Spicy Organic Collard Greens Recipe

Recipe Author: Ansley Wogsland

Our thanks to Ansley Wogsland, USWM May 2019 Featured Chef, for sharing this Spicy Organic Collard Greens recipe.

Growing up in the South, collards greens were a staple in my house. I couldn’t get enough of them then and now. I’m thrilled that my daughter has followed in my footsteps and taken such a liking to them as well.

Greens, greens and more greens seem to be the talk of every doctor, every diet, and every healthy lifestyle out there. I tell my daughter often that green vegetables are extra nutritious. She now repeats that back to me when she’s eating greens and is so proud of herself. It makes me smile.

Collard greens are loaded with vitamins and minerals, so this is an excellent green to incorporate into your diet often.

I’m not going to lie. This is a rather labor intensive and lengthy process. I can tell you the end result is worth it. I don’t recommend buying precut collards in a bag. The taste will not even be close to the same. I do buy precut kale. There isn’t much difference in taste for the kale. For collards, there’s a huge difference in taste. So, buy them organic and fresh by the bunch.

I hope you find this recipe makes it easier to add more tasty greens into your diet. I love eating pasture raised pork shoulder roast on a bed of these spicy collard greens. This is one of my weekly meals. It is simply perfection!

These freeze very well in glass Tupperware. I make a large batch of these because they take a lot of work and time. I usually make individual portions for the family to pull out at anytime to eat. Then, we reheat them in the oven for a wonderful side with any meal.

PHOTO CREDIT: Spicy Organic Collard Greens with pasture raised pork shoulder roast by Ansley Wogsland

Prep Time: 50 min
Cook Time: 2 hrs
Total Time: 2 hrs 50 min
Serves: 6-8

USWM Shopping List: Pasture Raised Pork Shoulder Roast, Duck Fat

Ingredients:

• 2¼ cups of filtered water
• 1.5 Tablespoons of duck fat (olive oil or avocado oil can be substituted.)
• 3 large organic garlic cloves plus 1 small organic clove freshly pressed using a stainless steel garlic press; if all the cloves are small, use approximately 7 total.
• ½ of one large organic Vidalia, sweet or regular onion chopped (or approximately 1 small organic onion or ¾ of a medium organic size onion)
• 1.5 Tablespoons Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar with the mother
• 2.5-3 Tablespoons of organic, non irradiated crushed red pepper (spiciness will be by individual preference)
• Approximately 6 bunches of organic collard greens

Instructions:

1. Inspect the collard leaves for bugs, dirt, etc. Remove any questionable or bad leaves.
2. Tear or trim leaves off of stems than run down the middle of the leaf.
3. Place leaves in large glass bowls or large stainless steel bowls. Use 2-3 bowls and spread out the leaves accordingly.
4. Fill bowls with filtered water and leave to soak for 10-15 minutes to remove dirt or anything else on leaves.
5. Change water one-two times and repeat the process.
6. Then drain off water.
7. Place two cups of filtered water in a large stainless steel stock pot (make sure you have a glass or stainless steel cover for your pot).
8. Combine all of the ingredients listed above in the pot. Then, add the collards and bring to a boil.
9. Stir and reduce to medium low.
10. Cover and cook for approximately 2 hours or until leaves become tender. Check and stir approximately every 30-45 minutes.
11. Sprinkle with pink Himalayan salt.
12. Serve and enjoy.

Notes:

To make the collards non-spicy, remove the crushed red pepper and reduce the garlic by about 20%. My daughter doesn’t like the spicy ones, so I make a separate batch for her. She loves them without the spice.