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    Home » Recipes » Guides

    Published: Jul 20, 2022 · Modified: Sep 7, 2022 by joskitchenlarder · No Comments. · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    How To Cook Cavolo Nero

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    Bunch of cavolo nero leaves on a board.
    Black kale leaves, stalks and stem.
    Boiled cavolo nero in a bowl.

    In this guide I will show you how to prepare and cook cavolo nero kale so that you can best enjoy its lovely flavour. You will find lots of helpful tips and some delicious cavolo nero recipes too!

    Bunch of cavolo nero leaves on a board.

    Cavolo nero must be my favourite type of kale by far and it's due to its versatility as well as flavour.

    If you are normally a bit weary of kale due to its bitter flavour, you should give cavolo nero a go, as its very slight bitterness is mellowed by almost sweet aftertaste which goes hand in hand with so many flavour enhancers like garlic, chillies and more!

    Jump to:
    • 🥬 What is cavolo nero?
    • 🔪 How to prepare it
    • 🧑‍🍳 How to cook it
    • ⏲️ How long to cook cavolo nero?
    • Cavolo nero stalks and what to do with them
    • 🥡 Storing
    • ❄️ Freezing
    • 💭 Top tips
    • What goes well with cavolo nero
    • 🍴Serving suggestions
    • ❓ FAQs
    • 📋 Recipe

    🥬 What is cavolo nero?

    Cavolo nero is a member of brassica or cabbage family that originates from Tuscany in Italy.

    It is very nutritionally dense and a great source of many vitamins as well as iron.

    Cavolo nero is known by many different names including black kale, Tuscan kale, lacinato kale, black cabbage and even dinosaur kale, the latter due to texture of its leaves.

    Black kale is an extremely hardy and easy to grow vegetable and because of that it enjoys quite a long season here in the UK where you can buy it between June and March.

    🔪 How to prepare it

    To prepare cavolo nero for cooking, first you need to take the leaves off the stem they grow on (although if you buy it in the supermarket you will most likely get loose leaves already off the stem).

    Taking leaves off the main stem.
    Cavolo nero leaves and stem they grow on.

    Next comes washing and removing central stalk from each of the leaves.

    I prefer washing it once I have taken the leaves off their stalks and sliced ready for cooking, but you can also rinse entire leaves under running tap first.

    There are two ways you can take cavolo nero off their stalks:

    1. Hold the bottom of the stalk with one hand and push the leafy part up the stalk with your other hand. It comes off really nice and easy and is extremely satisfying.
    Pushing leaves away from the stalks.
    1. Run a knife alongside the stalk and remove green, leafy part that way.
    Removing stalks with a knife.

    You don't necessarily need to get rid of the entire central stalk but I would definitely always cut off the thickest and woodiest part as it takes longer to cook and isn't particularly pleasant to eat.

    Don't throw them out or put straight into compost just yet, read on to find out what you can do with your stalk discards.

    Once you've got your greens ready, simply slice them as you see fit.

    You can also tear the leaves into pieces with your fingers instead.

    Personally, I like to bunch the leaves together and slice them nice and thin if I'm stir frying or sautéing them or slightly thicker for steaming, boiling or adding to stews etc.

    Slicing and tearing black kale.

    🧑‍🍳 How to cook it

    There are many different ways you can cook cavolo nero.

    Due to great texture of its leaves it's perfect for boiling, steaming, stir frying, sautéing, braising, you name it!

    Similar to its cousin - curly kale, it can be also enjoyed raw in salads.

    Cavolo nero works great as an accompaniment in its own right served alongside main dishes, but can also be used as a vibrant and nutritious touch of greenery in soups, stews, pastas and risottos.

    In Italian cuisine cavolo nero is often used in hearty soups like ribollita and minestrone.

    ⏲️ How long to cook cavolo nero?

    Boiling

    I would recommend boiling cavolo nero for 3-4 minutes max.

    Once the time is up, either quickly run it under the cold tap (be gentle there) or plunge it in a bowl with ice cold water.

    This way you stop the cooking process and preserve gorgeous green colour.

    Boiling cavolo nero.

    Stir-frying

    If you're stir frying it, it will take anything between 5-10 minutes depending on your preference.

    If in doubt, simply give it a little taste to check whether it's tender enough for you.

    In my opinion, it's always better to under rather than over cook it.

    Other

    If you're adding cavolo nero to stews, soups, pastas and risottos you have two options:

    1. Pre-cook (boil or steam) it first and simply stir it in at the last minute (no further cooking required).
    2. Add it raw towards the end of cooking, for the last 5-8 minutes to let it cook in the soup, stew or in residual heat of the dish you're adding it to.

    Cavolo nero stalks and what to do with them

    I never get rid of the stalks as they come really useful in my kitchen in variety of ways:

    • Chopped finely and used together with onion, carrot and celery as a flavour base (soffritto) in soups, stews, sauces and more.
    • Added to smoothies for that healthy, green boost.
    • Bulking out and adding flavour to homemade pesto.
    Black kale leaves, stalks and stem.

    🥡 Storing

    Uncooked cavolo nero will store in the fridge for good week if not longer but of course the fresher the better so I would aim to eat it within a week.

    You can also get ahead and prep, wash and cut it ready to go when you need it.

    Store it in a plastic bag or your favourite container covered loosely with damp paper towel and use it within 3-4 days.

    ❄️ Freezing

    To freeze cavolo nero simply prepare it as per - How to prepare cavolo nero.

    Once ready, blanch your greens for 1-2 minutes in boiling water, drain and transfer into bowl of ice cold water to stop the cooking process, preserve nutrients and colour.

    Dry well in a salad spinner or by patting it dry in a clean tea towel and transfer it onto baking sheet that will fit in your freezer.

    Put it in the freezer for 1-2 hours and once frozen transfer into freezer bag for easy storage.

    Freezing it this way will prevent it from clumping together and you will be able to remove as much or as little of the kale to add it to stews and smoothies handful at a time.

    Keep in the freezer and use within 6-8 months.

    Prepared and sliced tuscan kale.

    💭 Top tips

    • Cavolo nero stalks are best to be removed before cooking your greens as they take longer than leafy part.
    • Remove most of the central stalk from each leaf but don't throw it away just yet (see: What do you do with cavolo nero stalks?)
    • Plunging boiled or blanched kale in ice cold water for couple of minutes will stop the cooking process and preserve nutrients as well as lovely green colour.
    • Don't over cook it! Cavolo nero tastes its best with slight bite to it.
    • It can be prepared ahead of time. It will keep prepped, washed, sliced and ready to go in your fridge for up to 4 days.
    • Cavolo nero can be used in the same way as your standard curly kale.
    Board with lemon, ginger,capers, chillies, garlic, olive oil and cavolo nero.

    What goes well with cavolo nero

    My favourite flavour enhancers for cavolo nero are the following:

    • Lemon (both zest and juice)
    • Chilli (fresh or flakes)
    • Ginger
    • Galirc
    • Capers
    • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
    • Good quality salt (sea salt or pink Himalayan salt) - fine or coarse
    • Freshly ground pepper

    🍴Serving suggestions

    Cavolo nero is a fantastic ingredient in its own right and it makes nutritious, simple side dish either boiled, steamed or stir-fried with a touch of salt, pepper, lemon juice and good quality olive oil.

    Try it in my Cavolo Nero with Chilli, Garlic and Crispy Capers recipe.

    Use it everywhere you would your regular curly kale like in this kale crisps recipe.

    Stir it through or serve as a side with lentil ragu or vegan butternut squash mac and cheese.

    Chop it finely and add to vegan vegetable fritters, potato cakes or use instead of cabbage in bubble and squeak.

    Try it raw as a base for a salad, sprinkled with salt and massaged with good quality extra virgin olive oil (to tenderise the leaves).

    Add it raw and finely shredded to your favourite coleslaw or throw it into your beetroot smoothie for that extra boost of green goodness.

    And of course you can try my delicious Vegan Sausage Casserole with Lentils & Cavolo Nero.

    Boiled cavolo nero in a bowl.

    ❓ FAQs

    What is the difference between cavolo nero and kale?


    The main difference is the appearance. Curly kale has leaves that curl up quite a bit and are bright green in colour whereas those on black kale (cavolo nero) are dark green with blue(ish) tinge, straight and pretty flat with bumpy texture (dinosaur kale).

    Flavour wise they both carry that hint of bitterness but black kale carries sweeter aftertaste which makes it more palatable for some. Curly kale is also a bit peppery in flavour.

    What is best cavolo nero substitute?


    Best substitutes would be curly kale or spring/summer greens.

    Have you found my How to cook cavolo nero guide useful? 
    Please consider giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in recipe card below.

    📋 Recipe

    Bunch of cavolo nero kale.
    Print Pin
    5 from 1 vote

    How to Cook Cavolo Nero

    In this guide I will show you how to prepare and cook cavolo nero kale so that you can best enjoy its lovely flavour. You will find lots of helpful tips and some delicious cavolo nero recipes too!
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine International
    Keyword cavolo nero

    Equipment

    • Paring Knife*
    • Large Non-Stick Frying Pan*
    • Medium saucepan*
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Cook Time 8 minutes
    Total Time 13 minutes
    Servings 2 servings
    Calories 35kcal
    Author Jo Allison

    Ingredients

    • 200 g cavolo nero kale see notes
    • 2 tablespoon cold-pressed rapeseed oil or olive oil for stir fried version
    • salt, pepper, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil to season

    Instructions

    • To prepare cavolo nero for cooking, first you need to take the leaves off the stem they grow on (although if you buy it in the supermarket you will most likely get loose leaves already off the stem).
    • Wash each leaf by gently rinsing it under running tap and patting dry or alternatively you can plunge de-stalked and sliced kale in a bowl with water, giving it gentle wash, draining and drying in a kitchen towel or a salad spinner.
    • Next, you will need to remove most of the central stalk off from each of the leaves. There are two ways of doing it:
      - Hold the bottom of the stalk with one hand and push the leafy part up the stalk with your other hand.
      - Run a knife alongside the stalk and remove green, leafy part that way.
    • Bunch up all the leafy greens of your cavolo nero together and slice thinly if stir frying or a bit thicker (almost ribbon like) if boiling or steaming.

    Stir frying

    • Heat up couple of tablespoons of oil in a non-stick frying pan and once hot add prepared Cavolo Nero.
    • Stir fry for 5-8 minutes until tender but still holding its shape and having that slight bite to it.
    • Once ready, season with salt and pepper and drizzle over some lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil.
    • Serve as a side dish and enjoy!

    Boiling

    • Bring a medium pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
    • Add cavolo nero and boil for 3-4 minutes max.
    • Drain and rinse it under cold tap (be gentle) or cool it in a bowl with ice cold water. This will stop cooking process and preserve its nutritional benefits and colour.
    • Pop it back in an empty pan over low heat just to briefly warm it up, season to taste with extra salt (if needed), pepper, lemon juice and drizzle of olive oil.
    • Serve and enjoy!

    Other

    • If you're adding cavolo nero to stews, soups, pastas and risottos you have two options: 
      - Pre-cook (boil or steam) it first and simply stir it in at the last minute (no further cooking required).
      - Add it raw towards the end of cooking, for the last 5-8 minutes to let it cook in the soup, stew or in residual heat of the dish you're adding it to. 

    Notes

    • Nutritional information is approximate, per serving (based on 2 servings) and should be treated as a guideline only. Please note it only includes cavolo nero without any oil or seasoning. 
    • If you buy cavolo nero in the supermarket it will most likely be already without its stem and leaves will be separated. All you need to do in such case is to remove the central stalk from each leaf. 
    • Cavolo nero will keep in the fridge for over a week.
    • Freezer friendly - for full instructions see: Freezing
    TIPS:
    • Cavolo nero stalks are best to be removed before cooking your greens as they take longer than leafy part.
    • Remove most of the central stalk from each leaf but don't throw it away just yet (see: What do you do with cavolo nero stalks?)
    • Plunging boiled or blanched kale in ice cold water for couple of minutes will stop the cooking process and preserve nutrients as well as lovely green colour.
    • Don't over cook it! Cavolo nero tastes its best with slight bite to it.
    • It can be prepared ahead of time. It will keep prepped, washed, sliced and ready to go in your fridge for up to 4 days.
    • Cavolo nero can be used in the same way as your standard curly kale.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    How to Cook Cavolo Nero
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 35 Calories from Fat 9
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 1g2%
    Saturated Fat 0.2g1%
    Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
    Monounsaturated Fat 0.1g
    Sodium 53mg2%
    Potassium 348mg10%
    Carbohydrates 4g1%
    Fiber 4g16%
    Sugar 1g1%
    Protein 3g6%
    Vitamin A 9990IU200%
    Vitamin C 93mg113%
    Calcium 254mg25%
    Iron 2mg11%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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