Southern Collard Greens Recipe w/ Smoked Turkey Legs (soul food style)
Collard greens have been cooked and used for centuries. 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. Though greens did not originate in Africa, the habit of eating greens that have been cooked down into a low gravy, and drinking the juices from the greens (known as “pot likker”) is of African origin. The slaves of the plantations were given leftover food from the plantation kitchen. Some of this food consisted of the tops of turnips and other greens. Ham hocks and pig’s feet were also given to the slaves. Forced to create meals from these leftovers, they created the famous southern greens. The slave diet began to evolve and spread when slaves entered the plantation houses as cooks. Their African dishes, using the foods available in the region they lived in, began to evolve into present-day Southern cooking
Watch me make these Southern Collard Greens from start to finish!
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Get the Recipe: Southern Collard Greens Recipe w/ Smoked Turkey Legs (soul food style)
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of collard greens
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, diced
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 t. red pepper flakes
- 1 fully-cooked, smoked turkey leg (can also use smoked turkey wings)
- Seasoning (optional), (salt, pepper, vinegar, hot sauce
Instructions
- Remove the collard green leaf from the steam.
- Wash the collards several times in cold water to remove any dirt and grit. You can also use salt to help remove the grit if needed.
- Rinse well & set aside
- In a large pot, add a tablespoon of olive oil and the chopped onions & garlic. Saute until tender.
- Add in the chicken broth, red pepper flakes, & the turkey leg. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for about 20-30 minutes. This helps the broth take on that delicious, smokey flavor!
- Add in the collard greens. Simmer covered for about 45-60 minutes or until your desired tenderness is reached. You can increase the heat if needed but do not boil the collard greens. They will wilt down as they cook.
- When done, season to your preference. In my opinion, these greens don't need a thing if your broth is very sesoned. I usually add in a few dashes of black pepper and a few drops of hot sauce!
I made your recipe for collards last night, all except I didn’t have a smoked turkey leg, so I used some fat back, but let me tell you, this is the best recipe for collards. They come out with so much flavor, and they are so darn good you may not want to share them (I almost didn’t want to). I advise this for anyone wanting to try collards…
These greens are fantastic. I just drank the left-over broth straight out of my bowl! I’ve made these for a variety of people, and everyone loves these greens.
Hi Monique,
We bought a house four months ago with a big ‘ol cabbage looking plant growing in the garden. The leaves were green and really wide but the main stalk was growing very tall out of the ground (wish I could show pics). Since I couldn’t find any collard plants on the internet with a similar stalk I wasn’t sure they were collards. But when I found your recipe, I decided it was now or never that I would clip those leaves and make greens from them. Turned out they were collards after all.
I had never made greens before, but for Thanksgiving I made the most delicious greens from your recipe. THANK YOU! I can’t thank you enough. Not only did they taste “down home” and come from my own garden, but I got to practice a part of my culture doing something my ancestors did and understand how they took what they had and made it special. That was the real lesson for me here. Funny thing is that my husband’s white and when he saw me going through all the washing, we both got a cultural lesson! We got into an entire enriching discussion about food and the black culture as I cooked your recipes.
You are doing something very special. If there’s any other way I can show my appreciation for you sharing your family recipes, please tell me! THANKS MONIQUE!
I found your recipe via youtube. I just made these greens. Sooo delicious and easy to make. I’m in my late 20’s and trying to step up my cooking game, I have none. Keep bringing recipes like this out and I might actually start fooling folks. 🙂 I might actually be able to bring a real dish to the family get togethers now. Hahaha…Thank you so much for taking the time to share your talents. Be blessed. Amen.
I made this and I added a greens seasoning pack, salt, pepper, red wine vinegar and hot sauce and it was amazing!
How many servings does this make? And do you know the calories because I’ve been craving collard greens badly and I’m on a diet and count calories.