Vegan Tuscan Kale Bruschetta
Break free of the winter entree doldrums and make veggie-filled Vegan Tuscan Kale Bruschetta tonight. This twist on a traditional bruschetta highlights Tuscan kale, cooked down with grape tomatoes and cannellini beans. The kale becomes marvelously wilty, the tomatoes blister and break apart, and the beans brown slightly before all three are served upon toasted bread. Vegan Tuscan Kale Bruschetta is a scrumptious dinner or appetizer for a crowd.
Kale and I… we didn’t always like each other. It’s probably because my first introduction to it was in a salad, and it was so potent that it overpowered the rest of the flavors.
Y’all know I wasn’t always so adventurous (hahahaha), and I immediately turned my back on all things kale.
When we moved to Dallas and joined a CSA, I was dismayed the day I opened our box and discovered a giant bunch of kale.
Unable to just throw it out, I decided I would try kale again. Certainly, it wasn’t that bad if everyone was growing it, and it was popping up on menus everywhere, right?
And that, my friends, was when I learned that sautéed greens are wonderfully flavorful when done right.
Fast forward a few years.
After Lady Baby was born, I was on the lookout for high-protein, veggie-filled entrees that were quick and easy. And one day, I stumbled upon a Skillet Bruschetta recipe that sounded like it could be a winner.
Upon discovering I had the ingredients in my refrigerator, I decided we’d give it a try.
Winston and I were both shocked at how delicious it was. We devoured most of the pan, and we even shared some with Lady Baby, who also enjoyed it.
Funnily enough, our foodie baby/toddler tried my rendition of this bruschetta last week… and as she ate, she hilariously played kale monster, the greens dangling from the sides of her mouth as green fangs. Toddlers… they make life interesting.
My bruschetta varies from the original recipe because it’s vegan. I don’t use chicken stock (or any stock, for that matter.) I also don’t toast the bread in the skillet. And I don’t add two cans of beans because I find too many of them get too mushy too quickly.
Additionally, I toss in some tomatoes because they add such a nice brightness to the dish.
You’ll notice that I cooked this in an enameled skillet, and I highly recommend using that or a cast iron one because it imparts such good flavor to your greens. And since the greens are the star of the show here, you’ll want that. 😉
Erin’s Recommended Tools/Products for Vegan Tuscan Kale Bruschetta
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- Essentials: Cast iron skillet.
- Get the look: Threshold Porcelain Rectangular Platter in White. Le Creuset Cast Iron Skillet (in Amethyst.)
Not only does this bruschetta serve as a delicious entrée, but it would be a scrumptious appetizer to serve for a crowd. Nothin’ like giving your guests a sneakily healthy (yet totally tasty) appetizer since party food is normally pretty unhealthy.
Sound like something you’d enjoy?
Here’s how we make ours:
Vegan Tuscan Kale Bruschetta
Break free of the winter entree doldrums and make veggie-filled Vegan Tuscan Kale Bruschetta tonight. This twist on a traditional bruschetta highlights Tuscan kale, cooked down with grape tomatoes and cannellini beans. The kale becomes marvelously wilty, the tomatoes blister and break apart, and the beans brown slightly before all three are served upon toasted bread. Vegan Tuscan Kale Bruschetta is a scrumptious dinner or appetizer for a crowd.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 bunch Tuscan kale, washed and chopped
- 1 cup grape tomatoes
- 15 oz. cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ lemon, juiced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 loaf crusty bread, sliced and toasted
Instructions
Prep the ingredients
- Strip the kale from the stems, rinse thoroughly, then chop roughly. It doesn’t need to be a fine chop, as the kale will wilt into the bruschetta. Set aside.
- Rinse the grape tomatoes, and set aside.
- Open the can of beans and pour them into a colander. Drain and rinse thoroughly. Set aside.
- Cut a lemon in half.
- Slice a loaf of bread, and transfer those slices to a toaster oven (or the regular oven.)
Make the bruschetta
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, drizzle in the olive oil, and warm.
- Add the kale to the skillet, and stir with a wooden spoon.
- As the kale begins wilting, add the tomatoes to the pan.
- Continue moving the kale and tomatoes around the skillet. When the tomatoes begin blistering, add the rinsed beans. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cook until the kale is completely wilted, the beans are soft, and the tomatoes are blistered and beginning to fall apart. Squeeze in the lemon juice.
- Remove from the heat.
- Using a spoon, transfer the kale mixture to the toasted bread.
- Serve immediately, and enjoy warm.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Epicurious.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 725Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1328mgCarbohydrates: 123gFiber: 13gSugar: 13gProtein: 28g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate.
This looks absolutely mouthwatering – and so healthy!
Thanks, Kelly! I just cooked some for lunch – it’s SO tasty!
We eat tons of kale in my house, and I can’t tell you how fabulous this looks! I can’t wait to give it a go — it will be this week! Lovely recipe!
Hooray for all the kale, Patricia! I hope y’all enjoy this rendition of it. My entire family adores it!
I’m not even a huge kale fan… but these look amazing!!
Maybe this’ll make you like kale?!? If nothing else, there’s bread. 😉
We eat a lot of kale, even grew a ton of it in our garden this past year – these look awesome!
Oh, I absolutely LOVE that y’all grew a ton in your garden. How cool! I hope you’re able to use some of this year’s harvest in this bruschetta this year. 🙂
Oh my goodness, these look absolutely amaazing!! I love kale!!
Thanks, Katerina! Kale is so good!
Good call on adding the tomatoes! This looks perfect.
Thanks, Erin! The tomatoes add something else to this dish, and it’s darn tasty.