Healthy Recipe: Quick Greens

Globe Times - Leaves

Collards, kale, chard, callaloo––dark, leafy greens taste great and are super good for you, too! Usually, greens get boiled in water for hours, leaving them tender and tasty. But what do you do when you’re in a rush? Here is a quick, 20-minute version for delicious greens packed with healthy nutrients. Remember: A shorter cooking time for vegetables keeps them healthier to eat!

2 large bunches of chopped greens (enough to fill a sauce pot)
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
½ cup of vinegar
(optional) ½ yellow onion, chopped (red onions work well, too)
spices (your choice––try cumin, curry, or allspice)
1 Tbs molasses
hot sauce, salt, pepper to taste
¼ cup of canola oil

Sharp knife
Cutting board or clean, sturdy flat surface
Large heavy pot with a lid
Large spoon or spatula
Stove or hot plate

Takes: 20 minutes
Serves: 8


  1. Wash and chop the greens. With a sharp knife or your hands, separate leaves from stems. If using, cut stems into ½-inch pieces; set aside. Stack leaves, roll them, and cut crosswise into ½-inch ribbons. Set aside, keeping separate from stems.
  2. Pour ½ cup water into large pot over medium-low heat. Add chopped leaves and cover with lid. Steam for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until completely wilted and tender.
  3. Once the greens are cooked, push them to the sides of the pot so that you can sauté in the middle.
  4. Add ¼ cup of canola oil to the middle of the pot. If using onions, add to oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften and begin to turn translucent. If using greens stems, add them at the same time as the onions.
  5. Add chopped garlic to the oil and cook, stirring occasionally.
  6. Add spices directly on top of the garlic and cook for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, stir the greens from the edges of the pot into the spice, onion, and garlic mixture in the center. Stir to combine.
  7. Mix in the vinegar and molasses. Add salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste.

Collards, kale, and chard are very tough vegetables. They will grow all summer long and well into Philly’s cold months. Just 3 collard green plants in the yard can feed you for months!

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