How to Cook Kale for Maximum Nutrients (Low-Glycemic Dressing)

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Kale is a low-oxalate nutrient-dense vegetable, but how you prepare it makes all the difference. If you're looking for a way to steam kale packed with flavor and lower your blood sugar, you're in the right place! This recipe will guide you on cooking kale using an Instant Pot and stovetop method, paired with a simple diabetic-friendly dressing. It's the perfect veggie starter for diabetics and anyone looking for a healthy, nutrient-packed side dish.

Perfectly cooked kale leaves in a white bowl with a diabetic-friendly dressing.

This recipe for 'How to Cook Kale' with a diabetic-friendly dressing was inspired by my diabetic-friendly veggie starters, including this Cruciferous Veggie Starter Recipe, and my Roasted Cabbage Steaks. See these Healthy Dressing Recipes for more diabetic-friendly and oil-free dressing ideas.

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🩸 Why Kale is a Super Veggie for Diabetics
⏲️ How to Cook Kale to Maximize Nutrients
👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients & Health Benefits
🥬 Substitutions
📖 How to Cook Kale for Maximum Nutrients
🎛️ Steamed Kale (Instant Pot Method):
♨️ Steamed Kale (Stovetop Method)
✔️ Expert Tips
🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs
🛒 Shop Nisha's Cookware and Products
🍽️ More Veggie Starters
🫙 More Dressing Ideas
👩🏽‍🍳 Made this recipe?
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

🩸 Why Kale is a Super Veggie for Diabetics

Kale is packed with vitamins A, C, and K, plus fiber, making it a great choice for stabilizing blood sugar. Its low glycemic index is ideal for diabetics, especially when paired with a nutrient-boosting dressing. This diabetic-friendly dressing includes mustard to enhance sulforaphane synthesis, lemon juice for better iron absorption, and date syrup for natural sweetness. Research suggests dates may help lower blood glucose, improve cholesterol levels, and support a healthy gut microbiome.

⏲️ How to Cook Kale to Maximize Nutrients

Kale is unique among cruciferous vegetables, retaining its glucosinolates even after cooking. Frozen kale offers 60% more antioxidants than fresh, and methods like blanching, steaming, stir-frying, or quick-pressure cooking can enhance its antioxidant content. Pressure-cooking for 0 minutes (just bringing to pressure and releasing) preserves the most nutrients, but heat destroys myrosinase, which creates cancer-fighting sulforaphane. However, adding mustard powder after cooking restores this enzyme’s benefits. Alternatively, you can chop the kale 40 minutes before cooking, which activates the enzyme and gives it time to work its magic!

Cooking kale reduces oxalates, which is important for those with low iodine intake, and breaks down fibrous cell walls for easier digestion. Although kale contains goitrogens that may interfere with thyroid function, maintaining adequate iodine in your diet effectively balances these effects, allowing you to enjoy its many health benefits.

This method of gently cooking kale and adding mustard makes cooked kale more beneficial than even raw.

👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients & Health Benefits

Kale, lemon, capers, garlic, miso, hemp hearts, apple cider vinegar, nutritional yeast, date syrup, and whole grain mustard.

Kale is a low oxalate green that exhibits excellent absorbability for its calcium. It's a nutrient powerhouse, rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber.
Apple cider vinegar: Consuming vinegar with a meal helps reduce spikes in blood sugar, insulin, and triglycerides, and it seems to be especially effective for individuals who are insulin-resistant or at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Lemon juice increases the absorption of iron from the kale.
Capers are rich in anti-aging quercetin, a powerful anti-aging compound linked to longevity. Use reduced-sodium capers and rinse them before using.
Miso is a versatile condiment that adds rich umami depth to any dish without raising blood pressure like traditional salt.
Garlic increases the absorption of zinc and iron.
Hemp hearts are protein powerhouses, offering 31.6g of protein per 100 grams—151% more than eggs, which contain 12.6g protein per 100 grams.
Whole grain mustard or Dijon increases the production of sulforaphane in cooked kale.
Nutritional yeast adds a rich, savory, cheese-like flavor and helps thicken dressings. If you're looking to boost your B vitamin intake, opt for fortified nutritional yeast, which often includes B12. (See my brands for fortified and unfortified here.)
Date syrup or maple syrup (optional)

See the printable recipe card below for quantities.

🥬 Substitutions

Kale - use curly kale or lacinato kale
Garlic - substitute with 1 teaspoon of garlic powder as needed
Capers - omit as desired
Vinegar - substitute with white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
Whole grain mustard - use Dijon mustard instead

For more veggie starter recipes, see these Healthy Side Dishes on my site.

📖 How to Cook Kale for Maximum Nutrients

This is an overview. The full recipe is at the bottom of the post.

🎛️ Steamed Kale (Instant Pot Method):

Chopped kale leaves on a wooden cutting board with a green leaf stripping tool and a chef's knife.

Prepare the kale: Use a kale stripper tool or your hands to remove the tough kale stems. Roughly chop the leaves. Place them in a colander and run cold water over it while gently swishing the leaves to remove any dirt, then drain well.

Chopped kale leaves in a mesh steamer basket.

Place chopped kale in a steamer basket for the Instant Pot. Add 1 cup of water to the inner pot and insert the basket.

The Instant Pot showing 0 minutes at high pressure.

Seal the lid and set the valve to 'Sealing.' Press the pressure cook button and set the timer to ‘0’ minutes on medium pressure. Once the Instant Pot reaches pressure and beeps, turn it off and release the steam.

Cooked kale in a steamer basket in an Instant Pot.

Open the lid: After the pressure gauge drops, carefully open the lid away from you.

Cooked kale in a steamer basket next to a red oven mitten.

Using oven mitts or a cloth, remove the steamer basket and set it aside to cool.

Greens in two meal-prep glass storage containers.

For meal prep: Transfer cooled kale to airtight containers. Toss with mustard powder and refrigerate for up to one week.

Vinegar dressing with cooked greens in a meal-prep jar.

Make the dressing: Transfer the hemp hearts, miso, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, capers, garlic, and date syrup to the canister of a blender. Add ½ cup water. Blend on high until smooth, adding more water until the desired flavor.

Cooked kale with pepitas and dressing in a white bowl with a fork.

To serve: Toss with the dressing and optional raw pumpkin seeds to boost vitamin K absorption. Makes a delicious veggie starter or side dish.

♨️ Steamed Kale (Stovetop Method)

Add damp, rinsed chopped kale to a large saucepan.
Cook over low heat with the lid on for about 3 minutes, or until steam forms.
Remove the lid, stir, and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender.
Remove kale from the heat and let it cool. Add a generous dash of mustard powder and mix well.
Transfer cooled kale to airtight containers and refrigerate for up to one week.

✔️ Expert Tips

Rinsing the kale: For the stovetop method, rinse the kale after chopping—the water left on the leaves aids in steaming. For the Instant Pot method, you can rinse the kale before or after chopping, depending on your preference.
Use the Instant Pot in an open space, away from anything above it, to avoid damage from steam. Keep your hands, face, and any objects away from the steam release valve to prevent burns when releasing pressure.
Optional: Season the kale with garlic powder or your favorite spices while it cooks. For extra flavor, sauté fresh garlic before adding the kale.
Toss the cooked kale with mustard powder to boost sulforaphane, a potent anti-cancer compound. Or chop the kale 40 minutes before cooking to activate myrosinase, the enzyme that converts glucoraphanin into sulforaphane.
Add heart-healthy fat to boost vitamin K absorption. Kale is packed with both calcium and vitamin K—key nutrients for strong, healthy bones. Cook with a drizzle of olive oil or serve with a healthy fat.
For meal prep, prepare two bunches and store them for the week. Otherwise, prepare one bunch of kale and add the desired amount of dressing. Use the remaining dressing for salads or steamed veggies.
Storage: Refrigerate cooked kale in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Stored separately, the dressing is good for up to 7 days.

🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

What is a good substitute for kale?

Aim for 2 servings of greens daily, with one serving equal to 1 cup of raw greens, or ½ cup of cooked greens. Substitute kale with a low-oxalate green as needed. This includes any greens other than spinach, swiss chard, and beet greens. The calcium in dark green leafy vegetables is more readily absorbed by the body than calcium from cow’s milk. Greens are also rich in potassium, which may help reduce inflammation and lower the risk of strokes and heart disease.

Should you rinse kale before or after chopping?

It's best to rinse the kale after chopping it. Chopping first allows you to remove any dirt or debris that might be hidden in the folds and crevices of the leaves. Rinsing the chopped kale ensures all pieces are clean and slightly damp, which is ideal for both the Instant Pot and stovetop cooking methods in this recipe.