Vegetarian Collard Greens
Collard greens are a nutrient-rich, dark green, similar to kale or turnip greens. Traditionally, they are cooked with some kind of cured or salted meat. However, because I am a vegetarian I do not cook mine with meat. Honestly, these vegetarian collard greens are unbelievable even without the meat and it makes them much, much healthier!
The pot likker (the juices that are left over after the greens are cooked) makes a delicious sauce for cornbread or yeast rolls, so you don’t have to waste any of the good nutrients! Collards are eaten all year round but are a requirement for the New Year’s Day meal that is supposed to give you luck in the coming year: collards, cornbread, and black eyed peas!
As a vegetarian, I actually try to make collards a couple times a month because of how healthy they are. I don’t love salads, and this is a great way to get A, K, and those all too easy to miss B vitamins.
Collard greens are in the same genetic family as kale, but when it comes to kale, I am not a fan. To me, kale tastes bitter and is a hard sell despite its wealth of nutritional value. Collards are an excellent substitute, and have actually been proven to be better for you than kale in some ways.
As a final argument for why you’ve got to give vegetarian collard greens a chance (if you even need any further convincing!): this recipe only requires FOUR ingredients! Okay, so maybe it does have to sit on the stove for 2-3 hours. Yes, that is fairly time consuming, but it’s just simmering so there’s no need to actually watch it for those three hours!
This is a traditional dish from the South that is actually healthy; likewise, it’s a dark leafy green that doesn’t taste like rabbit food, so I think a little extra cooking time is okay!
Vegetarian Collard Greens
Ingredients
- 1 bunch collard greens
- 1 small yellow onion
- 2 quarts vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh turmeric, grated optional
Instructions
-
Wash and lay the collard leaves on top of one another, 10 at a time. Roll them up and cut off the very tip of stem.
-
Chiffonade the remaining collard and place in a large pot.
-
Dice the onion and add it to the pot along with the stock.
-
Add in the salt, pepper, and turmeric.
-
Cover the pot with a lid and cook on low, at a simmer, for AT LEAST 1 hour. Stir occasionally. The longer you cook this the more tender the greens will be. I tend to start these in the morning and leave them all day.
-
Serve warm, and enjoy.
