A.K.A

Chinese mustard

What is it?

The leaves of the mustard plant (Brassica juncea) are hot and peppery tasting, and can be yellowish-green or reddish-purple in color. As with other hardy greens like collards or turnip greens, they require longer cooking time to make their fibrous texture tender.

Their pungent flavor is flattered with garlic, hot pepper flakes, and vinegar, or long cooking with a ham hock.

Don’t have it?

Kale and turnip greens are also hardy, leafy vegetables with a similar flavor profile (minus the horseradish-y bite), and they would work in most recipes that call for mustard greens.

How to choose:

Choose leaves that look fresh rather than wilted or drooping, without any yellow spots or bruising.

How to prep:

Wash mustard greens in a deep sink or a very large bowl of cold water, gently swirling the stalks to encourage any soil or grit to disperse into the water. Shake off the excess water and pat dry with paper towels. Before cooking mustard greens, you’ll need to remove the tough stems and central ribs from all but the smallest leaves. You can cut them out with a knife or simply tear away the leaf from the rib.

Simmer or steam the leaves until completely tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

How to store:

Store mustard greens unwashed in an unclosed plastic bag in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer, where it keeps well for two or three days. If you need to store it longer, wrapping the bundle in slightly damp paper towels before putting it in a plastic bag helps prolong its freshness.

Recipes

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  Recipe

  White Bean Stew with Mustard-Green Pesto

  Jazz up a white bean stew with a swirl of peppery pesto made with mustard greens. If you can’t find them, substitute turnip greens or even Swiss chard, which will…

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  Recipe

  Roasted Rutabaga, Apple, and Squash Salad with Feta

  This salad gives winter vegetables a kiss of the warm Mediterranean with a topping of feta, pine nuts and raisins.Customize your own recipe: Create Your Own Hearty Roasted Vegetable Salad

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  Recipe

  Mustard Greens with Chorizo and White Beans

  A riff on the classic Northern Italian dish of greens and white beans, this hearty side dish is great with chicken or fish, or over pasta. It can also be…

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  Recipe

  Mustard Green Flatbread with Charred-Tomato Vinaigrette

  Sweet, smoky, charred late-season tomatoes complement the peppery mustard greens on this flatbread. Any extra vinaigrette is great on salad, green beans, or fish, and will keep in the refrigerator…

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  Recipe

  Spicy Mustard Greens with Asian Noodles

  The spicy-sweet heat of fresh ginger combines with the peppery bite of mustard greens to make a very warming dish. If you can't find somen noodles, use another type of…

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  Recipe

  Salad of Spicy Greens with Fried Cheese & Tiny Tomato Vinaigrette

  At the farmers’ market, choose a mix of young, firm, spicy greens that will hold up to the warm vinaigrette in this salad. The cheese I like for this recipe…