Whether you need a new Thanksgiving side or are just looking for a delicious dish for a crowd, this Kale & Walnut Stuffing is for you.
Controversial opinion: I’m just not here for Thanksgiving food.
Don’t get me wrong, I like it. But it’s not my favorite. If I could choose my favorite dishes for a big feast with loved ones, I wouldn’t choose turkey and mashed potatoes.
Trust me – I know some of you are shaking your heads at this opinion. It’s probably my husband’s favorite meal of the year, and he definitely doesn’t agree with me.
In any case, there’s one part of the traditional Thanksgiving meal that I do love: the stuffing.
Moist bread mixed with a bunch of spices and different flavors? Count me in.
This kale and walnut version is soooo good.
The garlicky, sautéed kale adds a depth of flavor and even a little nutrient boost to the stuffing. Plus, the toasted walnuts add an unexpected crunch and even more nutrients (fun fact: walnuts contain the most of the omega 3, ALA, of any nut!).
Plus – even though it tastes gourmet – this stuffing is pretty simple to make.
Cook it for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving or just serve it the next time you’re entertaining. Your guests will thank you.
Tear bread and toast the walnuts
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
Using your hands, tear bread into 1-inch pieces and add to a large bowl. Set aside.
Roughly chop the walnuts. Add to a large pan over medium heat and toast, stirring constantly, for about 2-3 minutes, until brown and fragrant. Remove walnuts from the pan and set aside.
Prep the veggies
Finely dice the onion. Add 1/4 cup olive oil to the pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 5-8 minutes, until soft and fragrant.
Add the white wine to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost evaporated.
Roughly chop the kale. Add kale to the pan with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until kale has wilted considerably. Turn off the heat.
Pour mixture over the bread
Pour kale mixture into the large bowl with the bread. Add the toasted walnuts, reserving some for the top of the stuffing. Add rosemary and parsley and mix to combine.
Pour into baking dish
In a separate bowl, mix the eggs and vegetable broth. Pour over the bread, kale, and walnut mixture and toss to combine, so that the bread is moistened. Note: if bread looks dry, add more vegetable broth.
Pour mixture into the baking dish. Drizzle with remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil and top with reserved toasted walnuts. Cover the baking dish with foil.
Bake for 35 min
Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minute. Then, turn the heat up to 425 and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Notes
- Vegetable broth: Add more vegetable broth until the bread is lightly covered with the liquid, but not soaked. You want a stuffing that’s moist, but not totally soggy and drenched.
- Bread: I used a standard white bread for this recipe. Challah would also be delicious.
- Walnuts: This was new to me when I first learned it, so I always like to share it. Store extra walnuts in the fridge if you’ll be using them soon, or in the freezer to store for an extended period of time. Because they contain so much of the omega 3, ALA, they’ll go rancid at room temperature.
- Storage: This is a dish that’s best served immediately. If you do want to store some, store it in airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, add some vegetable broth on top and broil in the oven until warm and crispy on top.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs crusty bread ideally dried overnight
- 1 cup walnuts
- 6 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 small yellow onion
- 2 tablespoons garlic minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 4 cups kale de-stemmed
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Using your hands, tear bread into 1-inch pieces and add to a large bowl. Set aside.
- Roughly chop the walnuts. Add to a large pan over medium heat and toast, stirring constantly, for about 2-3 minutes, until brown and fragrant. Remove walnuts from the pan and set aside.
- Finely dice the onion. Add 1/4 cup olive oil to the pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 5-8 minutes, until soft and fragrant.
- Add the white wine to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost evaporated.
- Roughly chop the kale. Add kale to the pan with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until kale has wilted considerably. Turn off the heat.
- Pour kale mixture into the large bowl with the bread. Add the toasted walnuts, reserving some for the top of the stuffing. Add rosemary and parsley and mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl, mix the eggs and vegetable broth. Pour over the bread, kale, and walnut mixture and toss to combine, so that the bread is moistened. Note: if bread looks dry, add more vegetable broth.
- Pour mixture into the baking dish. Drizzle with remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil and top with reserved toasted walnuts. Cover the baking dish with foil.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minute. Then, turn the heat up to 425 and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
