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Kenya's Kitchen88
Kenya Walker

Southern Collard Greens Recipe

My collard greens recipe has the right amount of garlicky flavor and is well seasoned with just a few dry spices and fresh veggies. Plus, the red and orange bell peppers add such a vibrant color to make this dish pop. 
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Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 4 hours
Course: dinner, lunch, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Soul Food, Southern Cooking
Ingredients Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 bunches Collard greens
  • 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup diced onions
  • ½ cup diced bell pepper (I recommend using orange &/or red bell peppers)
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 5 cups chicken broth
  • 1 fully cooked smoked turkey leg
  • ¼ tsp Garlic salt
  • ½ tsp Black pepper
  • Garlic powder (Season for taste)
  • Onion powder (Season for taste)
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
Note: Start out by adding a small amount of the dry seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic powder, & onion powder); then throughout cooking time - make adjustments on seasoning the greens. It’s based on your taste preference.  

Method
 

  1. Prep & clean the collard greens beforehand.
  2. Chop up the onion, bell peppers, and minced garlic. Then set the veggies to the side.
  3. On medium high heat, drizzle some olive oil in a large pot.
  4. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped onions and bell peppers. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
  5. Next, add the minced garlic and sauté the garlic for a minute or until the garlic is fragrant. (Note: don’t burn the garlic)
  6. Add the chicken broth to the pot & add all the dry seasonings except for the red pepper flakes.
  7. Allow the liquid to come to a boil & add the smoked Turkey leg.
  8. Simmer the smoked Turkey leg for 1 hour & 30 minutes on medium heat.
  9. Then, remove the turkey leg from the broth and cut the turkey leg into small bite size pieces.
  10. Add the turkey leg pieces and skin back to the broth. Add the cleaned collard greens and the crushed red pepper flakes to the pot.
  11. Stir everything together, the collard greens will start to wilt down.
  12. Cover the pot with a lid and cook the greens for at least 1 hour and 30 minutes or more.
  13. The cooking time is based on your preference & the desired tenderness of the collard greens. I usually allow my greens to simmer/ cook for 2 to 3 hours on low medium to medium heat.
  14. Make sure you stir the greens throughout the cooking time. (If you need to add water, you may do so)
  15. Once the greens are almost done, do a taste test and adjust or add more seasoning if needed.
  16. Serve the collard greens with vinegar, hot sauce, & buttered corn bread. Enjoy!

Notes

Prep the collard greens before cooking:
Feel free to use whatever method you prefer to clean your greens, but these are the steps to how I clean my greens. 
Note: You can buy fresh collard greens, or you can use bagged collard greens for this recipe. 
Steps:
First, if you’re using fresh collard greens- remove the stems from the greens. Chop the greens into smaller pieces. 
Clean the collard greens in a sink full of cold water or in a very large bowl. 
Add vinegar & salt to the water, then add the greens to the vinegar salt water solution. 
Allow the greens to soak for 1 hour, throughout this time scrub the greens a few times as they soak.
After 1 hour drain the water. Refill the sink or bowl with plain cold water only & let the greens soak for an additional 30 minutes.
Drain the water for a second time. Afterwards just rinse the greens off a few times under running cold water. 
Here’s a collard greens wash solution that I use: 
  • 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons salt