Southern Collard Greens

Slow cooked collared greens with ham hock is a perfect side dish recipe with Southern Charm. Collard greens, which taste quite like a mixture of kale and cabbage, are a southern delicacy often served along side corn bread, black eyed peas and mashed potatoes. While you can cook collard greens in many different ways, my favorite is the slow cooker. The set it and forget allow the ham to slow cook into a tender and flavorful meat that goes so well with the softened collard greens flavors.

Collard greens are not an often seen side dish in day to day cooking. The most popular time of the year they make appearance is with New Years Day cooking when collard greens signify money and prosperity for the upcoming months. Having a timeless collard greens recipe really helps when not only holiday side dish planning but also when you need an easy slow cooked side dish for meals.

Southern Collard Greens with Ham Hocks

The majority of this slow cooker side dish recipe is cooking chopped collard greens low and slow with a ham hock. Ham (and bacon) often appear in Southern side dish recipes and is a flavorful and salty option that really brings out the delicious flavor of the greens.

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 pound collard greens, cut into 1″ pieces (removing collard green stems)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 ham hock
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• hot sauce for serving

Clean Garden Picked Collard Greens – Just like with all vegetables, the chances for bugs hidden in the leaves can be high. If you purchased greens from the store, rinse well or wash with vegetable wash before proceeding with recipe. If picking your own collard greens from a back yard garden, add vinegar and water to a bowl and let greens sit for about 3 minutes. Rinse, repeat, and then move onto the recipe.

What are Ham Hocks – Ham hocks are a chunky piece of pork and amazing for flavoring otherwise bitter or boring vegetables like the collard green.

Are Collard Greens Keto?

Many people wonder if collard greens are Keto. They are! But not all ingredients in this collard green recipe are keto. In order to make this collard green recipe acceptable for the keto diet, ONIONS need to be removed. Additionally, if you like to add hot sauce to greens, each bottle and brand must be checked prior to knowing the carb and sugar count.

• Collard Greens vs. Kale – Both are a leafy green vegetable. Both are a super food and fantastic for you, and depending your nutrition needs will depend on which vegetable you choose. Kale has more vitamin C and iron. Collard greens have less vitamin A, but in a good way as having too much vitamin A can hurt you. Collard greens also have more calcium. Collard greens are a straight left and kale has a curly edge. Many people push collard greens aside because Kale has a trendy reputation to be for the healthy but collard greens are a fantastic green choice!
• Collard Greens vs. Turnip Greens – If needed, turnip greens (also a member of the leafy green family) can easily be used in place of collard greens. Turnip greens, while healthy, are often considered bitter. Like Kale, turnip greens have a days worth of Vitamin A as well as other great for you minerals like potassium and magnesium.

Slow Cooking Collard Greens

Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. 

In a separate, microwave safe bowl, add onion, garlic, oil, salt and pepper flakes and mix well.

Microwave for about 4 minutes, stirring halfway through until onions are tender.

Add mixture to prepared slow cooker. 

Add chopped collard greens and chicken broth to slow cooker and mix well.

Tuck a ham hock into the center of the greens and cover the slow cooker.

Cook on low for 9-10 hours or high for 6-7. 

Remove ham hock and cool slightly.

Discard fat, skin and bones and set aside meat.

Add ham hock meat to slow cooker with apple cider vinegar and mix well.

Serve collard greens immediately with (optional) splash of hot sauce.

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Yield: approximately 5 cups

Southern Collard Greens {Slow Cooked}

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Slow Cooked Collard Greens with Ham hock is a Southern Collard Green side dish, easily made in a slow cooker. Garlic, red pepper and optional hot sauce like mama used to make! Great holiday side dish, enjoy superfood collard greens in rich southern recipe tradition.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 7 minutes

Total Time 22 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1lb collard greens, cut into 1" pieces
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 ham hock
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• hot sauce for serving

Instructions

1. Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a separate, microwave safe bowl, add onion, garlic, oil, salt and pepper flakes and mix well.
3. Microwave for about 4 minutes, stirring halfway through until onions are tender.
4. Add to prepared slow cooker.
5. Add greens and broth to slow cooker and mix well.
6. Tuck a ham hock into the center of the greens and cover the slow cooker.
7. Cook on low for 9-10 hours or high for 6-7.
8. Remove ham and cool slightly.
9. Discard fat, skin and bones and set aside meat.
10. Add meat to slow cooker with apple cider vinegar and mix well.
11. Serve collard greens immediately with hot sauce.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 83Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 701mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 3gSugar: 1gProtein: 5g

Nutritional information is automatically calculated with ingredients and serving size and may not be accurate. Please always double check with your own nutritional apps as well.

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