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How to make Delicious braised southern, soul food style kale greens seasoned with smoked turkey, peppers, onions, and more!
A Simple Braised Southern Style Kale Recipe!
Usually when I’m requested to share a southern greens recipe, It’s for collards , turnips, or mustard greens. However, lately a lot of my readers have been asking me if I had a southern style kale recipe. I actually have several southern style kale recipes, however in this post, I’m going to share my braised southern style kale recipe!
While you’re here, check out some of my other southern side dish recipes!
SOUTHERN BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE CASSEROLE
SOUTHERN COLLARD GREENS WITH HAM HOCKS
SOUTHERN GREEN BEANS AND POTATOES WITH SMOKED TURKEY
This braised kale is as pretty as it is delicious. I used a lot of colorful ingredients to please the eyes as well as the taste buds. There’s plenty of sweet red bell peppers, flavorful onions, and spicy jalapeños peppers.
Try serving these greens with my traditional southern fried chicken, and southern potato salad. If you want dessert, follow up with my soul food style peach cobbler!
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Braised Southern Style Kale
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs rainbow kale washed & cut
- 1 cup carrot matchsticks
- 1.5 lb smoked turkey leg wing, or tail
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 large red bell pepper diced
- 1/4 cup sliced jalapeños jared of fresh
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp white or apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tsp seasoning salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 32 ounces chicken broth
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Put the smoked turkey in a large pot, then pour in the chicken broth.
- Cover, and boil the smoked turkey over medium high heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Add in the 2 cups of water, then start adding the kale, and stir.
- Once all the kale is in the pot, add in the carrots, red peppers, jalapeños, onions, and garlic.
- Stir the ingredients, then sprinkle in the sugar, seasoning salt, and black pepper.
- Add in the apple cider vinegar, and stir.
- Reduce the heat to low medium, and cover the pot.
- Let simmer for 1 hour.
- Serve and enjoy!
I grow my own Swiss Chard and I also love steamed spinich. But this old gal does NOT know what Kale is – or
even what it looks like before cooking. I’m only 84 and still learning.
Hi Grandma Bobbie! Kale looks similar to swiss chard! You can use swiss chard instead of kale if you’d like 🙂
My Sister in law made this and I was blown away. I’m so glad she shared the recipe with me. And now I can be consistent with an awesome batch of greens! Thank you for sharing your culinary talent with us all
Thanks you both for trying my recipe!
I made this and it was fantastic!! I made no changes and everyone loved it!!! I ended up making it for both Thanksgiving and Christmas!!!
Thanks so much for trying my recipe Angelique! Such a beautiful name!!
OMG!!! Rosieee!! I made my Kale Greens today and they are awesome! Hubby and I wanted someone different and When I tell you my husband and I are hooked… gurrrlll! Thank you so much for all you do! Me finding your blog/website is a true blessing. Thank you Thank You!!
Interesting take in adding sugar to greens will try this over the weekend.
First time cooking kale and this recipe is on point, thanks for sharing
This is by far one of the best green recipes I’ve ever used. I didn’t use meat but the flavor was still great. Thank you for sharing
Babyyyy let me tell you!! I made this on Sunday as a dinner side with fried chicken. The flavor in this kale recipe was AMAZING! I added some chili peppers with a bit of juice since I love my greens more tangy (vinegary). But again, the flavor of the smoked turkey and the tenderness of the kale is by far the best I’ve ever had. Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe.
I’ve been using your Mississippi pot roast recipe for awhile now also. The family demands it at least once a month.Got it from Pinterest and didn’t know it was yours until I saw it on this site. Will be trying more of your recipes for sure.
This recipe is amazing!!! My family doesn’t like kale. I made this and they ate the entire pot (liquids included). They think that they have been eating collards. I certainly won’t be telling them any different. They request it for Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Year’s.
LOL!!!! Glad that they loved it!! XOXO
I absolutely LOVE this recipe!!! Everyone that has tried this when I make it demands the recipe!! Delicious truly!! Thanks for this one!!!
What a great recipe. I had red bell pepper, kale, and a smoked turkey leg and just Googled those three words and found you. I am so glad I did. I normally go with mustard greens with my turkey, but this is such a neat new kick with the peppers and sugar. I served mine with aside of plain white rice to sop up that wonderful pot licker. There was enough that I’m getting to enjoy this healthy dish again tonight. Thank you for sharing.
I absolutely agree that this recipe is off the charts! The first time I cooked kale, I followed this recipe and my picky daughters even commented on how good it was. My ex- in-laws are big time Southern cooks from Georgia (who relocated to NYC) who make a mean pot of greens (i.e., collards, mustards, occasionally mixed with turnip greens), none of them have ever liked kale–but they can’t beat this recipe!
Thanks so much for the feedback Andrea!
I couldn’t find rainbow kale is it ok to use regular kale?
Hi Meghan! You can definitely use regular kale. XOXO
I’ve made this recipe a few times now and I think I love it more each time. I think I actually feel healthier just by eating it. I make it just like the recipe and serve it over a bit of rice to soak up the pot liquor. The pups here love it when I make this as they know they get some scraps when I shred the meat from the bone. Thanks so much for sharing this.
Thanks so much for trying my recipe! XOXO
OMG this is soooo good. Full disclosure: I didn’t measure one thing and cut back on the sugar but the combo of flavors and colors was really, really good.
I was born in Biloxi and grew up and currently live down south… OUTSTANDING recipe! Next time I’ll cut the sugar in half (I like a little less sweet) but this is now in my forever recipe collection!!! Thank you so much.
I LOVE kale, was looking for a southern style I could make for Thanksgiving and WOW. I’m in the pot before it done. Thank you
Thanks so much for trying my recipe! XOXO
i’ve been using this recipe since 2018 and i love it. thank you for always making me a winner with his dish
Freakin fire recipe! Whenever im assigned greens for thanksgiving this is what i make but i add half kale and half collards
second time using this recipe. wonderful taste and texture this time used wings the taste is exactly how I remember kale my Dda made. tham]nk s for your great recipes