This hearty vegan dish is packed with a ton of flavour and is full of healthy ingredients. Kale and black beans stewed in tomato sauce are a winning combination, and the perfect cozy meal for a cold winter’s day.

I love kale chips – so much so that for a few years they were my only form of kale consumption. There’s just something about that satisfying crunch that makes kale chips so appealing – and of course, delicious too. Times have changed, and so has my palate and I’ve discovered so many new ways to incorporate kale into my vegetarian recipes. I’ve learned that kale is such a versatile green, and that confining it to a baking sheet and baking it to a crisp is not the only cooking method to do it justice. Kale is unique in its flavour and texture – it has a much heartier texture than other greens like spinach or Swiss chard, plus it has a much more distinct flavour, which is the reason why it’s my top choice to add to soups and stews, as well as many other dishes. Braising kale in tomato sauce? Now that’s an cooking method that can give kale chips a run for their money!

I feel somewhat reluctant calling this a recipe, because in all honesty, there wasn’t much thought put into this dish. It was one of my typical ‘I’ll just throw some ingredients together and see if they work’ concoctions, which not only happened to turn out delicious, but was also the beginning of my love affair with kale and beans – of all things! These two ingredients, which tend to be favoured in vegan cuisine for their versatility, are the perfect culinary match – kale with its somewhat bitter flavour and chewy consistency and black beans with their rich and creamy texture and mild flavour. I’m fully aware that unless you are a kale and black bean junkie like me, the prospect of whipping up some sautéed greens and beans might not sound very appealing, but I implore you to step out of your comfort zone (and into the vegan zone?) and try these kale and black beans sautéed in tomato sauce. They’re packed with flavour and they’re also the perfect vegan antidote to these cold winter days.