Black Folks Collard Greens Recipe

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Collard greens are both nutritious and delicious, especially when prepared with a traditional Black folks’ recipe, seasoned to perfection! They’ve long been a staple in soul food and Southern cuisine, representing more than just a side dish at family gatherings.

Black Folks Soul Food Collard Greens Recipe

A Black folks’ collard greens recipe symbolizes the remarkable resilience of African American cooking, blending traditions from African ancestors with the available resources in the South.

Collard greens the Black way

A Black people’s collard greens recipe is a cultural staple of traditional soul food cooking. Typically, these greens are cooked with meat, vinegar, salt, and pepper. The result is a delicious dish featuring rich green leaves that are so tasty they might make you exclaim the famous soul food phrase, “Makes you wanna slap yo mama!” (But please don’t actually do that!)

Collard greens the Black way
Here I am, making my family’s collard greens recipe with my mom.

Ingredients 

Grandmas often say, “A pinch of this and a dash of that!” Making authentic soul food collards is simple once you know the right seasonings and the proper amounts to use. 

To prepare this dish the traditional way, as in Black households, you’ll need a few bundles of collards, an onion, chicken stock, garlic, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. These are some of the main pantry ingredients that will help you create this flavorful dish.

What does baking soda do to collard greens?

Some cooks add a pinch of baking soda when preparing collard greens to preserve the chlorophyll, which gives green vegetables, particularly those in the cabbage family, their vibrant green color. However, baking soda is not essential for cooking collards, and I have never seen any Black home cooks use it.

How to make collard greens

How to make collard greens

Seasoning is pivotal in transforming these healthy greens into a savory side dish! A medley of spices, including garlic, onions, and a hint of smoked meat (typically ham hocks or smoked turkey for a healthier option), infuses the collard greens with flavors that reflect rich African American cooking traditions. The slow and deliberate simmering process allows the collard greens to absorb these rich, complex flavors.

For quicker yet still flavorful collard greens in just 15 minutes, check out my Instant Pot collard greens recipe HERE!

  1. Prep the greens – Before you get started, make sure you thoroughly clean and cut the collards.
  2. In a large stockpot, bring the liquid to a simmer with the onion, red pepper flakes, and chicken stock.
  3. Then, add the collard greens and the remaining ingredients and cook. Optionally, add an already seasoned and cooked turkey leg to the pot for enhanced smoky and meaty flavor.

🎙Listen to my conversation about this recipe on The Soul Food Pod episode: Soul Food Southern Collard Greens Recipe

How to know when collard greens are done

How to avoid bitter greens

Every bite of my collard greens recipe reflects the rich flavors and heartiness that pay tribute to our ancestors’ ingenuity and strength. This recipe features a carefully curated selection of soulful ingredients, including apple cider vinegar and chicken stock, which help to braise the greens and tenderize them as they simmer in a flavorful liquid known as pot likker

Thanks to this traditional African American preparation, these greens are transformed, eliminating any bitterness that might have been present in their coarse state.

How to know when collard greens are done

Collard greens should be cooked on the stovetop for 2 to 3 hours. Slowly simmering the greens makes them tender. It’squite difficult to overcook collard greens, as they don’t become mushy even with longer cooking times. You can easily tell they are done when they are tender.

Black Folks Soul Food Collard Greens Recipe

Black Folks Collard Greens Recipe

Collard greens are both nutritious and delicious, especially when prepared in the traditional Black folks' way, seasoned to perfection! They've long been a staple in soul food and Southern cuisine, representing more than just a side dish at family gatherings.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Southern Food, Vegan Soul Food
Servings: 8
Calories: 240kcal

Equipment

  • Large stockpot with a lid

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds collard greens 3 bundles
  • 1 turkey leg pre-cooked/smoked (this ingredient is optional)
  • 1 cup yellow onion diced
  • 2 cups tomatoes diced
  • 4 cups chicken stock use vegetable stock to make vegan and vegetarian-friendly
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce or sriracha sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning or Cajun or Creole seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • Clean the collard greens, stack several leaves on top of each other, and cut off the stems.
  • Roll the leaves up lengthwise, tightly like a cigar. Using a knife or kitchen shears, cut the rolled collard greens into half-inch ribbon strips.
  • Add the smoked turkey leg, onion, red pepper flakes, and chicken stock to a large stockpot over medium heat.
  • Cover the pot with the lid and simmer for 1 hour.
  • Then, add the collard greens, tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, honey, hot sauce, garlic, Old Bay seasoning, salt, and pepper.
  • Stir to combine the ingredients. (The collards will wilt down as they cook.)
  • Cover the pot with the lid and simmer for 2 hours.
  • Serve this Black folks' collard greens recipe right away and enjoy!

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 1238mg | Potassium: 786mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 6095IU | Vitamin C: 49mg | Calcium: 302mg | Iron: 3mg
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The Ultimate Soul Food Recipes Guide
The Ultimate Soul Food Recipes Guide
What is soul food? Soul food recipes are African-American recipes full of flavor! A legacy of Southern cooking the Black way. Check out this collection of the best soul food recipes!
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4.92 from 95 votes (58 ratings without comment)

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48 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I’ve never thought about adding tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce to my collard greens but I’m definitely thinking about it now.

  2. Cynthia Williams says:

    5 stars
    Here’s another holiday favorite. Thanks for sharing this recipe and tips using apple Cider vinegar and honey to remove the bitter and sweeten the savory taste.

  3. 5 stars
    This recipe is just like mine. 🙂

  4. Robin Armstrong says:

    5 stars
    Thank You for this Recipe!

  5. Melinda Worsham says:

    5 stars
    Collard greens are worth every second of work to make this dish. Thanks for the recipe. Could eat these every day!

  6. 5 stars
    It would not be a complete dinner without BF Soul Food Collard Greens. I love collard greens with corn bread. There is so many ways to flavor greens. I will try your recipe. Thanks for sharing.

  7. Crazi Womin says:

    5 stars
    Ohh wow, I just made collards,mac n cheese,cornbread and bbq chicken yesterday! I’ve never tried tomatoes but I’m game, lol. Thank you for the recipe!!

  8. Sheronda Phanor says:

    5 stars
    Love the recipe. I will try it

  9. Elizabeth says:

    5 stars
    I love greens and this recipe seems so easy to make.

  10. 5 stars
    Another yummy recipe to try!

  11. Hi, need a little help.
    I have made collards before, but your recipe sounds like it would be an improvement on the one I have used.
    I do have one problem — I do not own an Instant Pot. I would use a large (normal) pot, or I do own a slow cooker.
    I cannot imagine using either one would cook the collards in 15 mins.

    Would you please be kind enough to give me a guideline for cooking time with either of these two methods?
    Appreciate, Jess

    1. Thanks for asking! We’re publishing a stovetop Southern collard greens recipe this week – stay tuned!