Collard greens is a veggie side dish that some cook on special occasions. But not meeeeee!!! I cook these bad boys once a month!
It’s definitely one of my favorite vegetables to eat (neck and neck with my Slow Cooked String Beans) and gets made in my home as often as once a month. Since I love it so much, it’s a very easy way for me to get some veggies in my system, as I can eat a whole bowl for dinner with no regrets.
How do I make my collard greens taste good?
The 2 keys to making collard greens taste amazing are:
1. The perfect broth – Making a nice flavorful broth for the collard greens is what will give them that perfect taste you’re looking for. Especially with collard greens being a little on the bitter side, a good broth makes a huge difference.
2. Time – This recipe will take at least 2 hours total, but trust me that it is beyond worth it in the end! The combo of making the broth and cooking the greens on low so they’re tender requires a little bit of patience. Mostly because you’ll smell da smellz and want to eat them before they’re done.
How to make collard greens tender
I also add apple cider vinegar to my collard greens. Vinegar helps to tenderize the greens a bit more, while the apple cider gives it another depth of flavor. Adding this while cooking the broth helps to get rid of the strong vinegar taste, so it won’t feel like you’re eating pickled greens.
How to make a vegetarian version of southern collard greens:
This recipe can be made vegetarian (and vegan) as well!
Replace the chicken stock with veggie broth, and omit the turkey and butter. The turkey does add another layer of flavor with it’s smokiness, so either double up on the paprika or add a couple of dashes of liquid smoke so you aren’t missing out!
Making this without the meat also eliminates step #4 of letting the broth cook for 30 minutes before adding your greens. Just make sure those greens are still cooking low and slow for 1.5 hours total!
Southern Style Slow Cooked Collard Greens
Equipment
- 5 quart (or larger) pot with a lid
- knife
- Cutting board
- colander
- wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp canola oil
- ½ yellow onion small diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 6 cup chicken stock
- 1 smoked turkey neck any size
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tsp thyme leaves
- 1 lb collard greens washed with stems removed and rough chopped
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Instructions
- On medium low heat, add canola oil into a 5qt (or larger) pot. Once warm, add onions and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
- Pour in vinegar, and let it simmer for 1 1/2 minutes. The amount of vinegar will reduce by half. Pour in chicken stock.
- Add remaining ingredients, excluding the collard greens and butter. Cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add collard greens, a couple of handfuls at a time, to submerge the greens into the broth. Once all greens have been submerged, turn the heat up to high to bring to a quick boil. Then, bring the temperature down to low. Cover and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the turkey neck from the pot with a fork or tongs onto a plate. Let it cool for about 5 minutes, and pick the meat off the bone. Be sure to leave behind and gristle or tendons.
- Add butter and the picked turkey meat back into the pot, cover, and cook for an additional 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Spice level can be adjusted by adding more red pepper flakes. Greens can be served right away. Enjoy!
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