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collard greens

a.k.a.

Collards

what is it?

The dark, vibrant green leaves of collard greens are packed with vitamins, minerals and soluble fiber. They're also extremely satisfying to cook with, and lend themselves well to olive oil braising, soups, and slow cooking. Because they are a relatively hardy green with a strong, mildly cabbagy taste, collards stand up well to longer cooking times because the flavor is allowed to mellow. They pair deliciously with assertive flavors, such as smokiness or meatiness (pancetta, bacon, chorizo, kielbasa, any cured meat), sweetly pungent aromatics (garlic, onions, fresh ginger,) an acid or anything spicy (vinegar, lemon juice, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, chile or curry paste, minced hot peppers) or anything creamy (think heavy cream, sour cream, and goat cheese.)

don't have it?

Kale, turnip greens and mustard greens are also hardy, leafy vegetables with a similar flavor profile, and they would work well in most recipes that call for collards.

how to choose:

Look for stiff, dark-green leaves with no yellowing or drooping and bunches with most of the stems trimmed.

how to prep:

Cook them very, very fast or very, very slowly. Collard leaves are quite tough and must be braised or stewed to be tender, unless you slice them ultrathin and sauté them quickly.

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