Thinly sliced collard greens sautéed with bacon, garlic, and olive oil is the perfect side dish for New Year’s Day.
Sauteed Collard Greens with Bacon
It’s tradition to eat collard greens on New Year’s Day because their green color symbolizes wealth and prosperity for the coming year. This easy collard greens recipe is absolutely my favorite way to eat them. If you are a vegetarian, just leave out the bacon. Another collard greens recipe I love is Kenyan Braised Collard Greens with Ground Beef, known as Sukuma Wiki.
For many years, my dad lived in Brazil, and collard greens, known as “couve,” are a popular side dish there. The greens would also go well with these Brazilian black beans any time of the year.
Are collard greens healthy?
It’s a good idea to include collard greens in your diet regularly because of their ability to lower cholesterol and their cancer-preventive properties. They are low in carbs and calories and a good source of fiber, vitamins A, C, and K, and calcium. I eat collards because I like them, so having the added health benefits is a bonus.
How to Clean Collards
Collard greens can be very sandy and dirty, so it’s important to clean them well.
- Rinse them and put the leaves in a large bowl or pot filled with water.
- Swish them around a couple of times and then let them sit. The grit will begin to fall off.
- Remove the collards and pour out the water. Repeat one or two more times until the water remains clear.
How to Cook Collard Greens
Once your greens are clean, then it’s time to prep them for cooking. Cut out the tough stem in the middle of each leaf. Then stack a few leaves together, roll them up, and slice into thin strips.
What should I serve with collard greens?
If you’re making these collard greens for New Year’s, then you definitely should serve them with Slow Cooked Black Eyed Peas with Ham for extra good luck! Pork is also considered good luck, so these Crispy Breaded Pork Chops or Pork Chops with Dijon Herb Sauce would be great protein options.
More Greens Recipes You’ll Love:
- Pasta with Italian Chicken Sausage, Escarole, and Beans
- Fettuccini with Winter Greens and Poached Egg
- Crustless Spinach and Feta Pie
- 16 Bean Soup with Ham and Kale
- Swiss Chard Eggs Benedict
Sauteed Collard Greens with Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 slice bacon, chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 large bunch collard greens, washed and dried
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Remove the tough stems that run down the center of the leaf.
- Stack a few leaves, roll and slice into thin strips.
- In a large saute pan, heat bacon on low heat.
- When bacon fat renders, add oil and garlic, saute until golden, about 1 minute.
- Add chopped collards to the pan, season with salt to taste and cover.
- Cook until the leaves are tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
