Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Reminiscent of spinach dip, creamy kale bruschetta will knock your socks off. Crisp bread topped with warm, creamy sautéed kale, enhanced by a hint of garlic and nutmeg, make this appetizer irresistible.
How long it takes: 35 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: large skillet
Servings: 18
A Twist on Spinach Dip
I wanted to make something just a bit out of the box for this bruschetta recipe. Normally when I think of classic bruschetta, I envision diced tomatoes, olive oil, basil, and garlic and I do love that combination. In fact, this bruschetta orzo pasta salad is a favorite and so is bruschetta chicken.
I thought of the popularity of creamy spinach dip, how it’s always on the appetizer menu of restaurants, and how spinach dip is the first thing to disappear when a selection of appetizers are offered. I wondered how I could recreate it as a delicious topping for bruschetta or crostini.
This is what I came up with: crisp Tuscan kale, shredded and sautéed in olive oil with garlic, thickened with cream and sharp Parmesan cheese, flavored with a hint of nutmeg and red pepper flakes, and spread on a crunchy olive oil-flavored slice of bread (crostini). It’s kind of rustic, kind of elegant, and one hundred percent delicious!
How To Make Creamy Kale Bruschetta
Make bread toasts. Start by preparing your favorite bread toasts, bruschetta or crostini. You can also buy the toasted bread if you prefer.
Cook kale. Sauté the Tuscan kale, washed well, and chopped pretty small. Since this is an appetizer, you don’t want guests to have to deal with big, unmanageable pieces of kale when they take a bite of bruschetta. Don’t worry if the kale is still pretty wet; the added moisture will help steam the kale. Sauté the kale in olive oil until it’s fairly soft, adding in a couple of minced garlic cloves in the last minute or so.
Add cream and cheese. Turning the heat down to medium-low, pour in a cup of heavy cream, and simmer the kale and cream together until the mixture thickens up a bit, about 10 minutes. Finish up with half cup of shredded Parmesan cheese melted in, a dash of freshly grated nutmeg, and red pepper flakes. Your creamy kale bruschetta is ready to assemble.
Serve. Spread the warm topping on the bruschetta and devour.
Recipe Variations
- Embellish it. Crumbled cooked bacon or pancetta will add even more wow! Chopped water chestnuts are a delicious addition for a little crunch (similar to spinach dip).
- Try different cheese. Substitute shredded mozzarella, cheddar, Gruyère, or Swiss.
- Tweak the seasoning. Add more garlic, or leave it out. Same with the red pepper flakes.
- Alternate serving suggestion: The warm kale mixture can be served as a dip with crackers or soft bread slices.
- Rather have spinach dip? Try my spinach dip, slow cooker spinach artichoke dip, or spinach artichoke bites.
This appetizer is best served immediately. The creamy kale mixture separates a little after it is cooled and reheated, and although it still tastes good, it doesn’t look creamy or as appetizing. If you wanted to do some of the work ahead of time, wash and chop the kale 1 to 2 days in advance and store in a zip-top bag with a slightly damp paper towel. The bread toasts (crostini) can be made a day or two ahead.
More Crostini Recipes
Creamy Kale Bruschetta
Ingredients
- 1 baguette (made into crostini, see note)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 16 ounces Tuscan kale
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 clove garlic (about ½ teaspoon, or more to taste)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (or ground nutmeg)
- ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese (plus extra for garnish)
Instructions
- Remove cream from refrigerator, measure out 1 cup, and set aside to warm up slightly.
- Rinse kale well to remove any grit. Strip the leaves from the tough stems; chop the kale finely. You should have about 7 cups chopped kale, loosely packed.16 ounces Tuscan kale
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add washed and chopped kale; season with salt. It’s okay if the kale is still wet because the water will steam the kale as it cooks. Sauté, stirring frequently, about 6 minutes, or until the kale is softened and fairly tender.1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Add minced garlic and sauté 1 minute more, or until fragrant.1 clove garlic
- Turn heat down to medium low and add heavy cream, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes. Continue to simmer, until thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.1 cup heavy cream, ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese. Allow to cool slightly. Mixture will thicken slightly as it cools.½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- To assemble, spread kale mixture on bruschetta/crostini. Garnish with additional shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- How to make crostini: You can easily make your own crostini (3 ways) with a fresh baguette. This can be done ahead if you want. Crostini can also be purchased.
- Kale: I find that Tuscan kale or lacinato kale is more tender than curly leaf kale. If you buy curly kale, you may have to cook it a bit longer. If you prefer, use baby kale or spinach leaves which will cook more quickly.
- Make ahead: This appetizer is best served immediately. You can make the crostini (bread toasts) ahead of time; cool completely and store in an airtight container. The creamy kale mixture can be made a little ahead of time; keep warm over very low heat until you’re ready to assemble the appetizers.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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