Southern Collard Greens Recipe Hits On Every Note (4 Ingredients) Vegetables Side Dishes Budget Recipes Pork Low Sugar Recipes

Sweet. Bitter. Salty. Spicy. These collard greens are a party for your taste buds. Collard greens are a southern thing, but have caught on and are now served around the country. And with good reason! Collard greens are delicious, nutritious and have a distinct taste that is craveable. Plus, you get the health benefits of collard greens.

To make this southern collard greens recipe you will need just four simple ingredients. Here is your short shopping list: fresh collard greens, onion and a ham hock, bacon or smoked turkey leg. For added flavor, you could grab crushed red pepper flakes, Tabasco sauce and peppers in vinegar.

Serve these low-calorie collard greens as a side dish with chicken, lamb, pork, beef or even seafood. (Don't forget the cornbread!) 

Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 to 2 hours
Total Time: 1 to 2 hours
Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 - 2 bunches collard greens, washed well, touch stems removed and chopped
• 1 large smoked ham hock, 1 smoked turkey leg OR 5 - 6 slices thick-cut bacon
• 3 - 4 cups water or chicken broth

Optional Ingredients

• crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• Tabasco sauce (optional)
• peppers in vinegar (optional)

Recipe Notes

• If you can't find fresh collard greens, you could use frozen or even canned collard greens.

• Water is fine to use when cooking the collard greens, but chicken broth adds another layer of flavor.

• Store any leftover collard greens in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave. 

Here’s how to make it:

1. Heat a tiny amount of olive oil in a large pot. Add the onion and cook until soft. (If you're using bacon, cook it along with the onion to crisp it up a bit and omit the olive oil.)
2. Add the collard greens, water or broth, ham hock and salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 1 to 2 hours, adding more water/broth, if needed. 
3. Remove the meat off of the ham hock or turkey leg and add to the collard greens. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if desired. Serve with Tabasco and peppers in vinegar. 

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

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