Soul Food Collard Greens

Tender soul food collard greens with smoked meat and savory broth.

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5 from 10 votes

Soul food style collard greens slow cooked with smoked meat and spices for tender, savory perfection.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 40

Course: holiday, Side Dishes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: soul food, southern, thanksgiving, vegetables

Servings: servings

Author: August DeWindt

Ingredients

1.5 lb smoked ham hocks or turkey Read the notes below on how to make this a small batch portion! You will need .5lbs of smoked meat.
1 lb collard greens will need 1/2 lb for a small batch.
water
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp hot sauce
Pepper to taste
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp chicken bouillon I used better than bouillon
5 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 tbsp white vinegar
3 cloves garlic smashed
pinch of salt only use salt if using smoked turkey, the smoked pork is already salty and the bouillon

Instructions

Add the smoked meat to a large pot and add just enough water to come up the sides of the meat. Then add in the chicken bouillon. Bring to a boil cover, reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for about 40 minutes, you can simmer for up to an hour.
Meanwhile, wash and prep your collard greens. First take the greens and cut off the stems on the bottom. Then take the larger greens, fold in half and rip off the stems. The larger stems can make the greens bitter, but I leave them on the smaller sized leaves.
Then stack some of the leaves on top of each other and tightly roll. Next, cut the rolled up greens into 1/2 inch thick ribbons. Place in a bowl and clean with water and vinegar to ensure any dirt and grit is off of the greens.
Add the greens to the pot with the broth and stir in.
Once the greens are slightly wilted add in all the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover, reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for at least an hour and 15 minutes or until the meat and greens are very tender.
Remove the bones from the meat and break up the meat into smaller pieces. Add the meat back into the pot with the greens and stir. Taste and see if you'd like to add any more seasonings. The smoked meat is usually pretty salty so I don't add salt until the end if needed.
Serve with your favorite mains or eat on its own and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Smaller batch measurements (about 3 servings)

use a smaller pot for this (4quarts or less) so it's not too much water, it can make the greens mushy

0.5-0.6 lbs of collard greens (I used one bunch, I measured the greens after removing the stems)
.5lbs of smoked meat
1 tsp chicken bouillon
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp hot sauce
2 tsp white vinegar
2 cloves of garlic smashed
1/2 tsp smoked paprika

These are approximate measurements because I really measure from the heart when making this dish. But this is a great guide so you won't over-season the greens.

Nutrition