Sautéed collard greens

Contributed by Preston Maring, MD


Sautéed collard greens

Prior to making a delicious side dish with dark, green, fresh, organic collard, I had never cooked this vegetable. Recipes I had seen on the internet usually took way too long to cook to qualify for a "recipe of the week." 

However, I did see a simple suggestion that made all the difference and made it possible to sauté the vegetable quickly just like any other leafy greens.

I served these greens with blue-cheese turkey burgers.

Ingredients

  • 2 bunches collard greens
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Juice from 1/2 lemon
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

  1. Break off the toughest parts of the stems. Wash and dry the greens. 
  2. This is the cool part. Stack the leaves four or five high and roll them up to the size of a fat carrot. Slice the rolled leaves crosswise no wider than 1/8 inch. This makes it possible to cook the greens quickly. 
  3. Heat the olive oil over low heat. "Sweat" the diced onions until they begin to soften but not brown. Add the garlic and sauté just until fragrant. Stir in the cumin. 
  4. Turn the heat to medium-high and sauté the collard greens. They will wilt down considerably but retain their rich green color and sturdiness. 
  5. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.