Kale

A day-old loaf of good bread can reach new heights when it's thick-cut and pan-fried in olive oil. We top these giant croutons with steamed clams or mussels, sink them into brothy soups, and crumble them over big salads. But this dish, a saucy little mix of beans, greens, and garlic, gives us a reason to look forward to Meatless Monday.

Warm feta, crispy chickpeas, and wilted hearty greens become a fork-and-knife entrée in about 30 minutes.

Tossed with a miso and tahini dressing, this spring-evoking grain bowl can be topped with whatever seasonal produce looks irresistible at the market.

Pile roasted sweet potatoes, sautéed kale, black beans, and a sunny-side egg over grains for a healthful, filling grain bowl that'll power you through the day.

Enliven traditional chicken soup with fresh fennel and a dose of green kale. Dill-flecked matzo balls bring the classic to another level.

Ribollita is like a heartier version of minestrone, thickened with bread and redolent with garlic. It is a beautiful soup when it’s fresh from the pot, but it is also perhaps the most noble of leftovers.

Breakfast bowls shouldn’t take 2 hours to make; this one is ready in about 20 minutes. Add roasted sweet potato or cooked grains to make it even more hearty.

The ingredients of this classic Portuguese soup (namely chorizo, kale, and potatoes) meld beautifully under pressure, so you only need water—no stock—to get a savory, rich broth.

Kefir—a yogurt-like dairy beverage—adds wonderful tang to this earthy shiitake and kale frittata, but you can sub in plain yogurt instead.

Like your favorite grain bowl in soup form, this warming, brothy dish is topped off with a bright and slightly sweet parsley-dill sauce.

This is a tasty dish. Between the kale, the rice, and the squash, it’s chock-full of fiber, antioxidants, and minerals. And the nutty, salty Pecorino Romano cheese gives it a quiet punch. This makes for a hefty side, and if you add shredded chicken to the stuffing, it becomes a light entrée.

While the chicken thighs braise in the oven, the kale gets nice and crispy, making it the most irresistible part of this cozy one-pot dinner.

A simple pie with a biscuit-like, no-roll crust that is incredibly versatile.

This pasta is so packed with vegetables and shrimp that it's a complete, satiating meal—despite using half the normal serving size of noodles.

When I made this recipe for the first time, I had it in the oven 4 minutes after starting the process, and I sort of looked around my kitchen, startled, thinking, What just happened? If anything could logically be described as “impossibly easy,” this would be it. If you’ve never experienced crispy kale, you are in for a serious treat. It’s a great snack on its own, but sooooo perfect with the tender salmon. This dinner is a keeper, man!