Collard greens stir-fry is the perfect quick and easy side for your meals. Thinly sliced and quickly sautéed, you'll have your collard greens ready in just a few minutes.
If you don't eat collard greens very often because you think that it takes too long to cook, don't worry, I have the perfect recipe for you.
This Brazilian-style collard greens stir-fry is so easy and so good that you'll eat them more often now.
Ingredients
All you need is:
- a bunch of collard greens
- bacon
- salt
- lemon juice (optional)
The secret for non-bitter collard greens
There is one thing that is key for non-bitter collard greens, and that is: stir-frying quickly. With collard greens, the more you cook, the more bitter they taste.
But, to be able to stir-fry quickly, you'll need to slice them very thinly. If you cut them into big chunks, you won't be able to sauté quickly because the pieces will be too tough.
So, stir-frying for just one minute will be enough to cook the collard greens without making them bitter.
Also, try to choose the freshest collard greens you can find, as old leaves develop a bitter taste too.
How to make Collard greens Stir-Fry
Making collard greens stir-fry is very simple. The trick is to remove the stems, cut the leaves very thinly, and stir-fry them quickly. Here are some pictures of the step-by-step process.
Choosing and storing collard greens
Look for firm leaves with a dark green color and no yellow spots or holes.
Store them in the fridge, but try to use them as soon as possible. Collard greens develop a stronger bitter taste as they get old.
What to serve with collard greens
These Brazilian-style collard greens are a must with Feijoada (Brazilian black bean stew), but it sure goes well with almost everything. Here are some ideas:
Is the bacon really necessary?
Bacon is not essential for making collard greens stir-fry, but it does give a special touch!
If you don't have bacon on hand, you can substitute the bacon grease for butter or olive oil.
FAQ
Lemon juice and salt are known as good agents for balancing against bitterness, so don't forget to add them. And the bacon in this recipe is also a great ingredient to enhance the flavor.
You don't need to soak collard greens if you are making this recipe. The fact that we're cutting them super thinly and stir-frying them for just a minute will make for tender, not bitter, collard greens with no need for soaking.
You can store stir-fried collard greens for up to 2 days, in an air-tight container, in the refrigerator.
Besides being a great side dish, collard greens are super healthy. According to WebMed, they're a good source of vitamins A, C, and K, calcium, potassium, and antioxidants. Here's a great article about the benefits of collard greens.
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📖 Recipe / Receita
Collard Greens Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- 1 bunch collard greens washed
- 3 oz bacon, thinly sliced (100g)
- ½ lemon (about 1 tablespoon of juice)
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Hold on to the part where the leaf starts on the stem, and with the other hand, pull the stem. You can also cut it out with a knife if you prefer. Do this to all leaves. Stack all of them, having the bigger leaves on the bottom. Roll them up tightly, lengthwise, and slice them very thinly, crosswise. Set it aside.
- In a large skillet, over medium heat, fry bacon in its grease until the desired doneness. Remove it from the pan and set it aside.
- Add collard greens to the pan and stir-fry them in the bacon grease for about 30 seconds, then, with the help of a tong or fork, turn them around and stir-fry for 30 more seconds. They should wilt and get softer, but not too much. Usually, 1 minute total is enough, but that will depend on the strength of the heat.
- Transfer it to a serving dish, squeeze in lemon juice, correct salt if necessary, and add the reserved bacon. Serve it immediately.
Notes
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Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional disclaimer
All nutritional information above is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Nutritional content may vary according to brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, substitutions, optional ingredients, etc. Simple Living Recipes is not responsible for any miscalculation or misinformation in the nutrition label.
*All nutritional information above is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Nutritional content may vary according to brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, substitutions, optional ingredients, etc...
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