Eat Healthy and Cheap
Collard Greens, Southern Style
Southern-style collards get their character from hours over low heat with a smoked ham hock, which supplies fat, salt, and smoke all at once. This version builds the same smoky depth from smoked paprika and a few drops of liquid smoke, and lets a long simmer in a well-built pot liquor do the work the pork fat used to: turn tough, fibrous leaves silky. Vinegar goes in twice, once partway through to help break down the leaves and once at the end to brighten the finished dish, standing in for the salt a ham hock would have left behind.
Ingredients
- 2 lb Collard greens, stemmed and sliced into ribbons
- 1 Yellow onion, sliced
- 4 cloves Garlic, sliced
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp Red pepper flakes
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp Black peppercorns, cracked
- 1 tbsp no-salt vegetable bouillon
- 1/2 tsp Smoked salt or liquid smoke, liquid smoke
- 3 tbsp Apple cider vinegar, divided
Method
- Sweat the onion in a large pot with 3 tablespoons (45 ml) water over medium heat until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes, adding more water if the pot turns dry.
- Add the garlic, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute, until the paprika smells toasted rather than raw.
- Stir in the bay leaves, cracked black pepper, no-salt bouillon, liquid smoke, and 6 cups (1.4 L) water. Bring to a simmer. This is the pot liquor, and it is doing the job a ham hock usually would.
- Add the collard ribbons by the handful, letting each batch wilt down before adding more so they all fit in the pot. Partially cover.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 to 60 minutes, until the greens are fully tender and have turned a deep, dark green. This long, slow cook is what breaks down collards' tough cellulose without any added fat.
- Stir in half the vinegar partway through, around the 25 minute mark. The acid works alongside the heat to soften the leaves faster.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining vinegar. Taste the pot liquor. It should read sharp enough that you do not miss salt. Discard the bay leaves before serving.
- Serve in shallow bowls with plenty of the pot liquor spooned over each portion. It carries as much flavor as the greens themselves.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 90 calories, 5 g protein, 6 g fiber. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt.
