Creamed kale is a lot like creamed spinach, but the nutrient profile is a bit different. Spinach is rich in folate, iron, and magnesium. If you're trying to get more vitamin C, K, and calcium into your body, pivot to kale. Or use both.
I recommend Tuscan kale, also known as dinosaur (dino), Lacinato, or black kale. The leaves are dark, green, and bumpy, and it has a milder, less bitter taste compared to the curly kale varieties.
Sautéing the kale will soften it and remove the bitterness. I usually add the kale to the stockpot to sauté with the onions for six minutes or so, and then test to see if it's tender enough before turning the heat off. The kale will shrink down as it sautés but you do want a large stockpot to fit all that kale at the beginning.
To get the kale really tender without sautéing, you can use the technique I use when making kale pesto: heat up a large pot of boiling water, turn off the heat and drop the kale leaves (stems removed) and soak for a few minutes. The kale becomes tender and loses all bitterness. Drain the leaves, cool for a bit, and then chop into bite-size pieces. Then add the kale to the sautéed onions and proceed with the rest of the recipe. And if you use this technique you don't need as large of a pot.
For nut-free folks, you can use soaked sunflower seeds instead of cashews. I often soak my cashews or sunflower seeds ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator for a few days.
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