118 Ways to Use Collard Greens You Grow in Your Garden

by Erin Marissa Russell

Wondering how to cook with all the collard greens you grew in your garden and looking for recipes to use them up? Collard greens are a garden staple for many of us because they’re simple to care for and are some of the fastest-growing vegetables around. When your garden performs well, though, you may end up harvesting more greens than you know what to do with in the kitchen.

We’ve done all the searching to introduce you to the best collard green recipes from chefs and food writers around the web. That means you can close all the tabs you have open in your browser and settle down with this guide. With 118 ways to prepare your homegrown collard greens listed here, one of these methods is sure to strike your fancy.

Trace the Evolution of Cooking with Collards to Flavors Rooted in African Culture

Most Americans only know collard greens as the brassica vegetable that features on so many soul food menus as part of Southern cuisine. However, the only reason that Southerners eat collard greens is because slaves were already familiar with cooking dark leafy greens from their home culture in Africa.

The Southern greens-cooking tradition can be traced back to those African roots, as slaves adapted their traditional African recipes to use the ingredients they had on hand. Of course, there are regional variations as far as flavoring and cooking techniques, so Ethiopian greens are prepared a little differently than Liberian collards, and so on. With the African-style collard green recipes in this section, you’ll learn new ways to serve your homegrown greens that draw from this long history of culinary tradition.

AllRecipes’ Liberian Style Collard Greens

Babaganosh’s Spiced Ethiopian Cottage Cheese with Collard Greens (Ayib Begomen)

Chef Marcus Samuelson’s African Chicken and Collard Greens

Cookie and Kate’s Vegetarian West African Peanut Stew

Cooking Channel’s African Collard Greens with Tamarind

Cookstr’s Empress’s Zulu Greens

Dadisis Olutosin’s Recipe for Collard Greens with a West African and Caribbean Twist

Global Table Adventure’s Rwandan Agatogo with Collard Greens

Healthy Nibbles’ Green Shakshuka with Kale and Collard Greens

Immaculate Bites’ Ethiopian Collard Greens (Ye’abasha Gomen)

Love Peace and Tiny Feet’s Liberian Potato Greens

Potatoes USA’s North African Tamales with Collard Greens, Potatoes, and Farmers Cheese

SkinnyTaste’s Kenyan Braised Collard Greens and Ground Beef (Sukuma Wiki)

Vanilla and Bean’s Harissa Stewed Black-Eyed Peas with Okra and Collard Greens

Feed the Soul When You Feature Collard Greens as Part of a Southern Menu

Of course, once Africans were taken to America, the way greens were prepared and eaten began to evolve. That evolution gave birth to Southern cuisine, and it’s the reason you’ll so often find greens served in diners on a plate alongside ribs, barbecue, fried fish, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and other soul food standbys.

Some of the recipes we’ve rounded up here are classic versions of these dishes, such as Bon Appetit’s Sweet and Tangy Collard Greens or Southern Living’s Collard Green Creole Dirty Rice. However, others have added this traditional soul food ingredient in places where it isn’t normally expected, like coleslaw and pot pie. Whether you go traditional with a trusted standard or choose a more inventive way to cook up your garden greens, these Southern-inspired recipes are sure to hit the spot.

Add a Pinch’s Cabbage and Collard Green Coleslaw

Biscuits and Burlap’s Collard Greens Dip

Bon Appetit’s Sweet and Tangy Collard Greens

Daniel Gritzer’s Vegan Southern-Style Collard Greens with Mushrooms on Serious Eats

Grab a Plate’s Quick Collard Greens with Sausage and Beans

Healing Tomato’s Collard Greens Stew with Black-Eyed Peas

MyRecipes’ Ham-and-Greens Pot Pie with Cornbread Crust

Physicians Comittee for Responsible Medicine’s Red Beans and Rice with Collard Greens

Real Simple’s Cajun Chicken with Collard Greens

Simply Recipes’ Green Gumbo (Gumbo Z’Herbes)

Southern Kitchen’s Bourbon Collard Greens

Southern Kitchen’s Hoppin’ John Rice Fritters with Collard Green Pesto

Southern Living’s Collard Green Creole Dirty Rice

Spicy Southern Kitchen’s Southern Carbonara

Vanilla and Bean’s Black-Eyed Peas with Smoky Collards and Cheesy Grits

Depend on Recipes that Braise Collard Greens for Tender, Flavorful Dishes

The secret to delicious Southern-style collard greens is the long braising method of cooking (and the savory smoked meats that flavor the broth or pot liquor). But you can get the benefits of the braise without turning to soul food when you’re cooking with collards and other greens as well.

These recipes expound on the theme of delicious greens braised to perfection. Take a look and choose a few of your favorite to put into the rotation.

Cooking Channel TV’s Spicy Braised Collard Greens

Cooking Light’s Braised Collards Greens and Bacon-Pepper Pinto Beans

DariusCooks.TV’s Vegan Garlic Braised Collard Greens and Cabbage Over Creamy Jalapeño Grits

Dining and Cooking’s Ale-Braised Collard Greens with Smoked Ham Hock

Fresh Fork Market’s Sorghum Braised Collards

Get Me in the Kitchen’s White Wine, Lemon, and Butter Braised Collard Greens

Marisa Moore’s Easy Honey Cider Collard Greens

Modern Farmer’s Crispy Pork Belly and Braised Collard Greens with Spicy Rhubarb Compote

New Seasons Market’s Braised Collards with Turmeric

Olympia Provisions’ Braised Collards with Delicata Squash, OP Bacon, Cider-Poached Cranberries, and Toasted Almonds

One Medical’s Braised Collard Greens with Cannellini Beans

Niki Achitoff-Gray’s Smoked Turkey Braised Collard Greens on Serious Eats

Saveur’s Braised Collard Greens with Pickled Trotters

Saveur’s Classic Pepper Pot

The Splendid Table’s Coconut-Braised Collards

The Splendid Table’s Kashimiri-Style Collard Greens

Vanns Spice’s Blackened Fish with Smoky Braised Collards and Polenta

VICE’s Braised Collards with Kielbasa

WNC Magazine’s Beer and Peanut Braised Collard Greens

Expand Your Repertoire by Learning to Cook Collards Like South American and Latin Chefs

Gardeners don’t stop growing collard greens at the American border, which means that South American and other Latin cuisines have their own established history when it comes to cooking collards. Don’t leave these traditions out when you’re thinking about how to cook the greens from your garden.

Checking into these options will provide you with delicious new ideas for getting greens on the table (and new spice blends to use when flavoring dishes with collard greens). To learn more just reference the examples of Latin-inspired collard green dishes in this section.

AllRecipes’ Cuban Green Soup

Blue Apron’s Mexican-Spiced Pork with Citrus Salsa and Collard Green Rice

Cooking Light’s Smoky Potato Greens Tacos

Connoisseurus Veg’s Cuban Black Beans and Rice with Collard Greens and Fried Plantains

Feasting at Home’s Catalan Style Greens with Sultanas, Garlic and Pine Nuts

Food 52’s Roasted Yam and Collard Green Enchiladas

Food52’s Smothered Spanish Greens with Aged Manchego

Food Republic’s Feijoada Fritters with Collard Greens

Genius Kitchen’s Cornmeal Soup with Collard Greens and Sausage (Sopa de Fuba)

Making Thyme for Health’s Blackened Mushroom Tacos with Collard Green Slaw

Margaritas on the Rocks’ Lemon Pepper Fish Tacos with Collard Green Slaw

Mom’s Kitchen Handbook’s Collard Green Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa, and Creme Fraiche

New York Times’ Breakfast Tacos with Eggs, Onions, and Collard Greens

New York Times’ Spicy PorkAbout Qué Rica Vida Stew with Hominy and Collard Greens

Olivia’s Cuisine’s Caldo Verde

Pamela Salzman’s Mexican-Style Sauteed Greens

Qué Rica Vida’s Collard Green Soup with Spanish Chorizo and Potatoes

Spicy Southern Kitchen’s Creamy Chicken and Collard Green Enchiladas

The Curious Coconut’s Couve à Mineira (Garlicky Collard Greens)

Widen the Field to Include Collard Greens Recipes that Call On Asian Cuisine

Don’t stop now—go global and include cultures from all over when you’re learning about how people from other places like to eat their greens. You’ll find that collard greens lend themselves perfectly to the fresh, spicy flavors and comforting techniques of Asian cooking. Peruse the recipes in this section to find out what we mean.

Bon Appetit’s Peanut Rice Noodles with Pork and Collard Greens

Bon Appetit’s Spicy Pork Bowl with Greens and Carrots

Capital City Co’s Smoked Turkey and Collard Green Eggrolls

Epicurious’ Sautéed Collard Greens with Caramelized Miso Butter

Feed Me Phoebe’s Stir-Fried Collard Greens with Ginger and Jalapeno

Feed Me Phoebe’s Vietnamese Shrimp and Collard Green Salad with Crispy Shallots

Food and Wine’s Quick Asian-Style Collard Greens

Garden & Gun’s Ginger and Collard Green Fried Rice

Hugh Acheson’s Kimchi-Creamed Collard Greens on Food & Wine

Turtle Creek Gardens’ Creamy Sesame Greens

Capitalize on Collards’ Shape and Sturdiness When You Use the Leaves as Wraps

This method for serving collard greens is entirely new, and it’s one you may not have considered. The large size and durable texture of collard leaves makes them an excellent ingredient to wrap around other foods (like you would a tortilla, for example). Whether the chefs who made these recipes named them after wraps, enchiladas, tacos or burritos, the idea is the same. Learn more about using collard greens as wraps by taking a look at this list of ideas.

Detoxinista’s Easy Mediterranean Collard Wraps

DJ Blatner’s Collard Green Burrito

Eat the Gains’ Whole30 Turkey Collard Wraps

Eating Bird Food’s Hummus Collard Wraps

Eating Well’s Chicken and Collard Green Spring Rolls

Emilie Eats’ Avocado Chickpea Salad Collard Wraps

Food Network’s Jerk Chicken Collard Wrap

Healthfully Ever After’s Asian Shrimp and Noodle Collard Green Wrap

Isabel Smith, RD, CDN’s Collard Wrap Bento Boxes on Delish

Le Petit Eats’ Collard Green Grilled Fish Tacos

Love and Lemons’ Collard Wrap Tacos with Citrus Slaw

Martha Stewart’s Stuffed Collard Greens

PlantCraft’s Raw Korean BBQ Tacos

Salt & Wind’s Peanut Chicken Collard Greens Wraps

Sunkissed Kitchen’s Black Bean Butternut Breakfast Burrito Collard Wraps

The Skinny Fork’s Collard Green (Tortilla-Free) Enchiladas

The Whole Dish Blog’s Green Glaze Collard Green Wraps with Shrimp, Coconut-Curry Rice & Kimchi

Veeg’s Mango Cashew Collard Wrap

Wanderlust Kitchen’s Vegan Banh Mi Collard Wraps

Will Cook for Friends’ Collard Green Rainbow Rolls with Turmeric Rice and Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

Reward the Early Bird with a Plateful of Homegrown Collard Greens for Breakfast or Brunch

The one time when none of your guests will be expecting to discover collard greens on the table is in the morning, at breakfast or brunch. However, we’re here to change that. The smoky, vibrant flavor of collard greens makes them a perfect player in plenty of breakfast dishes. Get inspired to serve up an early-morning batch of collard greens with the recipes below.

Bobby Flay’s Sauteed Collard Green Omelet on Food Network

Bon Appetit’s Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage and Collard Greens

Bon Appetit’s The Collard Green Melt

Food52’s Beloved Greens Quiche

Food & Style’s Collard Greens and Sweet Corn Buttermilk Cakes with Sumac-Sour Cream

Georgia Downard’s Shirred Eggs with Black-Eyed Pea Salsa and Collard Greens on Epicurious

Good Food Stories’ Spiced Collard Greens with Bacon and Eggs

Hallmark Channel’s Breakfast Fried Rice

Johnson’s Backyard Garden’s Braised Collards and Poached Eggs

Joseph Lenn’s Collard Green Gratin on Epicurious

Lowcarb-ology’s Sauteed Collard Greens with Bacon and Poached Eggs

Martha Stewart’s Scrambled Tofu with Collards and Turmeric

Our State’s Collard Green and Country Ham Strata

Plated’s Biscuits and Sausage Gravy with Sautéed Collard Greens

Southern Living’s Sweet Potato and Collard Green Gratin

TheKitchn’s Fried Eggs and Collard Greens Over Polenta

The Roasted Root’s Collard Greens, Feta, Mushroom Frittata

The Splendid Table’s Rice Bowl with Beef, Onions, Collards, Fried Eggs, and Corn Rémoulade

The Vintage Mixer’s Kale and Collard Green Gratin

The Wheatless Kitchen’s Baked Eggs with Garlicky Collard Greens

This Mess Is Ours’ Collard Hash

Don’t feel limited to recipes that call specificallt for collards when you’re seeking inspiration. When it comes to cooking times and techniques as well as flavor profiles, all leafy greens are pretty interchangeable. That means you can base your dishes that feature homegrown collard greens on recipes that call for kale, Swiss chard, mustard greens, turnip greens, Asian greens, and more. With so many traditional or out-of-the-box ways to prep the collard greens you grow in your garden, there’s no reason to get bored and let the bunches of tasty, versatile greens in your haul languish in your refrigerator crisper drawer.