Here is yet another winter vegetable that I’ve never thought of fondly…collard greens. In all seriousness, I felt the same way about collard greens as I 
did about kale. I had never tried it before our switch to real food, and I certainly didn’t have any plans to run out and buy any. However, once I started to understand the importance of eating locally grown foods that are in season, my views changed. So I set out to find a way to make collard greens into a tasty dish that didn’t take all day long to cook (it only takes about 25 – 30 min).
This recipe is also a perfect example of flavoring your meal with meat rather than having meat as the main course. You could pair it with some baked sweet potatoes and whole-wheat biscuits to make one delicious, filling and healthy meal. I do want to preface this recipe though by saying that my children have been accepting of most of what I have posted so far, but as you can imagine this unfortunately is not one of them!
Collard Greens
Ingredients
- 1 bunch collard greens, we have also used a combination of collard and mustard greens, rinsed
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Remove the center ribs from the collard greens and discard. Cut the leaves into small strips (we used culinary scissors).
- Place the greens into a large saute pan fitted with a lid. Turn the heat to medium, add 2 - 3 tablespoons of water and cover. Cook for several minutes until leaves are wilted.
- Transfer the wilted collard greens to a plate and wipe the skillet dry. Turn the heat back on to medium and cook the bacon on each side until brown. Drain the bacon on paper towels, but leave the bacon grease in the pan. Break the cooked bacon into small pieces.
- Add the diced onion to the bacon grease in the pan over medium heat. Cook until the onions are soft, about 2 minutes.
- Add the collard greens back into the pan along with the vinegar, maple syrup, red pepper, and 1/4 cup water. Simmer for 5 – 10 minutes until the liquid reduces then add the chopped bacon to the pan and season with salt (if necessary).
Recipe Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
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Before Food Network, I don’t think people in my region knew what collards were. I prefer Swiss Chard, which I know this recipe would work with. My mother used to make Wilted Lettuce, using leaf lettuce, cider vinegar, and bacon — no sweeteners.