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!
These are sooo good. Cooking the meat in the broth is the key. Thanks for that tip!. This is my go to recipe for greens now. Thanks Divas!
I also add apple cider vinegar, mustard powder, brown sugar (OR coconut sugar) and spirulina!!
Do you ever use the bagged collard greens? Would you consider them equal to the fresh?
I have cooked with the bags collards. They are good but not as fresh ….not bad either. Its saves time from chopping them up because they already shredded.
I dont. The stems arr butter in my opinion.
Bitter .sorry
I’ve used bagged greens and they seem equivalent to me
I have used them and they are just as delicious and cut down the prep work. I like to save time any way I can!
Bagged collards are fine. Just make sure you wash them again and take out the excessive stems that come with them.
Bag greens are good too, if prepared well you can’t tell the difference… bag greens are fresh it’s just cut up by someone else… easy labor
Hey I was wondering the serving size for this recipe. I wanted to make it for a party of 8 so does the measurements need to be doubled or tripled?
Tis recipe serves 6 so if 8 just add another bunch and double seasonings
1 bag can feed eight…
Hi diva it’s my first time making greens and I want to know how many can I serve using this recipe ?
This is my first time cooking greens i feel so bad cuase both parents were from Virginia, thanks for a simple recipe and your little history tour too!