Stamppot With Curly Kale and Rookworst (Boerenkoolstamppot)

Written by
Karin Engelbrecht
Magazine editor, restaurant reviewer, and food writer who focuses on Dutch cuisine.
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Karin Engelbrecht
Updated 01/27/21
Stamppot With Curly Kale and Rookworst (Boerenkoolstamppot)

The Spruce / Ali Redmond
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 45 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
647 Calories
18g Fat
103g Carbs
21g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 647
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 23%
Saturated Fat 9g 46%
Cholesterol 46mg 15%
Sodium 445mg 19%
Total Carbohydrate 103g 38%
Dietary Fiber 14g 48%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 21g
Vitamin C 113mg 564%
Calcium 380mg 29%
Iron 6mg 35%
Potassium 2919mg 62%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Long before kale became the popular "superfood," it was already a much-used ingredient in the Dutch winter kitchen, where it's known as boerenkool, or "farmer's cabbage." Most emblematic of all is its use is in this traditional boerenkoolstamppot met rookworst, which arguably could be considered The Netherlands' national dish.

This is Dutch comfort cooking—mashed potatoes and curly kale are served with a Dutch smoked sausage, known as rookworst. In strictly traditional recipes, the boerenkool is boiled, but this recipe calls for sautéing the curly kale in a little olive oil to keep its color, texture, and flavor intact. You can use a bag of pre-cut curly kale or bunches fresh from the garden. If you can't find rookworst where you live (you can order Dutch products online), use Kielbasa instead.

Ingredients

  • 3 1/3 pounds/1 1/2 kg floury potatoes (such as Russet and Yukon Gold)

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 2 cups/475 ml milk

  • 3 tablespoons butter, divided

  • Salt to taste

  • Pepper to taste

  • Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

  • 1 2/3 pounds/750 g curly kale

  • 2 shallots

  • 2 tablespoons water

  • 2 links rookworsten (smoked sausage), warmed and sliced

Steps to Make It

Make the Potatoes

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Stamppot With Curly Kale and Rookworst (Boerenkoolstamppot) ingredients

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  2. Peel the potatoes and cut into 1 inch pieces for even cooking.

    Peel the potatoes and cut into 1 inch pieces

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  3. In a large soup pot, boil the potatoes and the bay leaves in salted water for 20 minutes.

    boil the potatoes and the bay leaves in salted water

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  4. Meanwhile, warm the milk in a pot over medium heat.

    warm the milk in a pot

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  5. When the potatoes are done cooking, drain, shake dry, discard bay leaves, and return to pot.

    drain the potatoes

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  6. Mash with a potato masher, or for a smoother consistency use a potato ricer. Add the warm milk and 2 tablespoons of the butter. Season to taste with the nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

    add milk, butter, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to the potatoes in the pot

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

Saute the Kale

  1. Trim any coarse stems and discard any brown leaves from the kale. With a sharp knife, cut the curly kale into thin strips.

    cut the curly kale into thin strips

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  2. Peel and chop the shallots.

    Peel and chop the shallots

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  3. In a frying pan or skillet, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter.

    melt butter in a pan

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  4. Saute the shallots for about 2 minutes, until translucent and starting to become golden.

    shallots cooking in a pan

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  5. Add the curly kale and the water. Season with salt and pepper.

    kale cooking in a pan

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  6. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until tender.

    kale cooking in a pan

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

Assemble the Stamppot

  1. Mix the cooked curly kale through the mashed potatoes.

    kale and mashed potatoes together in a pot

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  2. Transfer to a serving dish. Top with the slices of the warm smoked sausage. Serve hot with your favorite mustard or gravy.

    sliced sausage on top of potato mash

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

Recipe Variations

  • Other versions of stamppot include carrots, endive, or sauerkraut. Cook and mash the carrots along with the potatoes; add the endive or sauerkraut along with the kale.
  • For a little added flavor, you can brown the sliced sausage in a skillet.
  • Finish the dish with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.

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