This is my recipe for tender, flavourful and easy spring greens – also known as collard greens in the US. They’re cooked with a little stock, garlic and butter. A one-pan side dish, ready in less than 10 minutes.
Jump to:
Spring greens are such a tasty, nutritious side dish. I love them served up with saucy dishes, or alongside pan-fried steak or chicken.
This method of cooking them is really quick. It’s kind of a combination of sautéing, boiling and steaming, this results in tender, glossy greens with extra flavour, plus a nice bit of cooking liquor to drizzle over when serving.
📋 Ingredients
- Spring greens – washed and dried
- Stock – chicken or vegetable
- Unsalted butter (you can use slated if you prefer and reduce the extra salt added
- Garlic
- Lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
Instructions overview
Full recipe with ingredient quantities and detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Wash and dry the spring greens, then slice into strips
- To a large pan (one that you’ve got a lid for) add stock, butter, garlic, salt and pepper. Then place the spring greens on top and give them a little mix with the liquid.
- Place a lid on, bring to the boil, then simmer until tender (this should only take a few minutes). Drizzle on a little lemon juice before serving.
👩🍳PRO TIP You can add all of the ingredients to the pan, place a lid on and put to one side for an hour or two, then cook it all up when the rest of your meal is almost ready.
🍽️ What to serve them with
I love to serve up these collard greens with comforting saucy dishes! Try one of these:
I love how bright and vibrant these greens are! What would you serve them with?
Stay updated with new recipes!
Subscribe to the newsletter to hear when I post a new recipe. I’m also on YouTube (new videos every week) and Instagram (behind-the-scenes stories & beautiful food photos).
Easy Spring Greens Recipe
This is my recipe for tender, flavourful and easy spring greens – cooked with a little stock, garlic and butter. A one-pan side dish, ready in less than 10 minutes.
INSTRUCTIONS
-
Give the spring greens a good wash under the cold tap and shake dry.
500 g (1.1lbs) spring greens (collard greens)
-
Slice the spring greens into thin (1cm) strips.
-
To a large frying pan (one that you have a lid for* SEE NOTE), add the stock, butter, garlic, salt and pepper.
120 ml (½ cup) chicken or vegetable stock, 3 tbsp unsalted butter, 2 cloves minced garlic, ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper
-
Place the sliced spring greens on top and toss them in the liquid using a set of tongs.
-
Place a lid on the pan and heat over a medium heat.
-
As soon as you hear/see the liquid coming to a boil (this should take a couple of minutes), give the spring greens a toss again, place the lid back on and turn the heat down to low-medium.
-
Allow the spring greens to cook for 4-5 minutes, until wilted.
-
Turn off the heat and remove the lid. Drizzle over the lemon juice and toss again – they should be nice and glossy.
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
-
Serve immediately, spooning over any liquid that remains in the pan.
✎ Notes
If you don’t have a lid for your frying pan, you can use a large saucepan with a lid instead.
Change it up
- Make this side dish more substantial by adding
- A drizzle of double (heavy) cream
- Grated parmesan
- Crispy bacon bits
- Shop-bought fried onions
Nutritional information is approximate, per serving. This recipe serves 4.
Nutrition
Calories: 122kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 4gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 473mgPotassium: 285mgFiber: 5gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 6538IUVitamin C: 46mgCalcium: 299mgIron: 1mg
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.
