Kale with Vegan Pinkel Sausage and Potatoes
Some of you have been asking us for a vegan recipe for this German dish for years – while others have never even heard of it. Since none of us grew up in Northern (Western) Germany, we belonged to the second category for a long time, but thanks to you, we've come to know and love it. So your wish for a vegan recipe has been granted!
If you still have question marks above your head because the dish doesn't ring a bell: Pinkel is a coarse-grained, smoked groats sausage that's traditionally served with kale and other meat in Northern Germany. Today we're making the vegan Pinkel based on rolled oats and smoked tofu. It gets its slightly pink color from red food coloring, and thanks to liquid smoke, you get that typical, wonderfully smoky aroma.
But let's talk about what we think is the actual star of the dish: the kale. This robust winter plant isn't just super healthy, it's also incredibly versatile. In the North, people even say: Kale only tastes really good after the first frost, because the cold makes the leaves sweeter. The slightly bitter, savory flavor pairs perfectly with the smoky Pinkel and makes the dish a real hearty, warming winter classic.
Got an appetite for more kale now? Whether as a stew, slightly creamy with some plant-based milk as a side to potatoes, or as a salad – kale brings color, flavor, and nutrients to the plate. And if you're looking for something really special, try our vegan pastitsio (a Greek pasta and ground meat casserole) with kale. By the way: You'll find this recipe along with 100 other German classics in our cookbook "Deutsche Küche Vegan."
Kale with Vegan Pinkel Sausage and Potatoes
Ingredients
For the kale:
- 1 kg (2.25 pounds) fresh kale
- 1 onion
- 200 g (7 oz) smoked tofu
- 2 tbsp vegan onion lard
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 350 ml (1.5 cups) vegetable broth
- 100 g (1 cup) rolled oats
- 2 tbsp mustard
- salt
- pepper
For the vegan Pinkel sausage:
- 280 g (3 cups) rolled oats (divided)
- 300 ml (1.25 cups) vegetable broth
- 1 onion
- 1 tbsp vegan butter
- 200 g (7 oz) smoked tofu
- 1 drop red food coloring
- 0.5 tsp smoked salt
- 0.5 tsp pepper
- 0.5 tsp ground allspice
- 0.5 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- salt
- pepper
For serving:
- 1 kg (2.25 pounds) potatoes
- mustard
Instructions
Remove kale leaves from hard stems, wash, and chop into small pieces. Dice onion and smoked tofu into small cubes.
Heat vegan onion lard with vegan butter in a large pot and first sauté onion and tofu briefly. Then add kale. Deglaze everything with vegetable broth and season with salt and pepper. Let kale simmer for approx. 1 hour.
Meanwhile, for the vegan Pinkel, first bring 150 grams (1.5 cups) of the rolled oats to a boil with the vegetable broth. Then turn off the heat and let soak for approx. 20 minutes.
In the meantime, peel and finely dice onion for the vegan Pinkel. Heat vegan butter in a pan and sauté diced onion in it for approx. 5 minutes over low heat until translucent.
Blend sautéed diced onion together with smoked tofu in a food processor until mixture is fibrous. Add red food coloring, smoked salt, pepper, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, tomato paste, mustard, and liquid smoke to tofu mixture and blend again. Mix tofu mixture with soaked oats. To make mixture more stable, now add remaining dry oats and mix everything well. Add more dry oats if needed.
Form six sausages from mixture: For this, first roll approx. 2 tablespoons of mixture in a small piece of parchment paper and wrap it, then wrap with aluminum foil. Twist aluminum foil tightly to seal ends well. Cook vegan sausages for approx. 30 minutes. Then carefully remove from paper.
By this time, kale has simmered long enough. Sprinkle in rolled oats and put a lid on pot. Let kale continue to simmer. If no liquid is visible anymore, add a bit more water. Season with mustard, salt, and pepper to taste. Now place Pinkel sausages on kale. Let everything simmer again for 30 minutes with lid closed.
Meanwhile, peel potatoes and place in a pot. Cover with cold water, salt, and cook for approx. 25 minutes until tender.
Serve kale with vegan Pinkel and potatoes together with mustard.
