Coconut Curried Kale and Sweet Potato
Hearty braised and curried kale with sweet potato makes a delicious wintertime meal! This healthy dish is vegan, dairy free and gluten free.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
I’m finally back in Kansas City. I arrived home on Tuesday, to a house full of all the things I haven’t used in the past month. I almost hoped I’d greet the things like long-lost friends (oh hello, favorite knee-length boots!) but I really just sighed at the sight of those things, those burdens that I pack up and carry from place to place.
If you took away the blog-related cookbooks and photography props (code word for so many breakable plates and glasses), maybe it would be a more reasonable amount of stuff for one person. My closet is definitely overstuffed, however. The end of winter is nearing and I’m feeling some pressure to wear all of my cold weather apparel at least once before it goes. I have too much!
I think about minimalism a lot—how much I love the concept and how difficult it is to put into practice. I’m too attached to my things. I often find myself looking around my place and wondering, how much does one person really need? Is this a reasonable amount for one person?
I’ve watched my grandmothers downsize into smaller, more manageable living situations and I think about all of the care and time that went into filling their homes and the difficulties in downsizing. Some of that is inevitable, but I don’t want my life to be characterized by the getting and getting rid of things.
Today’s recipe comes from America’s Test Kitchen’s newest book, The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook. I adore America’s Test Kitchen so I couldn’t say no to their new cookbook, which includes over 700 impeccably well-tested vegetarian recipes. Basically, any recipe you could think of to make is in this book. I’d even go so far as to say that if you’re going to own only one vegetarian cookbook, this is the book for you. I’m eyeing my heavy shelves of cookbooks now and owning only one cookbook is a lovely thought!
This recipe turned out to be more work than I bargained for, but it was absolutely worth the effort. That’s the beauty of America’s Test Kitchen recipes—they’ve been tested every which way, so the only trick, if you even want to call it that, is to trust their methods and carry them through. I deviated from the recipe by using sweet potato instead of butternut squash. In hindsight, I think butternut might be the better choice, although I do love the sweet potato version.
I was drawn to the recipe because it sounded very similar to an original recipe I attempted a couple of times in Austin that never turned out quite right. Those ATK cooks nailed it. It’s a stewy concoction that is loaded with greens (two bunches’ worth!), cooked down into hearty, comforting goodness. I never would have thought to add toasted pepitas, but they round out the dish perfectly. It’s not the prettiest of dishes, but trust me, it’s delicious!
The giveaway is now closed! Congratulations to Annie, the winner, whose go-to is a noodle bowl with tempeh! I have one copy of America’s Test Kitchen’s The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook to send to one lucky reader. To enter, leave one comment below and tell me about your go-to meatless recipe! Only one comment per person, please. I’ll randomly select a winner next Wednesday at midnight CST. Good luck!
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Coconut Curried Kale and Sweet Potato
Hearty braised and curried kale with sweet potato makes a delicious wintertime meal! This healthy dish is vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free. Be sure to have your ingredients prepped before you start cooking. Recipe yields 6 generous servings—I also like it as a stew without the rice.
Ingredients
Rice
- 1 ½ cups brown basmati rice, rinsed well
- Salt, to taste
Braised kale and sweet potato
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fine salt, divided, more to taste
- 2 pounds sweet potato (about 3 medium) or 1 butternut squash, peeled and sliced into ½-inch cubes
- 3 large garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 large bunch of kale (about 8 ounces), stems removed and chopped
- 2 cups vegetable broth or water
- 1 can (14 ounces) full-fat coconut milk, divided
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ⅓ cup pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Red pepper flakes (optional), to taste
Instructions
- To cook the rice, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the rinsed rice and continue simmering for 30 minutes, reducing the heat as necessary to prevent overflow. Turn off the heat, drain the rice, and return the rice to the pot. Cover and let the rice rest for 10 minutes or longer, until you’re ready to serve.
- Meanwhile, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sweet potato, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potato is bright orange (or until the butternut is just beginning to brown), about 8 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl for now.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pot and raise the heat to medium-high. Add the garlic, ginger and curry powder and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the kale, broth, all but ½ cup coconut milk, and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Stir to combine.
- Cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is wilted, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add the sweet potato mixture, cover, and continue to cook until the kale and sweet potato are tender, 10 to 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, toast the pepitas in a medium skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until they’re fragrant and making little popping noises, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
- Once the kale and sweet potato are tender, uncover the pot and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, about 2 to 5 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the remaining coconut milk. Add the lime juice and season with salt, pepper and optional red pepper flakes, to taste. Divide rice into bowls, then top with kale mixture and a generous sprinkling of pepitas before serving. This recipe keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days (or freeze portions up to 6 months).
Notes
Recipe adapted from The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen.
Recipe edits: In 2025, I tweaked this recipe to improve the overall flavor and texture. I increased the amount of broth, layered in more salt, reduced the amount of kale, and edited the recipe for clarity.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Spaghetti squash with mushrooms, veg stock, red wine, roasted tomatoes and pine nuts!
This may sound boring, but my favorite meatless meal is large massaged kale salads. There are so many ways to prepare it and make it different. My current fave is massaging the kale with homemade pesto, and adding in sundries tomatoes, artichoke hearts, pine nuts, olives, and chickpeas. It’s so delicious and satisfying!
This looks delicious – I would love to try more recipes from this cookbook! I’ve been trying to incorporate at least two nights of meatless meals a week. My go-to meatless dish is yummy rice and beans simmered with some spices and a big side of vegetables. Always hits the spot!
For lunch my favorite meal is a kale salad with various toppings and dressings. For dinner some kind of warm bowl with veggies, sweet potatoes and a sauce (BBQ, tahini like, peanut…).
Any variation on your burrito bowls. Great for warm and cold weather and chalk full of deliciousness!
My go-to meatless recipe is your Spicy Sweet Potato and Green Rice Burrito Bowls! I’m making it tonight! My husband adds an egg (to everything!) and that makes up for the meatlessness for him :)
I have made so many of your recipes, Kate. Thanks for the delicious details you provide each time, including subs and serving options. My favorite veg meal is Stellar Salad, a warm spaghetti squash salad served atop wilted arugula, topped with roasted rep peps, chevre, walnuts, and vinaigrette.
Definitely black bean sweet potato burritos! So yum!
Go to meatless: West African peanut soup.
You have the best recipes, Kate.
My favorite go to meatless meal is tacos! I make them with taco flavored TVP. Wonderfully fast,easy and taste fresh on warmed corn tortillas with beans, TVP, Avacado, tomatoes, lettuce sometimes corn. Yummy!!!
Honestly, it’s so boring, but always reliable to have a jar of fresh beans (pintos or black) in our fridge. Crack open a jar of pickled jalapenos from summer and add whatever else we happen to have in our fridge that’s still edible.
I love to make just about anything with butternut squash, preferably with an Asian or Southwestern twist. Yum! This recipe looks perfect and I have all the ingredients on hand. Thanks for tonight’s dinner idea!
My go to meatless recipe is by far a kale lasagna. SO, so, so good. The meat lovers in my family love it.
Amazing recipe! Coconut milk in stews is just wonderful and always reminds me of my childhood african meals :)
My go-to meatless recipe is this kale and quinoa french style ragout: mygf.eu/winterveggiesragout
I’m addicted to ATK books as well. One of my favorites is “Science of good cooking”. I love learning the process behind why things are cooked and flavored certain ways, then sharing those to my readers within my recipe posts. Oh ya my go to vegetarian recipe is any type of stuffed eggplant, usually with chickpeas.
Wooo! Raisin’ da roof for ATK!
I love making veggie tacos! Grill up some portabellos, peppers, onions, top with guach, lime, and cilantro and you got yourself a feast! With a margarita it’s simply perfection!
My go to meatless dish is the green rice burrito bowl with black beans and sweet potatoes!! I’ve make this often enough that throwing everything together is pretty easy for me and I always have most ingredients on hand :)
My go to meatless meal is chick pea tacos or any combination of beans and veggies on hand in burrito form. Always easy, quick and delicious.
My go to veggie dish is stir fry anything in the crisper. I usually start with a base of garlic and onions then anything goes… Carrots, broccoli, bell peppers, kale/chard/cabbage/beet greens, anything goes… I usually go for different colors, the more vibrant the better. Sometimes I keep it simple with just olive oil, salt, pepper and sometimes I use random spices like garam masala, harissa, cumin, sumac, a dash of paprika or cayenne for some heat, anything really that I feel might be good. We either eat this stir fry with rice or quinoa, add it into pasta sauce, top it on bread with some good cheese, or poach an egg on top.
I have many go-to meatless meals since I must serve a meat AND a meatless meal every night! With 2 vegetarian daughters and 2 ‘can’t get enough meat’ sons, I thank God for Cand K! So….. a fave would be the Spicy Sweet Potato and Green rice bowl- I substitute butternut squash for the sweet potato. And I love that the green rice is a fave of my boys that like it with a venison steak!
I have been loving vegan caesar salad with roasted chick peas lately, especially for bringing to a get-together. Delicious as a side dish or main course!
Avocado on toast – you can’t go wrong!
I have recently discovered how quick and easy soup can be to make! I made your Spiced Vegan Lentil Soup and had a warm dinner ready in an hour and leftovers for the next few days.
My husband and I love your Coconut and Kale Rice!
My go-to meatless meal is usually an omelet or a roasted veggie and quinoa bowl. Also many variations on soup, salad, and grilled sandwiches.
for winter, our veg faves usually involve squash – either butternut soup and some kale chips or acorn squash stuffed with quinoa. in the summer it’s any kind of salad – greens based or chopped. love Test Kitchen and didn’t know about the veg cookbook! for a while we were getting the Cooks Illustrated magazine. THE BEST!
Eggplant ‘meatballs’!
ooh i haven’t heard of these before… will have to try! we do eggplant lasagna often.
One of my favorites is a baked sweet potato topped with “Unbaked” Beans, a recipe from the cookbook Clean Food by Terry Walters. They have molasses, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, apple butter–yum!
Thank you for letting me know this book exists! I also love ATK and did NOT know they had a vegetarian cookbook. Cannot wait to check it out. I think my go-to, out-of-ideas dinner is a tofu scramble. Very versatile since you can make it veggie-forward, put a raspberry chipotle sauce on it, or go Greek or Mexican. Easy and inexpensive!
mine is cumin-roasted cauliflower, chickpeas and rice!
Mexican quinoa casserole- it has beans, cheese, chilis, and onions in it. So good!
This recipe looks great! Thanks for posting it.
My go-to-husband-approved vegetarian meal is nachos. We warm the tortilla chips in the oven while we heat the refried beans (adding chipotle in adobo of course!), sautee some zucchini and red bell pepper, and prep the toppings. After we top the chips with all the fixins’, a quick broil in the oven with the cheese is all it takes to make a perfect meal.
My go-to meal is pan grilled chickpeas with cumin, red pepper flakes, chili powder and garlic cooked for 5 minutes on low-medium heat (covered) with shredded spinach. I’ll usually add a little taco sauce to that!
I make a modified version of Shepards Pie. Mashed potatoes over a mushroom, lentil kale mixture. So good during the winter!
curried lentils, chickpea, and pumpkin with brown rice!
I make a Black Bean Caribbean Salad that contains black beans, sweet peppers of all colors, fresh corn, jicama, fresh tomatillos, English cucumber, sweet onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime, olive oil, cumin, and sea salt. It’s versatile; we use it for dipping tortilla chips, on its own as a salad, or tucked inside a wrap. A fabulous, feel-good food!
Hi Kate! I trust your recipes because of the candid commentary regarding prep time and effort. Sometimes I don’t mind spending extra time in the kitchen. But when time is limited, my go-to meal is a one-pot udon and veggie broth soup, including whatever veggies are in the freezer/fridge. Add two eggs for the last 5 minutes for a soft boil. Then peel and add to the top of the bowl when serving. Top with sesame oil and garlic chili sauce. The yolks make the soup so rich and delicious! And clean up is a breeze. Thanks for all you do.
My go-to meatless meal is a fried egg on toasted sourdough with Sriracha and a few sprinkles of cheese. Looking for inspiration, and this dish you posted sounds delicious. Can’t wait to try it!
All of my meals are meatless, so your website has been a great recent find, Kate! My favorite thing to cook and eat is chana masala. I have two of America’s Test Kitchen cookbooks and would love to add the vegetarian one to my collection!
My go to meatless dish is Paneer curry.
One of my favorite meatless dishes is butternut squash chili. If I have time, I roast the butternut squash a little bit to give it an even more roasted earthy flavor. I’ve also made a tofu chili that I really like. Using firm tofu gives the chili a nice “heft” without having to rely on meat.
My go to meal is some variation of a kale burrito bowl with the avocado sauce that you shared a while ago – I’m obsessed!
My go-to meatless dish would have to be your curried cauliflower soup. It has the perfect amount of spice and for a blended soup it is very hearty!
My go-to is minestrone! I love that you can make different versions based on whatever vegetables you love and have on hand, and it’s satisfying without being heavy. It’s the first “real” dish I learned how to cook after seeing the recipe in one of my mom’s cookbooks, and has a sentimental touch for me.
Black bean burrito with cilantro lime rice! Yum!
Yum!!!! I’ve made so many of your recipes already with kale and sweet potato with terrific results consistently and rave reviews from my carnivore husband. Can’t wait to try this!!!
I made the decision to stop eating meat within the last year and have a very heavily plant based diet. But as my six year old daughter has reminded me, I live amongst carnivores. I frequently look for meatless meals that will satisfy and please all of us. Our most recent success has been an African peanut stew. The flavor is rich and everyone in the family enjoys it.
I love a bowl of roasted veggies and chickpeas with different spices depending on my mood
My go to is sweet potato or butternut squash enchiladas! Always a favorite in my house!!
Love love LOVE your blog! Just made your soba dish again yesterday! Will try this next! My go-to meal is soup and salad!
A salad I’ve made over and over is a massaged kale salad with apples, cucumber, cranberries/raisins with toasted walnuts/pecans/almonds and a balsamic dressing. For soup, I like to make a carrot ginger soup that has a splash of orange juice! Or roasted cauliflower soup with cashew milk!