If you’re a fan of Southern cuisines, you will love this collard greens recipe. It’s perfectly seasoned and pressure-cooked to tender perfection in less time.
When they say “Eat your Greens” for this dish, I for one will not hesitate to do so. I grew up enjoying this savory side dish for as long as I can remember. Here in the deep South, we often serve collard greens as a staple side dish, paired with crispy fried chicken after church on Sundays or alongside sweet potatoes during holidays. Collard greens pair well with many dishes. Honestly, don’t be surprised if you find yourself eating a bowl of these greens by itself.
What are Collard Greens?
Collard greens are a type of large leafy green vegetable that usually comes in a bunch. When they are in their raw state, their dark green leaves are quite tough and have a slightly bitter taste, in my opinion. You will love that this vegetable is highly nutritious, packed with a variety of vitamins, minerals, and fiber making it one of the best about it.
In southern cuisine, people commonly enjoy this dish as a popular side, preparing it by steaming, boiling, or sauteing and seasoning it to perfection with their choice of ham hocks, smoked turkey, or bacon.
Why you’ll Love Pressure Cooking your Greens?
May I point out the obvious? Pressure cooking is a time-saver and an excellent way to tenderize tough ingredients. For instance, Collard Greens can be quite challenging to cook, but a pressure cooker can help to make them tender in no time.
How should I prepare collard greens before cooking them?
- Before we begin, we will need a few items: salt, vinegar, a cutting board, and a knife.
- Ensure you carefully choose a visually appealing bunch, and inspect for any wilted or damaged leaves.
- Then, separate each stem by pulling the stems from the bottom one stem at a time and remove the leafy greens from the stem by hand or cutting the leaves from the stem.
- For the 1st rinse in this case, fill a large bowl with cold water and add a tablespoon of salt. Submerge the whole leaves of greens into the water, lightly rubbing them together to remove dirt and debris. Remove leaves from the water. place them on the cutting board.
- Take 3-4 leaves at a time and roll tightly then cut the greens either thin or thick slices.
- Place the cut collards into a bowl adding cold water, salt, or vinegar to the water and rinsing them around in the bowl. Pour out the old water and rinse them. Repeat this step.
How to Store Leftovers?
Absolutely. Your cooked collard greens must cooled down before placing them into the refrigerator. You want to avoid raising the temperature of the other refrigerated food items causing bacterial growth. Transfer leftovers into an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Pressure Cooked Southern-style Collard Greens
Equipment
- 1 Pressure Cooker
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
Ingredients
- 1 cup Onions diced
- 1 tbsp. Garlic minced
- 1 Smoked Turkey Leg Fully Cooked
- 1 bunch Collard Greens Fresh
- ½ tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 cups water
- 1 tbsp. Green Seasoning
- 1 tbsp. Sugar
- 1 tsp. Turmeric Power optional
- 1 tbsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Instructions
- Add the onions, garlic, pulled meat from the turkey leg, greens seasoning, sugar, turmeric, crushed red pepper flakes, apple cider vinegar, and collard greens.
- Twist to lock the lid, check to see if the venting knob is closed.
- Set the timer for 40 minutes.
- After completing the time cycle, carefully release steam by opening the venting knob while wearing a cooking mitt to avoid getting burned.
- Carefully Remove the lid from the pot and serve.
