Kale and Potato Hash

I can remember making hash when I was still living at home with my parents. In fact, it was probably one of the first things I learned to cook, other than frying an egg or making popcorn. Back then hash involved some combination of beef and potatoes, and was usually a one-dish meal for me. Hash in any form has always been comfort food to me.

Kale and Potato Hash

Kale and Potato Hash

Fast forward more than a few years, and these days my focus is usually more on vegetables and fruit than it is meat. And much of the time, those fruits and veggies are grown right here in my own backyard. But I still crave comfort foods, though now I have a new favorite hash to enjoy eating. Kale and potatoes might seem like an unlikely combination, but they work amazingly well together. I’m thinking this recipe would also work using sweet potatoes, but I haven’t tried it that way – at least not yet.

ingredients for Kale and Potato Hash

ingredients for Kale and Potato Hash

The potatoes need to be cooked ever so slightly for this recipe. My preferred way is to boil them for 15-20 minutes, until you can just barely pierce the skin with a fork. And by all means, leave the skin on. I believe that leftover baked potatoes would also work with this recipe. The potatoes just need to be firm enough that they can be easily grated, and cool enough that you can handle them.

grating potato for hash

grating potato for hash

The kale also needs to be cooked briefly, either by blanching in a small amount of water or by microwaving. Either way you do it, you need to cool the kale quickly to stop it from cooking further, and then chop it up fine.

blanching kale

blanching kale

This hash pairs well with pork, chicken or fish. Or add beans for a meatless main dish. You can omit the horseradish if you aren’t a fan, but it adds a lovely flavor to this dish.


Kale and Potato Hash Print This Recipe Print This Recipe
adapted from an Eating Well recipe

8 cups torn kale leaves, stems removed (about 10-12 ounces of kale before prep)
2 cups shredded red skin potatoes (about 1 lb)
2 clove minced garlic
dash salt
3 Tbs horseradish
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
paprika for garnish (optional)

1. Remove stems and ribs from kale leaves, then tear into pieces.
2. Blanch kale by microwaving for 3 minutes in a covered bowl, or by cooking on stove top for 3 minutes in a small amount of boiling water. Either way, drain kale and then let cool slightly until you can handle it. Chop kale into fine pieces.
3. Parboil potatoes for 15-20 minutes, until skin can just be pierced easily with a fork (potatoes will not be completely cooked). Cool thoroughly, then grate using medium grater.
4. In mixing bowl, combine kale and potatoes with garlic, salt and horseradish. Mix well.
5. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat, then add kale and potato mixture.
6. Cook for 10-15 minutes until potatoes start to brown, stirring occasionally.

Servings: 4

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 224 calories, 69 calories from fat, 7.9g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 139mg sodium, 1248.5mg potassium, 35.6g carbohydrates, 4.9g fiber, <1g sugar, 7g protein, 197.9mg calcium, 1.1g saturated fat.

This entry was posted in Recipes and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink.

7 Responses to Kale and Potato Hash

  1. Michelle says:

    The kale and potato combo is a favorite around here. I like the idea of horseradish added to the mix. Bacon is a favortie addition to the mix here. These days I’m not eating potatoes so I like to do mashed beans with kale, it’s just as comforting.

    • Dave says:

      Kale and beans are a classic combo for sure. I like them together in soup as well. We are currently blessed with lots of potatoes and kale, so this is a good way to use both at once.

  2. Norma Chang says:

    Great idea, thanks for developing the recipe and sharing. Love horseradish, but 3 TBS seems like a lot so may scale back a bit. I too am focusing more on veggies and fruits.

    • Dave says:

      You are so right Norma, 3 Tbs is a lot. But we tried 2 Tbs to begin with and decided it needed more horseradish. It might depend on the horseradish itself as to how much you add.

  3. I haven’t had hash in years and this sounds quite yummy. Better yet, I have most of the ingredients from the garden. Thanks for sharing, I am going to give this a try.

  4. Bee Tee says:

    Question… rather than microwaving or blanching the kale, might the kale be chopped and sautéed to soften and then proceeding with the other ingredients right into the same sauté pan? Just wondering. Sometimes it pains me to dump the blanching water knowing it holds nutrition. My first foray into gardening veggies this year, so I’m looking forward to making this with my own home-grown produce. Many thanks.

    • Dave @ HappyAcres says:

      That should work just fine. The kale might not be quite as tender as when it’s blanched, but should retain more nutrients.

Thanks for leaving a reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.