Name: Quick Collard Greens
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1.5 Tablespoons Olive Oil; ½ Small Onion – Diced {Red or White}; 4 Cloves Garlic – Chopped; ¼-1 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper {adjust depending on heat preference}; 16 oz Collard Greens – Chopped*; 1 Cup Stock* {Low Sodium - Beef, Chicken, or Vegetable}; Salt and Pepper to Taste

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Quick Collard Greens – Simple and delicious, these garlicky collard greens make a great side dish or main course, and they're ready in less than 30 minutes.

I’m on a veggie kick, apparently. This quick recipe for collard greens is a great side dish for grilled or baked meats. I also like to have this with beans for and easy plant-based meal.

What Are Collard Greens?

Collard Greens are a hardy leafy green. They have large leaves that can be sautéed or used to make wraps. The tough leafy greens require a little more cooking time than greens like spinach. Some people prefer to cook them low and slow for a long time to soften. I personally like to keep some of the hardiness.

They can have a bitter taste, but once cooked, the bitter flavor mellows out. The addition of the stock and garlic also helps balance any bitter aftertaste.

How to Prepare Collard Greens

You can purchase collard greens whole or already chopped. For quick-cooking, I prefer to buy the whole leaves and remove the stem myself. The stem can be tough, so I remove them prior to cooking. The pre-chopped bags usually have thick stems included. This is a personal preference though.

To remove the stem, lay the leaf flat on a cutting board and cut along the stem on either side.

When the stem is removed, fold the leave over and chop it into pieces.

Once chopped, heat a pan over medium-high heat and add diced onion, chopped garlic, and crushed red pepper to the pan with some olive oil. Cook for a couple of minutes and add the chopped collard greens. Stir and cook until softened. They will start to become a darker green color as they cook. Add desired stock and simmer over medium-low for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.

Cooking Variations

Stocks – Vegetable stock can be substituted for the beef for a vegetarian/vegan dish. Chicken works well too.
Bacon - Instead of olive oil, you can chop four strips of bacon and cook until crispy. Remove the bacon and add the onions and garlic to the bacon grease. Once the collards are prepared, you can sprinkle the cooked bacon over the top before serving.
Slow Cooker – Add all ingredients minus the oil to a slow cooker and cook for 4 hours on high and 8 hours on low.
Salt and Pepper – After adding the stock, season with salt and pepper. Once cooking is complete, add more seasoning to taste. I prefer my food lightly salted. Some people like more salt, so adjust accordingly. I would recommend starting with ⅛ teaspoon and increasing from there.

Recipes to Serve with the Quick Collard Greens

Serve with Spatchcock Chicken, Oven Roasted Spatchcock Chicken, Lemon Garlic Chicken, Cajun Shrimp and Cauliflower “Grits”.

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