Easy Collard Greens

vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free

Adapted from a recipe on ICanYouCanVegan.com

Trying to fit more greens into your diet? Tired of eating huge salads? Try making these! They're so easy to whip up while cooking a pot of beans and cornbread or cornbread biscuits, which go great with them! Many traditional greens recipes call for ham or other meat seasonings, but here liquid smoke and a tiny bit of sugar can wonderfully complement the flavor of the greens while allowing us to leave the pigs alone!

Serves: 6 / Active time: 20 minutes / Total time: 40 minutes - 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb collard greens, chopped*
• ½ onion or shallot, diced
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 - 1½ tsp salt**
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• ¼ tsp paprika (optional)
• 2 tsp sugar (optional)
• ½ tsp liquid smoke (optional)

Directions:

1. In a wide pot, saute onion and garlic in oil until fragrant over medium-low heat.
2. Stir in the collard greens along with the vegetable broth and bring to a low simmer.
3. Stir in all seasonings and liquid smoke. Cover the pot with a lid and reduce to a low simmer, stirring occasionally.
4. Let cook for 20 min - 1 hour, depending on how soft you'd like the greens to be. I like them not too soft, so I cook only about 20-30 min and remove the lid for the last few minutes to allow some of the broth to evaporate.
5. When finished, remove from the heat and serve.***

*The easiest way to chop collards or other flat leaves is to make a chiffonade cut meaning "little ribbons" in French. First lay the rinsed leaves on the cutting board in a stack, then roll them up and cut width-wise down the roll to make ribbons. If desired, cut again across your ribbons to make bite-size pieces. 
**The amount of salt to use depends on how salty your vegetable broth is. I generally use "Better than Bouillon" brand No Chicken Base or Vegetable Base, and like to add just 1/2 tsp of salt.
​***Leftovers can be stored tightly covered in the fridge for a few days or in the freezer for a few months.