Vegetarian Southern-Style Collard Greens

I like to think I have tried a lot of different foods in my day, but I had never once tried collard greens.  In fact, I had never even seen them before!  So when they were at my local farm, I just HAD to pick some up!  I did so with absolutely no idea how to cook them, but I knew I'd find a way.  

My daughter, who loves sautéed swiss chard, was very excited to try these.  It is basically the same concept - cook the greens until they are wilted to make them less bitter.  These, however, are simmered in vegetable broth to reach the desired texture.  The collard greens were quite tasty, but my daughter thought they were a little spicy.  I would suggest eliminating the red pepper flakes if serving to young children.  This is a simple recipe that is a nice change of pace.  It's always such fun to try something new!

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp butter

1 small onion, chopped

1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 bunch collard greens, chopped

2 1/2 C low sodium vegetable stock

2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat the oil and butter over medium heat.
2. Saute the onions until slightly softened, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, cook another minute.
4. Add the collard greens and cook another minute.
5. Add the vegetable stock, bring to a boil, then simmer for 30-40 minutes until the greens are tender.
6. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper.

Adapted from Sunny Anderson