A.K.A

Collards

What is it?

The dark, vibrant green leaves of collard greens are packed with vitamins, minerals and soluble fiber. They’re also extremely satisfying to cook with, and lend themselves well to olive oil braising, soups, and slow cooking. A hardy green with a mildly cabbagy flavor, collards stand up well to longer cooking times, which softens the texture and mellows the flavor. They pair deliciously with assertive flavors, such as smokiness or meatiness (pancetta, bacon, chorizo, kielbasa, any cured meat), sweetly pungent aromatics (garlic, onions, fresh ginger,) an acid or anything spicy (vinegar, lemon juice, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, chile or curry paste, minced hot peppers) or anything creamy (think heavy cream, sour cream, and goat cheese.)

Don’t have it?

Kale, turnip greens and mustard greens are also hardy, leafy vegetables with a similar flavor profile, and they would work well in most recipes that call for collards.

How to choose:

Look for stiff, dark-green leaves with no yellowing or drooping and bunches with most of the stems trimmed.

How to prep:

Cook them very, very fast or very, very slowly. Collard leaves are quite tough and must be braised or stewed to be tender, unless you slice them ultrathin and sauté them quickly.

Recipes

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  Recipe

  Quick Collards with Bacon and Onions

  Contrary to popular belief, collard greens don't need long cooking time to be delicious. Pair these toothsome greens with southern-style braised short ribs or fried chicken.

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  Recipe

  Honey-Tabasco Pork Belly with Black-Eyed Peas and Collard Greens

  A brown sugar rub and a spicy-sweet glaze give this roasted belly a deliciously caramelized flavor. It’s served over bacony slow-simmered beans and tangy braised collards for a truly delicious…

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  Recipe

  Noodle Soup with White Beans and Collards

  这种美味和安慰汤正是哟u need on a cold winter night. To quickly cut the collards, stack a few leaves and roll them into a tight…

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  Recipe

  Collard Greens with Spiced Pears and Almonds

  Pears and shallots add sweetness, and cayenne and cloves bring gentle heat for a dish that will warm you right up. Briefly braising the greens helps tenderize them without robbing…

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  Recipe

  Collard Green Crostini with Blue Cheese and Grape-Apple Relish

  Thick collard greens are easy to eat raw when sliced into confetti-like strips. Sweet fruit relish and tangy blue cheese balance their mild, earthy flavor.

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  Recipe

  Quick-Sautéed Collard Ribbons

  The trick to quick-cooking collards (which are typically braised slowly for tenderness)is cutting them into very thin slices. All these need is a quick spin in a hot pan with…

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  Recipe

  White Bean Soup with Andouille & Collard Greens

  This soup is a complete meal! Just add a warm French baguette and you’re golden. Feel free to experiment with different types of sausage, including the wonderful variety of flavored…

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  Recipe

  Ham Bone Collards

  A ham bone is the perfect flavoring for a big pot of collards, known in the South as a “mess of greens.” If you don’t have a ham bone, a…

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  Recipe

  Sautéed Greens with Garlic

  Use any seasonal cooking greens for this recipe, such as red or green chard, Russian kale, green kale, beet greens, or collards.