The kale and potato balls are a very tasty and easy-to-prepare vegetarian main dish. Delicious vegetable balls with a gooey center of smoked provolone, provola, or mozzarella that are excellent either baked or air-fried for a lighter version, or traditionally fried as balls are usually prepared. They are similar to baked potato balls but with the addition of kale, a winter vegetable we discovered to be very versatile in the kitchen, suitable not only for preparing soups including the famous ribollita or the kale and chickpea soup, but also for preparing super green starters and main courses.
The preparation is very simple: we blanch the kale and prepare the dough for the balls with mashed potatoes, chopped kale, breadcrumbs, an egg, grated Parmesan, and salt. We stuff each ball with a small cube of smoked provolone and cook the balls in the oven at 356°F for 20 minutes, in an air fryer, or fry them.
Few ingredients and few minutes to make these gooey and soft balls, you just have to try it as soon as possible!
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Oven, Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients for making Kale and Potato Balls
- 10.5 oz kale
- 1.1 lbs potatoes, with skin, cooked, boiled
- 1 egg
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 0.5 cup grated Parmesan
- 3.5 oz smoked provolone
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
Tools for making Kale and Potato Balls
- 1 Pot
- 1 Stove
- 1 Potato masher
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Baking tray
- Parchment paper
- 1 Oven
Steps for making Kale and Potato Balls
Prepare the kale and potato balls by first cleaning the kale: remove the tougher central rib and blanch it with a small amount of water for about ten minutes until the leaves are tender.
Drain the kale and chop it finely on a cutting board with a knife.
Peel the potatoes, mash them with a fork or potato masher and collect them in a bowl.
Add the chopped kale, egg, grated Parmesan, breadcrumbs, and salt to the potatoes.
Mix all the ingredients well together until you get a compact and amalgamated mixture.
Take a portion of the mixture, flatten it and stuff it in the center with a cube of smoked provolone, then close it forming a ball.
As the balls are ready, place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
Cook them for 20 minutes at 356°F until they are golden brown.
Serve the kale and potato balls hot and gooey.
Simo and Cicci recommend
You can store the balls in the fridge well-sealed in an airtight container for up to three days, or alternatively freeze them while still raw.
You can also cook these balls in an air fryer or alternatively fry them with plenty of oil.
For a completely vegetarian version, you can try omitting the egg by increasing the breadcrumbs or potatoes, and removing the grated Parmesan and smoked provolone from the doses or replacing them with similar vegan cheeses.
Besides kale, you can also make potato balls with other leafy greens such as spinach, chard, or chicory.
