Romaine is the Caesar salad green of choice but we wanted a heartier leaf that would give us more nutrients per carb, so important for the keto diet where every carb counts. Kale, with its pungent earthiness, was our natural choice: it’s nutrient-dense, and it paired beautifully with the tangy Caesar dressing—perhaps even better than […]
Collard greens belong to the cabbage and kale family and share their heartiness and complex flavor. Packed with phytonutrients and vitamins, collards are the perfect keto vegetable. Our blanch-and sauté recipe quickly yields the same tender results as long braising. Stemming the greens was a necessary first step, and blanching the leaves in salted water
A classic vegetable side, green beans pair well with meat, chicken, and fish so this is a great, simple recipe to have in your back pocket to whip up quickly. Green beans are low-carb, keto-friendly, and delicious when crunchy, but they run the risk of getting overcooked fast. We wanted fresh-tasting and flavorful green beans
Cucumbers make a cool, crisp salad to serve at lunch or dinner, especially when keto eaters crave a light complement to a heartier meat course. But we didn’t want cucumbers that got soggy from their own moisture; cucumber liquid can mute flavor and texture, and dilute the dressing. To ensure good crunch, we let the
The very words mashed potatoes make you feel comforted, do they? But their high carb content, which is what makes them soothing and delicious, is also what makes them unavailable for the keto diet. No matter; you will not miss them because at the test kitchen, we’ve developed a recipe to replace mashed potatoes with
Cauliflower has become a popular low-carb replacement for foods like pizza crust, but this shape-shifter of a vegetable can even approximate cooked white rice surprisingly well, providing a neutral flavored companion to all sorts of dishes. Perfectly suited to the keto diet, it pairs well with recipes like our Seared Tuna Sushi Bowl (this page)
Broccoli rabe is another delicious vegetable that works well with keto eating plans because its complex, nuanced flavor makes it a great low-carb side to serve with rich, hearty meat preparations. Most recipes call for blanching and shocking the green before cooking in order to tame its bitterness—a fussy method that washes out its distinctive
Broccoli, high in fiber, vitamins A and C, and potassium, is also low in carbs, making it just right for keto eating. We love this versatile vegetable in stir-fries and in salads like this one, which pairs beautifully with chicken or meat. To heighten its flavor, we roasted thick-cut broccoli, using high heat and a
Finding vegetables to eat on a keto diet can be challenging, but asparagus is a no-brainer. Low in carbs, asparagus has other healthy properties—it’s high in fiber, folate, and antioxidants and has an anti inflammatory benefits. Best of all, it tastes great in this no-fuss, quick side dish. To avoid overcooking the asparagus, we started
A richly comforting bowl of cheesy, creamy noodles oddly seemed like it might be out of the scope of the keto diet, because of the pasta. We tried subbing no-carb shirataki noodles for regular pasta to make a simple cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper) pasta; this failed spectacularly, becoming a watery, cheesy mess. We
