Pot Of Greens
Like many black households, collard greens are a staple. The side dish that aims to be the center of attention but falls short of the mac and cheese and gravy. My mom always threw in a smoked turkey leg to add some flavor. For those recently trying to stick to a vegetarian or plant based diet, it may be difficult trying to replicate that flavor. I won’t lie to you and say it’s exactly the same, but I’ve gotten pretty darn close. The key is time and recycling.
Ingredients
1 bag (2 lbs.) of collard greens (I use the Glory Foods bag of greens for all the greens I add to the pot, but if you’re getting them from the fresh produce aisle, it’s about 2 lbs.
1 bag (2 lbs.) of kale greens
1 bag (2 lbs.) of mustard greens
4 large carrots (sliced)
8 cups of vegetable broth
1 medium sized onion (minced)
4 cloves of garlic (minced)
Olive Oil
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Instructions
First, let’s prep the veggies. Wash your veggies. I don’t care how many times the bag of veggies says “triple washed”. At the very least, run some water over them joints. If they’re not already chopped, after washing, chop them up into sizes you feel comfortable biting into.
Let’s prep those other veggies. Slice your carrots into full moons. I always see other recipes say half moons. I like full moons. We shine out here. Then, chop up the onion and garlic. Minced. And if you don’t know what minced means, watch The Princess and the Frog. Tiana knows how to mince.
Now get a big pot. If you have a deep enough Dutch oven, that should be good. Put about 3 tablespoons of olive oil, or enough to cover the bottom of the pot. Turn your oven on to about medium high heat.
When oil is hot enough (but not too hot, don’t burn down your house) throw in all the carrots. Shuffle them up occasionally until they start to brown up a bit. But we don’t want them too tender just yet.
Toss in the onions and garlic. Stir everything together until the onions begins to sweat. Don’t let the onions begin to brown though. We wanna get them hot and bothered but not all the way there.
Now we’re gonna alternate between the three kinds of greens and salt and pepper. Start with a hefty handful of collards. Now add a pinch of salt and pepper. We’re going to be adding salt and pepper throughout the greens so don’t add too much in this step.
Toss everything together until the greens get nice and bright. Now add a handful of kale. No salt and pepper this time. We don’t wanna overdo it. Stir everything together until the kale begins to brighten up. Finally, finish the trifecta with a handful of mustard greens. Toss everything around until that’s nice and green.
Repeat the process until all the greens are done. Only add salt and pepper with a handful of collards. If you add it with every handful of greens, it’ll be WAY too salty. Collards > Salt and Pepper > Toss > Kale > Toss > Mustard > Toss > Repeat.
Once all of that is mixed together, add the vegetable broth. I usually add enough just to cover the greens.
Give the greens one last mix with the broth, then cover for 30-45 minutes.
Serve the greens straight from the pot. Strain the liquids from each serving.
The broth or “put liquor” can be reused for the next batch. Separate your leftover greens from the pot liquor. In a separate container, freeze pot liquor until your ready to make your next batch. Defrost before added to new batch.
