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Southern US · American

Southern collard greens

Non-vegetarian

Collard greens braised slowly with smoky bacon, onion and a splash of vinegar until silky, with the savoury cooking juices ('pot likker') served alongside.

Southern collard greens is a Southern US side dish from United States, ready in about 1 hour 30 minutes and made with bacon and collard greens. It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.

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Pot of braised collard greens with bacon, peppers and onion
Photo: Nolabob / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0
Prep
15 min
Cook
1 h 15 min
Total
1 h 30 min
Serves
6
Level
Easy
Calories
182

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Cook the bacon (opens in a new tab) in a large pot over medium heat until the fat runs. Add the onion (opens in a new tab) and cook until soft, then the garlic (opens in a new tab).

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the collards (opens in a new tab) a handful at a time, letting each batch wilt. Pour in the stock and add the vinegar, sugar, chilli flakes (opens in a new tab), salt and pepper (opens in a new tab). Bring to a simmer.

    • 7 min
    • medium heat

  3. Step 3

    Cover and simmer gently until the greens are very tender, stirring occasionally.

    • 60 min
    • low heat

  4. Step 4

    Taste, adjust the seasoning and serve the greens with some of their juices and hot sauce (opens in a new tab) on the side.

    About this dish

    Origin
    American South, United States · Well documentedRooted in African American cooking traditions.More food from United States
    Dish
    Lunch · Dinner · Side dishes
    Cooking method
    Braised, Simmered
    Taste
    savoury, smoky, tangy, earthy
    Diet
    No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-fibre
    All labelsNon-vegetarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-fibre · Low-fat · Carb-conscious
    Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    One-pot · Make-ahead
    Cook more with
    Bacon · Onion · Garlic · Chicken stock · Apple cider vinegar · Brown sugar
    Techniques
    Simmering · Braising

    Allergens

    • May contain: Celeryfrom chicken stock

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    182 kcal per serving

    Estimated

    1 serving ≈ 321 g · recipe makes 6

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 22%
    • Carbohydrate 33%
    • Fat 44%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy182 kcal57 kcal
    Protein10.6 g3.3 g
    Carbohydrate15.9 g5 g
    Net carbohydrate9.5 g3 g
    Sugars4.3 g1.3 g
    Added sugars0.7 g0.2 g
    Fibre6.4 g2 g
    Fat9.4 g2.9 g
    Saturated fat2.9 g0.9 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol16 mg5 mg
    Sodium637 mg199 mg
    Salt equivalent1.6 g0.5 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    534 mg
    Calcium
    363 mg
    Iron
    1.2 mg
    Magnesium
    51 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    383 µg
    Vitamin C
    55 mg
    Vitamin D
    0.1 µg
    Vitamin B12
    0.1 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    204 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: chilli sauce (sriracha-style).
    • Red chilli flakes: Ground cayenne (FDC 170932) used as a stand-in for dried chilli flakes such as pul biber or Aleppo pepper.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • Wash collards in several changes of water — grit hides in the leaf folds.

    Serve with

    • Serve with cornbread for dipping into the pot likker, alongside fried chicken or black-eyed peas.

    Food safety

    • Cook the bacon (or ham hock) through before the long simmer; cool and refrigerate the greens within 2 hours.

    Storage

    • Refrigerate up to 4 days; they improve overnight.

    Reheating

    • Reheat in their juices until hot.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in steps 1, 2

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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