I’ve had collard greens once. I was a little wary of them, so I covered them in butter and cream. Does that negate all of their nutritional value? Probably. But we did eat them all! I told myself I would try them again, but it never actually happened.
For some reason, I impulsively grabbed a big bunch of collard greens at the grocery store last weekend. I have no idea what possessed me to do that, a full year after my first attempt at collard greens. I mean, I love kale, which was right next to the collard greens; why didn’t I pick up a bunch of that instead? Whatever the reason, I’m glad I did. I need to mix up my winter greens a bit, or I’m going to get bored fast!
And this time, I promised myself to make a more flavorful and healthy dish out of the greens. The first bite or two threw me a bit, but I think I got a big bite of the lemon juice that hadn’t mixed in properly. After that, I hardly noticed the bitterness that comes with collard greens at all, partly because they were cooked and wilted and partly because it was overpowered by sweet and juicy raisins and slightly-sweet almonds.
I have a feeling this dish will be a part of the regular dinner rotation this winter. It may even end up on my Thanksgiving table!
Collard Greens with Almonds and Raisins
I love the combination of slightly-bitter wilted greens, sweet raisins and crunchy almonds. If you don't like collard greens or don't have them on hand, you could also use a big bunch of kale as a substitute.
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch collard greens
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/3 cup blanched sliced almonds
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
Instructions
- Wash the greens and pat dry. Cut off the stems, then slice the leaves in half lengthwise. Chop the halved leaves into 2 inch pieces. As the greens cook, they will wilt and these large pieces will become bite-sized. Toss the greens with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the lemon juice.
- Warm the remaining 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the raisins, almonds and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the almonds are toasted and browned, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer the raisins, almonds and garlic to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the greens to the skillet and decrease the heat to low. Cook, stirring often, until the greens are wilted and just beginning to brown. Transfer the greens to the bowl with the almonds and toss to distribute the raisins and almonds.
http://www.savvyeat.com/collard-greens-with-almonds-and-raisins/Copyrighted by Julie Grice and Savvy Eats
I love the combination of slightly-bitter wilted greens, sweet raisins and crunchy almonds. If you don't like collard greens or don't have them on hand, you could also use a big bunch of kale as a substitute.
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch collard greens
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/3 cup blanched sliced almonds
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
Instructions
- Wash the greens and pat dry. Cut off the stems, then slice the leaves in half lengthwise. Chop the halved leaves into 2 inch pieces. As the greens cook, they will wilt and these large pieces will become bite-sized. Toss the greens with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the lemon juice.
- Warm the remaining 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the raisins, almonds and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the almonds are toasted and browned, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer the raisins, almonds and garlic to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the greens to the skillet and decrease the heat to low. Cook, stirring often, until the greens are wilted and just beginning to brown. Transfer the greens to the bowl with the almonds and toss to distribute the raisins and almonds.
I love adding nuts to greens, they really complement each other! Great idea 🙂
I am loving the sound of this! Greens can be so boring and bland, but this sounds SO simple and tasty.. I will be trying it for sure 🙂
I hadn’t eaten my first batch of collard greens until last winter and now I love them! I cook them with lemon juice like you do here too and my only complaint is how huge bunches cook down to nothing!
That’s my complaint with kale, too
What a yummy vegetarian dish. Thanks for sharing your dish and also the recipe. Keep it up. | 😛
I like the added nuts and raisins into the mix! Cool combo 🙂
I’ve never tried collard greens before but we’ve got an upcoming trip to Memphis so I’m thinking I’ll give them a try there and bookmark this for when I get back!
Have a great trip!
I’ve never tried collard greens before and I think this may be the perfect way to try them out!! Yum 🙂
These look yummy! I havent’ had collards in a long time!
I had collard green before, but it came from the can. I am thinking about try to prepare myself and let you know how it came out. Your dish looks appetizing
Awesome recipe. I’ve done a similar thing with chard, but not with collards. If you get a chance, please link to the Healthy Thanksgiving Challenge! http://www.whatwouldcathyeat.com/2011/10/announcing-the-healthy-thanksgiving-challenge/
Oh that looks really tasty, I’ve never had collard greens before!
It looks a little bit like a cross between spinach and pak choy, does it taste like either of them?
Your photos are lovely 🙂
I’d compare it more to kale because they are both a little bitter when raw…