s healthy! What a bonus. I think the key to this recipe is cooking the garlic butter kale rice for a good amount of time. Of course, the butter, garlic, and shallots definitely help bring some additional flavor as well.
I have bought packaged kale and raw kale by the bunch. I prefer the packaged kale by far. It’s all washed and easier to cook with. I still chop it into smaller pieces and try to minimize the stems. The stems are definitely not my favorite, I feel like I’m eating sticks! Because the packaged kale is already kind of chopped up, it’s much easier to prep for cooking.
Chopping onions has to be one of my least favorite things for prepping meals. I cry every time. Literally! And shallots are very similar. So if you are like me, I apologize that you will likely cry for a few minutes, when prepping this side dish. However, you fill find that in the end, it is worth it.
Once the prep work has been completed, it’s smooth sailing from here. Just saute melt the butter in the pan, then saute the onion, garlic, and shallot in the butter for a few minutes. Next, add the kale. Let that cook for about 7 or 8 minutes.
After the flavor of the kale rice is in place, you will work on cooking the actual rice. Add the rice, water, and beef broth (chicken broth would work just as well). And let the kale rice simmer for 18-20 minutes until the liquid has dissolved and the rice is tender.
Finally, after that is done, sprinkle some bacon bits and parmesan cheese to the kale rice and stir it around. Depending on your preference, you might want to add more bacon or parmesan and stir it again.
This pairs well with almost anything; steak, chicken, and fish. Enjoy your delicious side that is pretty healthy.
Garlic Butter Kale Rice
Ingredients
Brown Rice
- 3 cups brown rice
- 2.25 cups beef broth
- 2.25 cups water
Garlic Butter Kale
- 3 handfuls kale chopped into 1" pieces
- 1/2 onion finely chopped
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp bacon bits
- 1 tbsp parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Chop 1/2 onion
- Chop shallot
- Heat butter over medium heat for 1 minute
- Sautee onions and shallots with minced garlic for 4-5 minutes
- Add kale to pan and cook for 7-8 minutes
- Add rice, beef broth, and water to same pan and simmer for 20 minutes
- Mix in bacon bits at the end and top with a little parmesan cheese (if desired)