Collard Greens

Also known asCollards · Spring Greens · Brassica oleracea var. viridis

Name: Collard greens (Brassica oleracea var. viridis) — a leafy cabbage relative with large, smooth, dark green leaves and thick stems. They are closely related to kale, and are covered from a leafy-green angle on a separate page.

Description

Collard greens are among the oldest members of the cabbage family, and have been grown since ancient Greek and Roman times. They are most famously associated with Southern United States cooking, where enslaved Africans and their descendants developed the tradition of slow-cooked collards with smoked meat, and with Brazilian cooking, where couve is a staple of the national dish feijoada.

The leaves are large and tough, and do not form a head, and are best cooked until tender, either slowly braised for a long time, or sliced thinly and cooked quickly in Brazilian style. They are also eaten as a wrap, in Southern and Caribbean cooking.

Main nutrition value

Collard greens are an excellent source of vitamin K, and also provide vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, calcium and fibre.

How best to be consumed

Collard greens are cooked until tender, and can be cooked long or short.

1. Remove the tough centre rib, then slice into ribbons or chop.
2. Braise slowly with onion, garlic and smoked ham or turkey, Southern-style, until tender.
3. Sauté thinly sliced leaves quickly in oil and garlic, Brazilian-style.
4. Use blanched leaves as a wrap for fillings.
5. Cook with a little acid, such as vinegar or lemon, to brighten the flavour.

Overconsumption could cause…

Collard greens are safe and healthy in food amounts.

1. Possible effects on warfarin and similar blood-thinning medicines because of the high vitamin K content, so keep intake steady rather than avoiding them.
2. Bloating and gas, since cruciferous vegetables contain raffinose and other fermentable carbohydrates.
3. Possible effects on thyroid function in people with an underactive thyroid or iodine deficiency if very large amounts are eaten raw, since brassicas contain goitrogens; normal cooked servings are fine.
4. A lot of salt and saturated fat if cooked with fatty smoked meat.

GroupsCruciferous VegetablesLeafy Green VegetablesCruciferous (cabbage family)Low fatLow sodiumRich in calciumRich in vitamin CFresh

Related foodsKaleRocket / ArugulaMustard GreensGai Lan / Chinese BroccoliBok Choy / Pak ChoyWatercress

Wikipedia — Collard (plant), used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collard_(plant)