How do you make Patti Labelle collard greens?

Add the collard greens, chicken stock, onions, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt. Mix in the smoked turkey. Turn the heat to low and cook, covered, until the greens are tender but not too soft, 35 minutes.

What does adding vinegar to collard greens do?

This might seem like an unusual addition if you're new to making collard greens, but the vinegar adds a welcome tangy note that brightens the dish and balances out the salty, savory flavors . A tablespoon of sugar also helps balance out the greens' potential bitterness.

Why put baking soda in collard greens?

In the case of collard greens, baking soda's utility is threefold, serving as a flavor enhancer, a tenderizer, and a color protector . Baking soda is an alkali salt possessing the tenderizing and flavor-enhancing properties of regular salt.

How to cook collard greens Martha Stewart?

Directions Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook garlic, stirring often, until golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in red-pepper flakes, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. ... Reduce heat to medium-low. Add water, and steam,covered, until greens are just tender and water evaporates, about 10 minutes. May 16, 2017

What do you soak collard greens in before cooking?

Here's how to properly wash collard greens. Fill your sink with water, and then add 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar and 3 tablespoons salt. ( ... Swish this around, and then submerged your greens in the water. ... Let the greens soak for 20-30 minutes, giving them a good scrub midway. More items... Aug 1, 2021

What can I put on my greens to make them taste better?

The tangy, grassy taste of the greens is easily masked by the salad ingredients. For an easy salad dressing, mix 1 minced shallot, 1 minced garlic clove, ½ cup olive oil, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, and ½ teaspoon greens powder .

Can you put too much water in collard greens?

Make sure you let the water drain out of you collard greens as much as possible. Too much water in your pot will ruin your greens . In a stock pot add Oive Oil, Onion, Green pepper, and Turkey bacon (or your choice of turkey or pork).

Can you overcook collard greens?

It is important to not overcook collard greens or kale, as they tend to give off a sulfur smell and taste bitter . Cut the leaves into one-half inch strips and steam for 5 minutes on the stove. Collard greens make a great addition to eggs and bean soup or can be served alone as a steamed vegetable with a dressing.

How to cook collards that aren't bitter?

Braise them . For sturdy greens with a bite, like rapini, collards, kale, and turnip greens, consider braising. Not only will this slow-cooking cut the bitterness, but it will also soften the otherwise tough leaves.

How long to soak collard greens in vinegar?

Soak the collard greens: Give your greens a good soak in the salt and vinegar solution for at least 10-15 minutes to ensure that they are thoroughly cleaned.

How to make collard greens from a can taste good?

Drain the collard greens and collect their juice. Add a little apple cider vinegar, hot sauce and sugar to the juice and pour it into the pot. Return the bacon to the pot and simmer it until reduced by half. Add the greens to the pot and simmer until heated through.

How are the greens to be cooked?

Cook the Greens Bring a small amount of lightly salted water to boiling in a Dutch oven . Add the greens. Cover the pan and cook until tender. Chard and beet greens will take 8 to 10 minutes; kale, mustard, turnip, and collard greens will take 15 to 20 minutes.

Southern Collard Greens Recipe (2024)

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These authentic Southern Collard Greens are braised in a savory meat flavored and perfectly spiced pot liquor resulting in an amazing tender silky texture!!!

This Collard Greens recipe is a tribute to not only my childhood but to almost every other southerner. I’ve watched the hands that groomed and raised me make collard greens for decades, and the entire process was always so magical. That’s exactly why I included my Big Mama (grandmother’s) and my mama’s hands in this post showing you how to make them too. The heritage and love associated with making greens for your family is something that can never be replaced.

We just love our greens, whether they be turnip, mustard, or collard. Just about every southerner has a personal favorite and with such unique, individual flavors I don’t blame them. This is true Southern Cooking at its finest.

In my opinion, traditional southern collard greens are the most popular rendition of this dish. The aroma of collard greens cooking on the stove fills your home with the wonderful smells of classic southern cuisine. Every bite is a true comfort to your soul.

Table of Contents

What Are Collard Greens?

Collard greens are what I would consider the staple green vegetable of the south. They belong to the Brassica oleracea plant species like most green vegetables including cabbage (link to cabbage rolls), spinach and kale.

They are available all year round with a peak season in the winter and early spring. My mother has always picked and prepared greens all year round but there is something quite special about grabbing them when they are in season.

How To Pick The Best

To pick wonderful greens at your local grocery store or farmer’s market, be sure to pay close attention to the leaves. They shouldn’t be too tough. You want to make sure that the leaves are easy to pull away from the stem and tear/cut later when preparing them to cook.

How to Clean Greens

The most crucial step in making this recipe is getting those greens super clean. Greens can be very sandy, so you must adhere to these steps:

Fill your sink with lukewarm water.

Submerge the greens in water to loosen any grit.
Thoroughly wash, making scrubbing motions with your hands.

Rinse in water releasing grit.
Repeat.

This process must be done over and over and over again. My mother believes in washing greens until you don’t see any grit left in the water in your sink. We like to use the deepest sink bowl available in the house so if this means washing greens in your home’s laundry room, so be it! Just make sure you clean the sink out first before adding them. This will allow the greens to both achieve a better texture and soak in more flavor.

Should I remove the Stems?

This is a personal choice for most people. In my family, we believe in removing the stems and leaving mostly just greens to cook. However there are several that love the stems because of its major nutritional value.

An easy way to remove the stems is to hold a leaf by the end of the stem with one hand and slide the hand down the stem, tearing away the leaf as you continue to cut.

How to Cook Collard Greens

There are several ways to cook collard greens; however, the Southern technique is quite different. While you can make an Easy Collard Greens Recipe by just adding the greens to a saute’ pan with some olive oil and cooking until they just begin to tenderize, Soul Food Collard Greens require quite some time to braise.

Pot Likker (or pot liquor) What is it? How to Make it

These greens are simmered away in a rich broth that develops called Pot Likker. In what the internet would term “Black Folks Collard Greens”, Pot likker (or pot liquor) is the broth that becomes infused with the flavors in this recipe like fresh onions, garlic, and that smokey, salty ham hock (or turkey for you non-pork eaters).

Nothing else tastes quite like the highly concentrated, full flavored Pot Likker. I swear, you could drink it by the glass full. Lots of people use this pot likker to flavor other recipes or even make soups.

With the addition of apple cider vinegar along with red pepper flakes to my soul food collard greens recipe, these spicy collard greens really have some kick! There’s no lack of flavor here.

It’s simple, fresh ingredients that produce some of the best collard greens you’ll ever have. I could wolf them down by the bowlful, and I’m sure you will too. Once finished, these greens make a perfect side to any meat or can be eaten on their own with cornbread.

How to Make Vegan Greens

This recipe is really here to serve as a guide for you. You can make substitutions to make this recipe more to your personal liking. A lot of southerners love bacon in their greens that can be added in place of ham hock if that isn’t your thing.

Also, with a huge vegan movement happening (my brother has become a huge part of this), I realize that many would love to have the taste of Soul Food Collard Greens without the meat.

This recipe can easily be adapted by removing the ham hock and bacon grease. Because the pot liquor has everything from apple cider vinegar to garlic and paprika, you can simply add collard greens, add garlic, add onion and hot peppers and even liquid smoke and the flavors will still be incredible. I promise you won’t miss the meat at all.

Collard Greens With Smoked Turkey

You can also replace the ham hock in this recipe with smoked turkey easily. It is really your choice when making this recipe your own. You will follow the same steps in the recipe and just replace the meat with smoked turkey wings instead. Again, make sure this is a meaty selection since it will flavor your entire batch of greens.

How to Store

Finally you can store greens in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 4-5 days but if you want to make them at a later time, freezing is best. We package lots of greens by placing them along with the pot liquor in freezer bags allowing all air to escape then freezing. You can keep these bags of greens for months at a time.

Simply thaw them out for a couple of hours and then cook over medium low heat to bring up to temperature to enjoy them once again.

What to Serve with Them

Want some Southern recipes or famous Soul Food recipes to serve your Collard Greens with? Make sure you pair them with the following:

Smothered Pork Chops Recipe
Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Fried Pork Chops
Fried Chicken Gizzard Recipe
Chicken Fried Steak
Banana Pudding Recipe
Skillet Cornbread
Lavender Mint Juleps

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