| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 5 min |
| Prep: | 5 min |
| Cook: | 1 hr |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 strips bacon, cut into small lardons
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 1 large bunch collard greens, stemmed and sliced into 1-inch strips
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a deep saute pan on medium-high heat until crisp, then set aside, leaving the fat in the pan. Add the red pepper flakes, garlic and lemon zest, and saute until fragrant. Add the collard greens and cook until they begin to wilt. Add the chicken stock and 1/2 cup water and cover, lowering the heat to a simmer. Let cook until the greens are tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Uncover, add back the bacon, raise the heat to medium-high, and reduce the liquid by one-quarter, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 86 |
| Total Fat | 6 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 5 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 1 g |
| Protein | 3 g |
| Cholesterol | 10 mg |
| Sodium | 201 mg |
Reviews
Got more greens specifically to make this recipe again – excellent in every way!
Excellent recipe for collard greens! I was out of bacon but like my mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother before me – I have a glass jar of bacon fat in the fridge so I used a little of that instead. I should have doubled the recipe because those greens were devoured!
This is the first time I have tried making greens . The recipe is almost too simple . My wife’s socks went across the room after she took a bite ! So much flavor . We like heat so I added a little extra flakes. We had them with pork chops . Sooo delicious. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I agree with woods, there needs to be more liquid and more time, 50-60 min. Also, the lemon was overpowering, and I am a lemon person. I will use 1/2 of the juice next time. Otherwise, a very tasty recipe.
As written, this recipe didn’t have enough liquid for me. Simmered on low heat and there was nothing to reduce at the end. I added a bit more broth and that problem was solved. Just definitely watch your pan as the greens are simmering.
Also, I LOVE lemon flavor (in my experience more than the average person.) I cook with lemon juice/zest often. The end result of this recipe felt too tart/off as written, so I added some light brown sugar. The greens were absolutely delicious when adding the brown sugar to balance out the flavors. I would make this again but only with the adaptations.
I tripled the recipe. Added a teaspoon of sugar. They were amazing! Let them sit for a few days and reheat..,,priceless!!! Omg so easy. Not fat overload. Tasty and delicious!!! Thank you!!
First time making greens and these were delicious! My only tweak would be to somehow make the bacon more crispy. After cooking in the broth/water, it was no longer crispy which was disappointing to me.
As a true Southerner, I’m not sure how I had never cooked collards before! (Probably because another relative made them!) I used the shredded collards, so it could not have been easier. My only deviation from the recipe was 3 strips of bacon, instead of 2. Perfect recipe! Will definitely make again.
Delicious but my bunch of collard greens needed more braising liquid! A half cup of water, a cup of chicken stock. Seasoning is perfect. My greens needed 50 minutes. Wonderful!
I wished I could acquire a taste for collards, but I haven’t.
I wanted to comment on the tradition of eating black eyed peas and cabbage/greens for the New Year. Probably they had cooked everything they had for the Christmas Holidays and this was all the root cellar or the pantry had left therefore the traditional meal got started.