Sautéed kale and mushrooms with miso is a quick and delicious side dish with a spicy kick to it. Once you’ve tried eating leafy greens this way you’ll never look back. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

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Miso and kale is a magic combination.
Since the first time I made miso sautéed kale I’ve made it time and time again.
I’ve amended the recipe over time, ending up with this version, which includes mushrooms is spiced up with some gochujang* - a Korean chilli paste.
Which kind of kale works best?
You can use any kind of kale eg curly kale or purple kale for this recipe. However, my favourite kind is cavolo nero.
Cavolo nero is sometimes known as Tuscan kale or dinosaur kale. The leaves are very dark, almost black in colour with a bumpy, textured feel. It has a delicious, strong flavour that can hold up to the equally strong flavour of the miso.
How to prepare kale
Give your kale leaves a good wash. If your leaves are from an organic veg box scheme or you’ve grown them yourself you may need to wash off bugs or mud so give it a good rinse.
To prepare the kale:
- fold the leaves in half lengthways and use a large, sharp knife to cut the stems out
- roll the leaves up and use a sharp knife to cut them into ribbons.
You might also find my guide to what to do with kale on Sneaky Veg helpful.
Can you eat the kale stalks?
In theory, yes you can eat kale stalks - especially if your kale is very young and the leaves are small.
However, if your kale is a bit older and the stalks are very thick you will probably prefer to remove them. They tend to get stuck in your teeth and are very chewy.
If you save the stalks you can use them in a vegetable stock or broth.
How to sauté kale
The full recipe for my miso sautéed kale with mushrooms is below.
However as a quick guide to sauté kale simply:
- heat up 1 tablespoon oil (eg olive, sunflower, rapeseed) in a large frying pan or wok
- add the shredded kale and stir fry for 3-5 minutes until wilted
- season as desired - salt, pepper or lemon juice are all good additions
How spicy is this dish?
It’s really as spicy as you want it. If you’re not a fan of spicy food you can simply leave out the gochujang or chilli paste.
I don’t find this dish spicy at all but it will depend on your own preferences and the brand of chilli paste you use. Take a look at the packaging to see if it gives a spiciness rating and let this guide you with how much to use.
What is gochujang?
Gochujang* is a Korean chilli paste. In fact the word gochu is Korean for chilli and jang means paste.
Other ingredients used in gochujang typically include rice and soy beans but some also contain wheat.
What special diets is this suitable for?
This kale and mushroom stir fry is vegan, vegetarian, dairy free and egg free.
With a few simple adjustments it can be gluten free. Use a gluten free soy sauce (tamari), chilli paste and miso.
Ingredients
Please do not reproduce this recipe without permission.
To make this miso sautéed kale and mushrooms you will need:
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 225g kale
- 200g mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon miso paste*
- 1 tablespoon gochujang* paste, or other chilli paste, optional
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
Equipment
You should be able to make this repice with equipment you already have in your kitchen.
You will need:
Serving suggestions
This kale and mushroom stir fry is so tasty that sometimes I eat it on its own.
It’s also delicious:
- as part of a Buddha bowl - I like it with roasted sweet potato cubes
- with plain rice or noodles
- as an extra topping for ramen
- with a selection of Asian vegetable dishes
- alongside baked tofu
More recipes you might like:
- kale and sweet potato salad
- chickpea kale pasta salad
- blood orange and kale salad
- butternut squash and kale risotto
- kale crisps
- pak choi stir fry
Or if you're more of a mushroom fan you might like these vegan mushroom meatballs.
How to make miso sautéed kale and mushroom
If you have made this recipe and loved it please consider leaving a comment and rating below.
Please do not reproduce this recipe without permission.
Miso sautéed kale and mushroom
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or sunflower oil
- 200 g mushrooms sliced
- 1 tablespoon miso paste
- 1 tablespoon gochujang paste or other chilli paste, optional
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 225 g kale shredded*
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large frying pan.
- Add 200g sliced mushrooms and fry for 5 minutes until starting to soften.
- Next add 1 tablespoon miso paste, 1 tablespoon gochujang (if using) and 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Stir and fry for a further minute until the pastes have broken down and are well combined with the mushrooms.
- Finally add 225g shredded kale and continue to sauté for 3-5 minutes until wilted. Stir often to stop it from sticking to the pan.
Notes
- See section above about how to prepare kale.
- Nutritional information is approximate and is intended as a guide only.
Nutrition
Pin miso sautéed kale and mushrooms for later
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Luna
We enjoyed this. I don't eat much salt so next time I will use less or no tamari. I included garlic and red bell pepper as I had already chopped them before finding your recipe. Thanks!
Cook Veggielicious
Glad you enjoyed it Luna