This recipe for Kale Rice made in the Instant Pot is easy and delicious. It takes just a few minutes to prepare, and it makes a perfect side dish to any meal. The aromatic olive oil and fresh kale give the dish depth of flavor, while the Instant Pot cooks it to perfection. With just a few simple ingredients, you’ll have an amazing side dish rice recipe that’s sure to impress.

For the longest time I was one of those just boil rice in water like pasta people. Eventually, I learned this wasn’t quite the way you were supposed to do it, and then I discovered the magic of rice in the Instant Pot.

This Instant Pot Basmati Rice and Kale recipe is one of my favorite go to side dishes for just about every meal. We are huge fans of kale for many reasons (besides the fact that it tastes good, of course).

 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• This recipe is a great and delicious way to get all of those great vitamins into your diet. 
• Since we cook this basmati rice and kale in the Instant Pot, the kale is not as bitter as it is raw or even sautéed, making it more palatable for people who may not usually enjoy kale.
• You get a wonderful texture combo between the kale leaves and the grains of basmati rice
• Leftovers tasteed even more delicious the next day
• This recipe is a great immune booster. Not just from the kale, but also from the Vitamin C boost from the lemon juice.
• Using this recipe is an easy way to turn kale haters into kale lovers!

Ingredients Needed

Get all the information on these simple ingredients in the recipe card below.

• uncooked basmati rice
• water
• kale leaves
• chopped parsley (or 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley leaves)
• lemon

How to Make Kale Rice

1. Rinse 2 cups of uncooked basmati rice. Be sure you get as much of the water out as possible! This is really important for good Instant Pot rice!
2. Add rice to Instant Pot.
3. Separate 8 kale leaves from the stalks and chop to your desired size. I like to chop mine fine for this recipe.
4. Chop 2 Tablespoons of fresh Italian parsley. If you don’t have fresh parsley, use 1/2 teaspoon of dried parsley.
5. Add kale and parsley to the Instant Pot.
6. Add 2 cups of water to the Instant Pot.
7. Close the Instant Pot lid and make sure the valve is set to sealing.
8. Cook for 5 minutes on high pressure.
9. Allow to naturally release the pressure once time has elapsed for 10 minutes, 5 minutes, if you are in a hurry.
10. Open Instant Pot. Fluff rice with a serving spoon.
11. Squeeze 1/2 of a lemon over the rice and fluff.
12. Serve as a side dish or main course. Be sure to turn off the Instant Pot, don’t leave it on keep warm.

Storage

For best results, leftover rice and kale should be transferred to an airtight container and kept in the refrigerator for a few days. Be sure that your rice cools down completely so it doesn’t start to develop condensation in the container.

Tips and Variations

• You can use fresh baby kale or frozen kale.
• Pay attention to how much liquid you use, too much and you’ll have mushy cooked rice.
• Make sure you drain your rice completely after you wash it, or you’ll end up adding more liquid and have mushy rice.
• Make this a comfort dish by adding in some parmesan cheese to the fluffy rice while it’s still warm to make it a cheesy rice mixture.
• Take a second to massage your kale leaves before adding them to this recipe. This makes them even more tender and tasty. When doing this, you can a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil if desired.
• I like using lemon juice for a fun splash of flavor, you can trade this out for juice from lime wedges if desired.

 

FAQ

What Vitamins Are In Kale?

We all know kale has many health benefits, but what are they exactly?

Let’s start with just the vitamins in kale that you can get over 100% of your daily value from one serving of kale with.

Those would be Vitamin A (206%), Vitamin K (684%), and Vitamin C (134%).

We all know Vitamin C is great for your immune system but what about Vitamin A and Vitamin K?

As it turns out, Vitamin A is also fantastic for your immune system, and even your eyes.

We don’t hear much about Vitamin K, but helps with blood clotting and regulating blood calcium levels.

Speaking of calcium, Kale is also full of it! Kale is packed with minerals like Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorous, and Potassium.

You can review all of the nutritional value of kale here.

What else can I add?

This easy side dish was made with pantry staples, and you can add some more to jazz it up a bit.

Add a little extra flavor with other spices and fresh herbs. Black pepper would be a great addition. Or some fresh minced garlic, or homemade garlic butter to make some tasty garlic butter rice.

If you want to add some heat, you can add a dash of red pepper flakes.

For extra protein, add some fried egg to the mixture and make this more of a meal rather than just a side dish. Or you could add a different protein of your choice to the mixture.

We even think this would go great with out Stir Fry recipe!

Can I use other types of rice?

Certainly! You can make this using plain white rice, jasmine rice, sweet brown rice, etc. It’s really easy to swap out the rice. You may need to add a little extra cooking time or reduce the cooking time depending on what type of rice you choose to use.

Additionally, you can swap for a different type of kale.

Do I have to use water?

Nope! If you want to change it up for even more great flavor, you certainly can. Try chicken broth, beef broth, or vegetable broth instead. Just be sure to use the same 1:1 ratio of broth to rice.

 

Yield: 8

Basmati Rice and Kale in the Instant Pot {Gluten Free, Vegan, Allergy Friendly)

Print

This immune boosting recipe is loaded with natural Vitamin C, along with Vitamin's C's friends Vitamin A and Vitamin K.

Fresh sqeezed lemon juice after the basmati rice has been cooked with kale and parsley in the Instant Pot give this crowd pleaser anohter dimension.

This is great as a main course, or a side dish. It goes with just about anything!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Additional Time 15 seconds

Total Time 10 minutes 15 seconds

Ingredients

• 2 cups uncooked basmati rice, rinsed
• 2 cups of water
• 8 leaves of kale
• 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley (or 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley leaves)
• Half of a lemon

Instructions

1. Rinse 2 cups of uncooked basmati rice. Be sure you get most of the water out! This is really important for good Instant Pot rice!
2. Add rice to Instant Pot.
3. Seperate 8 kale leaves from the stalks and chop to your desired size. I like to chop mine fine for this.
4. Chop 2 Tablespoons of fresh Italian Parsely. If you don't have fresh parsely, use 1/2 teaspoon of dried parsely.
5. Add kale and parsely to the Instant Pot.
6. Add 2 cups of water to the Instant Pot.
   
7. Close Instant Pot and make sure it is set to sealing.
8. Cook for 5 minutes on high pressure.
9. Allow to naturally release for at 10 minutes, 5 if you are in a hurry.
10. Open Instant Pot. Fluff rice with a serving spoon.
11. Squeeze 1/2 of a lemon over the rice and fluff.
    
12. Serve as a side dish or main course. Be sure to turn off the Instnat Pot, don't leave it on keep warm.

Notes

This is a great recipe that is packed full of immune boosting vitamins and minerals.

It works great with fresh or frozen kale, or whichever leavy green vegetable you have on hand at the time.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 90Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 33mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 4g

Nutrition data is estimated.