Steaming kale in the Varoma turns 400 g of kale into a crisp, vitamin-rich side dish in just 25 minutes. We use the Varoma setting at speed 1 with 500 ml of vegetable stock in the mixing bowl. Compared with the classic 60-minute boiling method, Varoma-steamed kale retains 80% more vitamin C (the German Nutrition Society notes that water-soluble vitamins leach into the cooking water and are lost during boiling).
We serve kale as a main course (northern German style with smoked sausage and cured pork), as a side to a Sunday roast, or as a base for a winter vegetable dish. The Varoma method works identically on TM31, TM5, TM6 and TM7.
Steamed Kale in the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 2 ✓
- 400 g kale
- 500 g vegetable stock
Instructions 0 / 2
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1
Wash the kale.
Wash the kale and arrange it in the Varoma dish and Varoma tray.
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2
Steam the kale.
Add the vegetable stock to the mixing bowl, place the Varoma on top and cook for 25 min / Varoma / speed 1.
Tip: You can also steam other green leafy vegetables at the same time.
Video
Nutrition per serving
Why kale tastes best after the first frost
Peak season runs from November to February. After the first frost, kale converts its starch into sugar (a process known as frost hardening), which makes it noticeably milder and sweeter. Harvested before the frost, it tastes bold and bitter. Farmers in Lower Saxony traditionally wait until after the first frosty night before harvesting. Organic kale is available at health food shops or at the weekly market. Frozen organic kale (for example Iglo Bio) is also readily available all year round.
Fresh or frozen: both work equally well
Frozen kale is already cleaned, blanched and ready to use. It saves around 30 minutes of preparation. Fresh kale has a more intense flavour and about 20% more vitamin C, though it requires more prep work. Both give the same result in the Varoma. We use them interchangeably.
To prepare fresh kale: remove any wilted leaves, cut out the thick stalks (they are tough), chop into pieces and wash thoroughly in 2 to 3 changes of water. Soil and insects often hide between the leaves. If you buy fresh kale, clean it on the same day, otherwise the leaves will wilt.
25 minutes in the Varoma at speed 1
Pour 500 ml of vegetable stock into the mixing bowl and layer the kale loosely into the Varoma insert (do not pack it tightly, otherwise it will not cook evenly). Cook for 25 minutes at Varoma setting, speed 1. For a traditional northern German flavour, add 1 tsp of mustard and 1 tsp of lovage to the stock. After cooking, toss the kale with a little of the stock and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
The full northern German spread: smoked sausage and cured pork in the Varoma
If you want to serve kale as a main course, use the second level of the Varoma. Place 1 smoked sausage and 200 g of cured pork in the tray, with quartered potatoes alongside. To allow everything to cook through, we extend the cooking time to 45 minutes at Varoma setting, speed 1 in reverse direction, so the kale is not broken up. Important: after 15 minutes, add 2 tbsp of oat groats (a classic from Oldenburg) to the stock. This thickens the sauce and gives it that distinctive northern German, nutty flavour. We season at the end with 1 tsp of mustard, freshly ground pepper and a pinch of sugar to take the edge off any remaining bitterness from early-season kale.
