You Can't Beat a Bowl of Southern-Style Collard Greens
On the hunt for hearty vegetable side dishes that aren't bland? Scoop up a bowl of collard greens. This dish is a staple in the southern region of the United States and it's especially perfect for a New Year's Day dinner. A feast of black-eyed peas (coins), cornbread (gold), and brothy collard greens (money) are eaten to symbolize luck, health, and wealth respectively in the new year! Of course, these slow-simmered collards also make a terrific Thanksgiving side dish or addition to any Southern comfort food feast. Don't forget the corn muffins to sop up the deliciousness!
Why do collard greens take so long to cook?
Raw collard greens tough and somewhat bitter, but cooking them slowly tenderizes the leaves and mellows the bitterness. What you're left with is soft collards infused with rich, meaty broth. The longer the greens simmer, the better they'll taste!
Are collard greens vegetarian?
While the greens themselves are vegetarian, you would be hard-pressed to find any stewed collard greens in the Southern United States without a smidge of bacon fat or a smattering of smoked meat. This version calls for tender, meaty smoked turkey legs as the base, boiling them in water to yield a flavorful broth that the whole table will slurp up. If pork is more your thing, use the same amount of smoked ham hocks.
Do you need to wash bagged collard greens before cooking them?
If a bag of chopped collard greens says "washed," it's probably okay to skip washing them again, but it certainly never hurts to give your greens an extra rinse. Collards are notorious for clinging to soil! Don’t worry too much about drying them thoroughly though; they’re going to be braised anyway! If a bag of pre-chopped collard greens is not available in the store, get a few bunches of collard greens, about 3 pounds total. They will need to be rinsed and soaked thoroughly for about 15 minutes to remove any dirt or debris. Some people even add a few tablespoons of vinegar to their soaked collard greens to get them extra squeaky clean. Dry them thoroughly and remove the greens from their tough stems, roll them up, and slice.
What does adding vinegar to collard greens do?
Far from making the collard greens taste pickled, the vinegar and sugar round out the dish beautifully, contrasting with the greens and fatty, rich broth. In fact, it's recommended to dab in even more in the form of pepper vinegar or hot sauce for a lip-smacking side dish!
Can you make collard greens ahead of time?
Yes, this is a great recipe to make a day ahead! The stewed collard greens will only grow more flavorful as they sit overnight. Once they're fully cooked, let the collard greens cool. Then transfer them to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. Reheat the collard greens in a pot on the stove over medium heat until heated through. Leftover collard greens will stay good in the fridge for up to three days.
Yields: 2 quarts
Prep Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 3 hours
Ingredients
1 lb.
smoked turkey legs (about 2)
1 tbsp.
olive oil
1
large sweet onion, chopped
4
garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp.
kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 tsp.
paprika
1/2 tsp.
ground black pepper
1/2 tsp.
crushed red pepper flakes
1 qt.
chicken broth
3 tbsp.
apple cider vinegar, plus more to taste
1 tbsp.
granulated sugar
1
(2-lb.) bag chopped fresh collared greens
Hot pepper sauce, to serve
Directions
In a large pot, cover the turkey legs in 2 quarts of water. Bring the turkey legs to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the turkey is tender and falling off the bone, about 1 ½ hours.
Remove the turkey legs from the stock and strain the stock into a large bowl through a fine mesh sieve. When the turkey is cool enough to handle, remove the bones and skin and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces.
In the same large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, salt, paprika, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently, until lightly golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken broth, vinegar, sugar, and the strained smoked turkey stock. Add the greens one handful at a time, stirring until wilted. Fold in the shredded turkey. Add water until it just covers the greens. Cover and cook until the greens are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the lid and simmer until the liquid is slightly reduced, 10 minutes. Taste for salt and vinegar.
Serve hot, with pepper sauce, if you like.
Tip: Don't worry about simmering these greens too long! The longer they simmer, the better they will be in the end.
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