Collard Greens (Soul Food)
intro
Slow-simmered, smoky collard greens are a beloved soul food staple, delivering deep, savory comfort in every tender, flavor-packed bite.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep collard greens
Fill a large basin or sink with cold tap water. Working one leaf at a time, strip away and discard the thick, tough central stem from each collard leaf, then stack cleaned leaves and cut them into 5cm (2-inch) wide strips. Swirl cut greens vigorously in the water to dislodge trapped grit, then lift greens out and drain fully in a colander; leave residual water on leaves to aid wilting.
Sauté aromatic base
Heat 15ml neutral cooking oil in a large 8-quart Dutch oven over medium heat (175°C/350°F stovetop setting). Add 150g diced yellow onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent. Add 12g minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant—do not let garlic turn brown or bitter.
Sear smoked ham hock
Push the sautéed onion and garlic to the sides of the pot to clear space in the center. Add the 450g whole smoked pork ham hock to the center of the pot, and sear for 2 minutes per side (4 minutes total) until the outer rind crisps slightly and releases a rich smoky aroma, then stir the aromatics back around the hock.
Add greens and broth
Add drained collard greens to the pot in 3 even batches, stirring for 2-3 minutes per batch to let greens wilt down enough to fit the full 900g of leaves. Once all greens are wilted and bright dark green, pour in 960ml chicken broth, 30ml apple cider vinegar, 12g packed light brown sugar, and 2g red pepper flakes, stirring fully to combine all ingredients.
Slow simmer collards
Bring the pot contents to a gentle rolling boil over medium-high heat, then immediately reduce heat to low (93°C/200°F stovetop setting) to maintain a soft simmer. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and cook for 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring thoroughly every 20 minutes to prevent greens from sticking to the pot bottom, until greens are completely tender with no fibrous bite.
Finish and season greens
Use tongs to transfer the ham hock to a cutting board, and let it cool for 5 minutes until safe to handle. Pull all tender smoked pork from the bone, discarding skin, fat, and bone, then chop the pork into 1cm (½-inch) bite-sized pieces and stir back into the greens. Season with 5g kosher salt and 1g ground black pepper, taste, and adjust seasoning before serving hot.
Tips
2.Collard green leaves have ruffled textures that trap fine field grit; wash in 2-3 changes of cold water if needed to avoid gritty finished greens.
3.For a vegetarian swap, replace the smoked ham hock with 2g (1 teaspoon) of smoked paprika, swap chicken broth for vegetable broth, and add 15ml (1 tablespoon) of extra olive oil for richness.
OMG y’all, these collards tasted EXACTLY like my grandma’s Sunday dinner recipe! I added a little extra smoked turkey leg like she always did and the whole house smelled amazing for hours. My picky 7 year old even asked for seconds, which never happens with veggies. 10/10 will be making this for every family potluck from now on.
Game changer for my weekly meal prep! I made a big batch on Sunday and portioned them out with cornbread and baked chicken for the whole work week. They reheat so well, no mushy texture at all even after 4 days in the fridge. Super easy to follow too, I’m a total beginner and didn’t mess them up at all.
Made these for my husband’s birthday cookout last weekend and every single person asked for the recipe! I did add a splash of apple cider vinegar at the end like my mom taught me, cut the bitterness perfectly. SO good, I’ll never use another collard recipe again.
I swapped the meat for smoked paprika and liquid smoke to make these vegan, and they were still incredible! Even my meat-eating roommate said they tasted better than the collards her grandma makes. The cook time was spot on, no tough chewy stems left at all.
Wait, 1 hour 45 minutes cook time? I thought collards needed to simmer all day? Tried this last night because I didn’t have 4 hours, and I was shocked how tender and flavorful they were. Didn’t skimp on the onion and garlic like the recipe said, that’s key I think.
Brought these to my office potluck today and the whole tray was gone in 10 minutes! People were going back for thirds. I did add a little crushed red pepper for a tiny kick, which went over so well. 100% making these for Thanksgiving this year.
First time ever making collard greens and these were so easy! I was intimidated because I always heard they were super fussy, but the steps were totally straightforward. Mine were a little more bitter than I expected, probably because I forgot the sugar pinch, but they were still good. Next time I’ll remember!
I’ve been making collards for 50+ years and I was skeptical of a shorter cook time, but let me tell you—this recipe holds up! I used my usual ham hock, followed the rest of the directions exactly, and my grandkids ate more greens than they did fried chicken at Sunday dinner. Great work on this one.
Love how affordable this recipe is! I got a huge bunch of collards for $1.29 at the grocery store, already had the rest of the ingredients in my pantry. Fed me and my two roommates for dinner plus leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Can’t beat that for cheap, tasty comfort food.
Perfect for my low carb/keto meal plan! No weird additives, super high fiber, tons of flavor. I ate these with pulled pork and coleslaw last night and it felt like I was eating at a soul food restaurant without all the extra carbs. Will be on regular rotation.
These were really good, but I wish the recipe mentioned how much they cook down! I bought two bunches thinking that’d be enough for my family of 5 and we barely had enough for everyone. Tasted amazing, just wish I’d bought more! Lesson learned for next time.
Y’all don’t understand, I’ve been searching for a collard recipe that tastes like the ones I grew up eating in Atlanta for 10 years since I moved to Seattle, and this is IT. The balance of smoky, savory, just a tiny hint of sweet is perfect. I cried a little when I took my first bite, no cap.
I made these last weekend on the stove and they were perfect, but I’m hosting a dinner party this weekend and short on time—has anyone tried making these in the Instant Pot to cut down on cook time? Don’t want to mess up that perfect flavor.
Made these for my Sunday meal prep again this week, third month in a row! I switch up the smoked meat sometimes—ham hock, smoked turkey, even andouille sausage once when that’s all I had—and it’s delicious every single time. Most versatile collard recipe I’ve ever found.
Test ran these for our family Thanksgiving menu this year and they are locked in! No more sad, bland collards from the can. I paired them with mac and cheese, candied yams, and baked ham for my test run and it felt like a proper holiday meal. Can’t wait to serve these to the whole family next month.
I’ve been trying to get my clients to eat more leafy greens and this recipe is the only one that doesn’t make them complain! I made a batch for our post-workout potluck last week and everyone was shocked how tasty greens could be. Win for healthy comfort food!
Grew up eating my abuela’s Mexican-style greens but wanted to try classic soul food collards for a Black History Month potluck at work, and this recipe did not disappoint! Everyone loved them, I even got to swap recipes with a coworker who makes her grandma’s collards too. Food is the best way to connect, fr.
So easy to throw together after work! I got home at 6, got the greens simmering by 6:15, helped the kids with homework while they cooked, and dinner was on the table by 8. Paired with cornbread and fried chicken tenders, the kids cleaned their plates. No fights about veggies, that’s a mom win in my book.
Took these to my local church supper last Sunday and the older ladies in the congregation were asking who made the collards, that’s how you know it’s good! They said it tasted just like the ones they made growing up, which is the highest possible praise you can get. Will be making these for every church potluck and supper from now on.