Amazing as a Thanksgiving side dish, these collard greens are so good, we make them year round!
We love a good pot of savory greens and this recipe for collards doesn’t disappoint. They’re so easy and so good for you, too. Nothing but plant-based ingredients in this dish.
Start with about two pounds of fresh collards. The leaves should be firm, crisp, and green. If they’re floppy and browning on the edges or turning yellow, keep looking for another bunch.
Wash, trim, and chop the greens. This is the “hardest” part of the prep, and it’s still pretty easy. After washing the greens, use a sharp knife to remove the tough center rib (which we then compost). Then chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces – this just makes them easier to eat.
After prepping the leaves, we chop the onion and garlic. It doesn’t matter what order you do this in, as long as all the vegetables are chopped and ready before starting the cooking process.
Once the veg is ready, get a stock pot or other deep pot and heat some olive oil in it. Add the onions and sauté till soft, then add the garlic and sauté a bit longer. Next, pour in some vegetable broth, liquid smoke, and spices. Bring everything to a boil and add your greens.
Then you just turn it to simmer and cover the pot. Cook the greens for about an hour, stirring every 20 minutes or so, till the greens are tender.
At the end of the cooking, add some hot sauce (we like Cholula), and you’re done!
These savory, rich greens can be served right away, or cooled and stored in the refrigerator for several days.
What a delicious way to add healthy greens to your holiday or everyday meals.
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Savory Collard Greens
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 2 lbs. collard greens cleaned and cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 tbsp. distilled white vinegar
- 1 tbsp. hot sauce, like Cholula optional
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a stock pot (or other large, deep pot). Add the diced onion and saut̩ till translucent Рabout five minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and sauté for another 30-60 seconds.
- Pour in the vegetable broth and smoked paprika, salt, and red pepper flakes. Stir the mixture till well combined and bring to a gentle boil.
- Then add the collard greens. Using kitchen tongs, turn the greens in the liquid till everything is coated. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, add the vinegar and hot sauce and give everything a good stir.
- Continue to simmer for another 30 minutes or till the greens are tender. Serve hot.
Notes
- A stock pot with high sides helps keep the greens under control. You can also use a Dutch oven or other large pot – the deeper the better.
- A pair of inexpensive kitchen tongs makes turning the greens in the liquid much easier than using a spoon.
- Leftover greens will keep in the refrigerator for about three days.