8 Favorite Recipes for Southern Greens (2024)

FAQs

What greens are popular in the South? ›

Growing up in the Southern mountains meant consuming fresh-grown greens of all kinds like mustard, turnip, collard, kale, spinach, and yep even dandelion and beet greens.

Add the collard greens, chicken stock, onions, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt. Mix in the smoked turkey. Turn the heat to low and cook, covered, until the greens are tender but not too soft, 35 minutes.

For some of us, okra is associated with a slippery, slimy mouthfeel that isn't all that desirable. For others, who have had it prepared or pickled properly, okra has a taste that reminds of us soulful, Southern cooking.

Use salt.

Salt is a friend to bitter greens, whether you plan to eat them raw or cooked. Mellow the bitter flavor with a sprinkle of salt on endive or radicchio, or include anchovies or cured meat (like bacon, pancetta, or proscuitto) along with mustard, beet, or collard greens.

Baking soda is an alkali salt possessing the tenderizing and flavor-enhancing properties of regular salt. As an alkaline ingredient, it will make boiling water alkaline, effectively protecting the chlorophyll in green vegetables from breaking down.

Mustard Greens

It's known for its peppery flavor, making this leafy green a great option for the cooler months when you're looking to make warming stews and soups. Cooking helps to break down its strong bitterness, but some people do enjoy adding them raw to salads.

This might seem like an unusual addition if you're new to making collard greens, but the vinegar adds a welcome tangy note that brightens the dish and balances out the salty, savory flavors. A tablespoon of sugar also helps balance out the greens' potential bitterness.

Does baking soda make collard greens tender? ›

Baking soda is an alkali salt possessing the tenderizing and flavor-enhancing properties of regular salt. As an alkaline ingredient, it will make boiling water alkaline, effectively protecting the chlorophyll in green vegetables from breaking down.

Collard greens are very high in vitamins A and C, manganese, folate, dietary fiber and calcium, and they're a very good source of potassium, vitamin B2 and B6. Like other vegetables in the brassica family, their sulfur-containing phytonutrients are believed to have antioxidant properties.

The most authentic collard greens, in my opinion, are made with smoked ham hocks or bacon. But, as time has passed, society has gotten more health conscious. So, many families began using alternatives such as smoked turkey necks, wings, and tails.

Collard greens are a staple vegetable in Southern U.S. cuisine. They are often prepared with other similar green leaf vegetables, such as spinach, kale, turnip greens, and mustard greens in the dish called "mixed greens".

Collard greens

Let's face it—collards have it all. They are healthy, productive, and far more tender than any kale variety, and you can harvest them from late spring until the New Year.

Some may think that Collard greens originated in Africa but they were originated in Eastern Mediterranean. The Southern style of cooking of greens came with the arrival of African slaves to the southern colonies and the need to satisfy their hunger and provide food for their families.