Southern Collard Greens Recipe
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A Southern collard greens recipe is a staple of every Southern kitchen.
The South’s favorite leafy greens are partnered with onions, garlic, sauces, and smoked turkey meat (optional), then simmered and seasoned to perfection!
What are collard greens?
Collard greens are edible green vegetables from the cabbage family, such as broccoli, kale, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.
The plants reach a height of more than 1 meter and have a vertical or climbing growth pattern.
The leaves have a rough texture and grow in a ruffled shape. Raw collard leaves taste bitter and pungent.
The most common types of cruciferous greens are collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, and spinach. They’re rich in iron, calcium, and vitamin A.
What is pot likker?
Pot likker (sometimes spelled potlikker or pot liquor) is the liquid broth left over after cooking beans or greens – like Southern collard greens!
Simmering until the meat drippings, onions, and garlic combine to form a rich, delicious, and tender pot likker stew.
A Southern collard greens recipe’s broth is seasoned with onion, a host of Southern soul food seasonings, and apple cider vinegar.
Why do you put vinegar in collard greens?
Vinegar may appear to be an unusual addition to collard greens if you have never prepared them before.
But it lends the dish tangy notes that balance the savory flavors. Adding red pepper flakes and hot sauce will spice up the greens.
Vinegar also helps to tenderize the greens while cooking and cuts the bitter taste.
Southern collards are hearty enough to be a meal by themselves. Yet it’s also light. Spicy but also sweet.
You can easily make a Southern-style collard greens recipe a main meal.
Easy Southern collard greens recipe
Making collard greens in an Instant Pot simplifies the tedious process of preparing a Southern collard greens recipe.
You won’t have to spend hours in the kitchen stewing over a stockpot at the stove.
Made in an Instant Pot, a Southern collard greens recipe is ready in under 30 minutes!
Can you use frozen collard greens?
Even better, if you’re in a pinch, you can use frozen, pre-washed collard greens!
Ensure frozen greens are thawed and drained before using.
How long does it take to cook collard greens?
Seasoned to perfection in a broth called pot likker stew, you can cook collards slowly on the stovetop or in a matter of minutes with an Instant Pot (15 minutes to be exact)!
It’d take about 4 hours on high or 7 hours on low to cook the collard greens in a Crockpot. The same for slow cooking in an Instant Pot on the ‘slow cook’ setting.
You’ll need 2-3 hours cooking the traditional way on the stovetop.
How do you make the best Instant Pot collard greens?
Follow the recipe instructions below for flavor, seasonings, and how to cook collard greens in the Instant Pot!
Because it takes only 15 minutes to cook a Southern collard greens recipe in an Instant Pot, followed by a 15-minute pressure release.
This means no more stewing over a hot pot all day at the stove just to enjoy this classic dish!
How many collard greens do you need?
Following this recipe, you’ll need 2 pounds (3 bundles) of collard greens.
Do you leave the stems on collard greens?
Before cooking, chop the collards and remove the stems.
Recommended kitchen equipment for a Southern collard greens recipe
What are the best seasonings for collard greens?
Apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, honey, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, salt, garlic, and more!
Check out the recipe below for the tried and true soul food seasonings for Southern collard greens!
Ingredients for a Southern collard greens recipe
- 2 pounds (3 bundles) of collard greens
- 1 pre-cooked smoked turkey leg (optional)
- 1 cup of yellow onion, diced
- 2 cups of tomatoes, diced
- 4 cups of chicken stock (use vegetable stock to make vegan and vegetarian-friendly)
- 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon of sriracha or hot sauce
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning or Cajun or Creole seasoning
- 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
Instructions for a Southern collard greens recipe in the Instant Pot
- Clean the collard greens and cut off the stems.
- Then roughly chop the leaves in half through the midline and then into bite-sized pieces.
- Open the Instant Pot lid and add the wet ingredients (chicken stock, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, honey, and hot sauce to the stainless-steel inner pot.
- Next, add the onion, tomatoes, garlic, Old Bay or Cajun seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine the ingredients.
- Finally, add the clean collard greens and the cooked turkey leg.
- Press down to sink the greens as much as possible into the liquid broth.
- Close the Instant Pot lid (ensure the valve is up – in the position for sealing) and pressure cook on high for 15 minutes.
- When cooking is finished, allow a natural pressure release for at least 15 minutes.
- To open the Instant Pot lid, move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release any remaining pressure, if applicable.
- Serve a Southern collard greens recipe right away, and enjoy!
Instructions for Southern collard greens on the stovetop
- Add the smoked turkey leg, onion, red pepper flakes, sautéed vegetables, and chicken stock to a large stockpot over medium heat.
- Cover the pot and simmer for an 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 and simmer for 2 hours.
- Serve this Southern collard greens recipe right away and enjoy!
What can you serve with Southern collard greens?
So what goes with collard greens for dinner?
Southern collard greens are a traditional holiday dish in the South, served with other Southern favorites like candied yams, baked macaroni and cheese, red beans, and buttermilk fried chicken.
Many Southerners love the smoky flavor of these greens and the creaminess of buttery mashed potatoes or black-eyed peas.
Homemade cornbread or Southern cornbread dressing is also a regular appropriate accompaniment to a Southern collard greens recipe because it soaks up all the savory pot likker.
Southern collard greens recipe FAQs
How do you clean collard greens?
Fresh collard greens, mustard greens, or turnip greens are easy to clean. Simply clean them by running each leaf under cold water, discarding any limp leaves.
How long are you supposed to soak collard greens?
Before cleaning, you can soak collards in water for about 10 minutes in your kitchen sink.
Soaking can help remove any dirt on the greens. After that, rinse them off individually to ensure no grime is left.
Do you cut collard greens before cooking?
After cleaning the leaves, the stems need to be removed. Then, the leaves can be cut.
Typically, collard greens are cut into thin strips or split into thin, bite-size pieces.
What do Southern collard greens taste like?
A Southern soul food collard greens recipe is made with a combination of seasonings, onions, and vinegar which gives the dish a delicious taste different from any traditional collard greens recipe.
These greens are so flavorful! A little bit spicy, a little smoky, a little bit salty, a little vinegary, and so savory!
The intentional flavors make the broth rich and bold and the greens yummy and tender after simmering.
Why do Southerners eat collard greens?
Why are collard greens popular in the South?
Southern cuisine features collard greens as the main staple of any proper Southern meal.
But why?
The availability of these leafy greens all year round has also made them an integral part of Southern soul food cuisine.
Collards have a robust flavor that pairs well with many spices – garlic, paprika, mustard seeds, or other spices common for cooking down South.
Even including other vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, and turnip greens. (Turn up!)
What is the history of collard greens?
Collard greens are an old-fashioned Southern dish attributed to African Americans. Enslaved African Americans brought their traditional cooking methods from Africa.
They are credited for elevating collard greens to the Southern soul food recipe we know and love today.
Can you make this Southern collard greens recipe without meat?
While Southern collard greens are typically cooked with a smoked ham hock or a turkey leg, they can be made vegetarian and vegan by eliminating meat and substituting chicken broth with vegetable stock.
This recipe calls for a turkey leg, but it’s optional.
Meat is optional, but it does add a nice smoky flavor that complements the greens nicely.
What makes collard greens taste so good?
People often ask, “How do you jazz up collard greens?”
The answer? With Southern soul food seasonings!
Including hot sauce, vinegar, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper, combined in a savory broth for a delicious flavor to a once coarse and bitter leafy green!
How do you spice up greens?
Adding hot sauce is one of the most delicious ways to spice up greens.
This recipe calls for sriracha or hot sauce to add a kick to the dish. (Surely you’ll impress your guests!)
Another way is to add some red pepper flakes. The red pepper flakes make the dish hot enough to give you a kick, and yet it is not too strong for those who do not like spicy food.
How do you get the bitterness out of collard greens?
When collard greens are raw, they are a very bitter green.
So you need to cook the collard greens in a highly flavored liquid to dilute the bitterness and boil it off, with just the flavor of the greens remaining.
What takes the bitterness out of collard greens?
This soul food collard green recipe uses apple cider vinegar and chicken stock to braise the greens in a flavorful liquid, thus no bitter taste.
Chicken stock is an excellent choice, with a mild enough flavor that won’t overpower the greens. Plus vinegar, soul food seasonings, and spices.
Why do people put baking soda in collard greens?
So what does baking soda do when cooking greens?
Baking soda has many incredible benefits for a Southern collard greens recipe.
First, it enhances the flavor of the collard greens by helping to remove the bitterness.
Second, baking soda aids in tender collards.
And third, it helps the greens retain their vibrant green color.
Baking soda is not a necessary ingredient for collards. It’s primarily used if you’re concerned and don’t want your cooked green vegetables having a brownish-green hue.
How to make your collard greens tender?
Cooking the greens – simmering, pressure cooking, or slow cooking- makes the collards tender.
Why are your collard greens mushy?
When cooking collards, you don’t want them to be tender and not mushy.
A mushy, gooey collard is a sign of overcooking.
It is best to avoid overcooking collards by keeping the temperature low and the time short.
Can you overcook collard greens?
When you’re using this soul food collard greens recipe from The Soul Food Pot and following the step-by-step instructions, you won’t have to worry about overcooking your greens!
It’s important not to overcook collard greens because they will become mushy and give off an unpleasant sulfur smell when overcooked.
Can you use a Crockpot for cooking the greens?
You can slow-cook collard greens with a Crockpot.
Just add all the ingredients to the pot, make sure the water level is above the level of the ingredients, and turn it on.
What’s the best-smoked meat for making Southern-style collard greens?
The best-smoked meat for making collards depends on what you want to do with them.
If you’re going to use it as a main dish, then your choice of pork is essential because it will be the most prominent flavor in the finished dish.
But if you want something that goes well with side dishes like cornbread or sweet potatoes, consider turkey or beef.
How can you cook this soul food collard greens recipe without pork?
Meats like pork can intensely flavor collard greens.
But if you don’t want to use pork, you can add turkey legs, smoked turkey wings, or neck bones also work similarly to ham hocks. These meats will produce the same depth of flavor profile for your Southern collard greens recipe!
Can you make this Southern collard greens recipe without meat?
This recipe calls for a turkey leg, but it’s optional. You can make this recipe vegetarian-friendly by eliminating the chicken stock (replace with vegetable stock) and the meat.
How long will cooked collard greens last in the refrigerator?
How long can you eat leftover collard greens? Cooked collards will last 3-5 days in an air-tight container in the fridge.
What do you think about this recipe?
Collard greens are a vegetable that I’ve been eating my whole life. I grew up in the South, so they were always on our plates.
For Sunday soul food dinners, on the soul food Thanksgiving menu, Christmas dinner, and New Year’s in a hoppin John recipe (a Southern collard green recipe with black-eyed peas and rice).
I think collard greens are a staple food for many people because they can be cooked in so many different ways.
And this Southern collard greens recipe is easy enough for anyone to make – and everyone to love!
Did you enjoy this soul food Southern collard greens recipe?
Have you had it?
Would you make it?
Comment below and lemme know.
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Equipment
- Instant Pot electric pressure cooker
- or a 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
Instructions for a Southern collard greens recipe in the Instant Pot
- Clean the collard greens and cut off the stems.
- Then roughly chop the leaves in half through the midline and then into bite-sized pieces.
- Open the Instant Pot lid and add the wet ingredients (chicken stock, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, honey, and hot sauce to the stainless-steel inner pot.
- Next, add the onion, tomatoes, garlic, Old Bay or Cajun seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and stir to combine the ingredients.
- Finally, add the collard greens, followed by the cooked turkey leg.
- Press down to sink the greens as much as you can into the liquid broth.
- Close the Instant Pot lid (make sure the valve is up – in the position for sealing) and pressure cook on high for 15 minutes.
- When the cooking time is finished, allow a natural pressure release for at least 15 minutes.
- To open the Instant Pot lid, move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release any remaining pressure, if applicable.
- Serve Black folks’ soul food collard greens right away and enjoy!
Instructions for Southern collard greens on the stovetop
- Add the smoked turkey leg, onion, red pepper flakes, sautéed vegetables, 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 Southern collard greens recipe right away and enjoy!
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