Looking for a collard greens recipe to bring a little luck to your new year? In this traditional recipe for creamed collards, collard greens are gently simmered in fresh cream with caramelized onions and sprinkling of freshly grated nutmeg. Creamed collards speak to the essence of comfort food in a way few other dishes do. There’s easy roast chicken, of course, and Salisbury steak, too, but creamed collards bring the comforting charm of southern cuisine, of soul food. While any number of collard greens recipes – with bacon or ham, hot chilies and vinegar, stewed or braised – can feed the soul, satisfy the tastebuds and nourish the body, for my family, we always settle for the old-fashioned comfort of creamed collards.
Traditionally eaten on New Year’s Day, often as an accompaniment to black-eyed peas, collards symbolize prosperity – their broad green leafs representing cash. The more you eat, the greater the promise of good fortune in the coming year. Pork, too, is eaten – symbolizing progress and this creamed collard greens recipe pairs beautifully with pasture-raised ham. Luck-minded couples trying for babies in the new year might try fish or seafoods, symbols of fertility; indeed, there might be a bit of wisdom to the tradition as fish, roe and shellfish are deeply nourishing, nutrient-dense foods for fertility and reproductive health. But if money’s on your mind, serve up a plate of collard greens on New Year’s Day.
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A good collard greens recipe doesn’t attempt to disguise or smother the flavor of the winter green, but, rather, it should complement it – tempering its faintly saline and bitter flavors. For this reason, there shouldn’t be a lot of fuss in cooking. Simple food is often the best food. Whether you stew your collards with ham hock, season them with vinegar, braise them in bacon fat or serve them with heavy cream and butter, choose good quality ingredients – whole foods, natural foods. Foods from nature, and not factories. For even the oft-demonized butter, cream, bacon and lard lend substantial nourishment to the diet, provided their produced from animals raised on fresh pasture.
Cream and butter, as called for in the recipe for creamed collards, are rich in conjugated linoleic acid and trans-palmitoleic acid, both of which provide essential nourishment to the body. Conjugate linoleic acid shows significant promise in the fight against cancer1, 2, 3 while trans-palmitoleic acid from full-fat dairy like whole milk, cream, butter and cheese may reduce the risk of adult-onset diabetes4. The benefits of full-fat dairy, butter and cream don’t end there; rather, a study of over 1,700 Swedish men indicates that consumption of fruits and vegetables was associated with a decreased risk of heart disease, but only when combined with full-fat dairy consumption5. So serving those collard greens with plenty of butter and heavy cream might do you more good than just satisfying your tastebuds and your soul’s need for comfort food. Of course, these beneficial fatty acids and a slew of other nutrients including retinol and beta carotene are more prevalent in the milk, cream and butterfat of cows fed exclusively on grass. Learn more about why butter is better from the Weston A Price Foundation, a nutritional education group advocating for a return to the traditional foods that nourished our ancestors.
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Collard greens are typically a winter food much like their cruciferous brethren – turnips, broccoli, rapini and kale. Though, in my area’s bitterly cold and harsh climate, they’re summer greens – one of the few vegetables that thrives in our sixty- to ninety-day growing season. Yes, it snows nearly year-round here with only two months typically snow-free: July and August. Collards, like all crucifers, are rich in indole-3 caribols, potentially anticarcinogenic components of food6. Collards are also rich in beta carotene, a precursor to vitamin A that’s best absorbed with dietary fat.
Creamed Collard Greens Recipe
Creamed collard greens, in all their old-fashioned charm, soothe a worn soul. The greens briney undertones pair nicely with the rich, sweetness of fresh cream and caramelized onions. Bring a bottle of fermented chili sauce to the table which adds a punch of heat to an otherwise calm and mild dish.
Collard Greens Recipe Ingredients
- 2 tbsps butter, preferably from grass-fed cows (see sources)
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and sliced thin
- 2 bunches collard greens, stems removed, trimmed and chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream, not ultrapasteurized (see sources)
- freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
- unrefined sea salt, to taste
Collard Greens Recipe Equipment
- cast iron skillet (buy it online)
- wooden spoon
Collard Greens Recipe Instructions
- Melt butter in a skillet over a moderately high flame until it froths, then toss in sliced yellow onion, frying in melted butter until fragrant and a bit caramelized around the edges.
- Add chopped collard greens to the skillet, stirring until slightly wilted, about two minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, stir in one cup heavy cream and simmer for about five to six minutes, until the cream is largely reduced.
- Season with freshly grated nutmeg and unrefined sea salt as it suits you and serve hot.
YIELD: about 4 servings.
TIME: about 1o to 15 minutes.
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1. Belury. Inhibition of carcinogenesis by conjugated linoleic acid: Potential mechanisms of action. Journal of Nutrition. October 2002. 2. Amarù, et al.Conjugated Linoleic Acid Decreases MCF-7 Human Breast Cancer Cell Growth and Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 Receptor Levels. Lipids. 2006 3. Ip, et al. Conjugated linoleic acid. A powerful anticarcinogen from animal fat sources. Cancer. 1994. 4. Mozaffarian, et al. Trans-palmitoleic Acid, metabolic risk factors, and new-onset diabetes in u.s. Adults: a cohort study. Annals of Internal Medicine. December 2010. 5. Holmberg et al. Food Choices and Coronary Heart Disease: A Population Based Cohort Study of Rural Swedish Men with 12 Years of Follow-up. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. October 2009. 6. Dashwood, et al. Quantitative inter-relationships between aflatoxin B1 carcinogen dose, indole-3-carbinol anti-carcinogen dose, target organ DNA adduction and final tumor response. Carcinogenesis. 1989.
Craving more? Serve this creamed collards recipe with the following:
 | Easy Roast ChickenDressing a pasture-raised bird with minimal ingredients enables its rich flavor to shine. Slow-roasting ensures that the bird is fall-apart tender. Good food takes good time and while the hours you spend tenderly slow-roasting the bird are long, the active time in the kitchen is minimal. |
 | Fermented Hot Chili SauceSeasoned with fresh garlic this fermented hot chili sauce is rich with flavor, bright and fiery. Use it in strict moderation to add flavor and heat to your meals. You’ll notice that the flavor of this sauce is more uniquely complex than vinegary sauces you can purchase at the grocery store. |
Do I love this dish or what! The pictures are spot on, and I am jealous. I hope to get to your level one day. I am currently working on rainbow chard with creamed leeks. Looks like great minds think alike!
I love chard and leeks! At the market, one of my farmers sells the loveliest baby leeks. I like to braise them in chicken stock and thyme, but I may have to cream them next time.
Collards appear to be what I know as “spinach” from the photos. Can anyone confirm that what is called “collards” in the US is called “spinach” elsewhere please?
Thanks
I don’t believe that’s correct, Lyn. I could be wrong.
These are collards: http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&biw=1280&bih=526&gbv=2&tbs=isch%3A1&sa=1&q=collards&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=
This is spinach: http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&source=imghp&biw=1280&bih=526&q=spinach&gbv=2&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=
The leaves of collards tend to be thicker and tougher than spinach, and the two taste different. You can still substitute spinach for collards in this recipe and make creamed spinach instead.
With reference to Collard/Spinach query, while we now have access to the above, traditionally in the area and times of growing up (I’m 72) in sub-tropic Brisbane, Australia, our main ‘green’ was silverbeet. I look forward to trying your creamed collards after next market day.
Silverbeet…http://images.google.com/search?hl=en&source=imghp&biw=1280&bih=526&q=spinach&gbv=2&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai&tbm=isch#hl=en&gbv=2&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=silver+beet&oq=silver+beet&aq=f&aqi=g-s1g2g-s1g2g-s1g-m1g-S1g-sS1&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=68067l78181l0l78845l17l17l0l1l1l5l1943l6159l2-7.7.8-1l16l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=192260b4817b7cf9&biw=1024&bih=537
Hi Lyn, I know what you are talking about. When I lived in Zambia the locals fixed a meal of nshima (similar to corn meal mush in dumpling form) and “spinach”. Their spinach was actually rape, a kale-like, collard-like green that is very nourishing and very delicious. In the US it is grown for pig food and farmers plant and harvest great fields of it for that purpose, or for the seed oil, rape seed oil, also known as canola oil.
You are awesome, Gail! I’m glad you could answer her question!
I believe collards, like watermelons were brought to America by the slave trade from Africa. Think I saw that on some Louisiana cooking show. Not 100% sure though.
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Lyn you might be mistaken see collards are a member of the brassica family , Brassica oleracea, which is where all brassicas orginated, over the years it was changed around to make broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflouer, kale ect. but it is not the same thing as spinach. Aside being from being of a different family, Spinacia oleracea (Spinach) is of a completly different flavor profile and hardiness.
This sounds absolutely scrumptious! By the way, your photos are of the highest quality…makes my taste buds salivate just looking at them.
This sounds absolutely wonderful! I’ve only recently started eating collards and was wondering how I was going to cook them Saturday since I’ve never even watched them being cooked! LOL!!
I have a preseasoned cast iron skillet and I have very mixed feelings about it. Do you have a preference on pre- or non-seasoned skillets and is there a health concern with the way the companies apply the seasoning or the seasoning themselves? There are a few spots on my skillet where the seasoning has basically chipped off and under that is not seasoned in the least- a superficial seasoning.
Thank you!
I recently bought a pre-seasoned skillet, and the pre-seasoning didn’t seem to have done much. At best it probably kept the pan from rusting in the store. I followed some instructions for seasoning it myself, and have used it for a while, and it still doesn’t have a fully non-stick surface.. I like it for frying things like donuts or chicken, but I haven’t gotten the hang of cooking anything with less oil than that.
As for what they use to season them, I saw something on TV (How it’s Made or some similar show) that showed the Lodge cookware factory. If I remember correctly, the show said they used soybean oil.
Collards are part of the mustard family (brassica). They make a beautiful and tasty sauerkraut mixed with cabbage, and are great sauteed in olive oil with a little sea salt, a tiny bit of cayenne pepper, and a dash of brown rice vinegar. Serve with blackeyed peas, rice and ham hocks (mixed together and known as “Hoppin’ John), and you have a traditional deep south New Year’s Day menu.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Judy, you are exactly right. loved the “H oppin John” recipe. My mother, is 100% German and we often enjoyed creamed spinach or even Chinese cabbage. “Gmeese” is my very favourite vegtable dish. She was raised on a farm so cream, was often used in recipes.sauerkraut, was always home made. Bleu-kraut, being very colorfull and very nutricious.
I’m sure you must have thought of growing vegetables in winter in a cold frame. There’s a little work in setting it up, but once done there’s no weeding and minimal water requirements. Your newsletter is wonderful, though, so it might be one task too many to take this on.
This is my first year experimenting with this, but here in Edwards at 7,500 feet I have tatsoi thriving, and Swiss chard ready to take off. I’m growing pak choi flats in my kitchen along with arugula and various greens. I’ll eventually try transplanting them out into the cold frame. Also there is an article about Eliot Coleman’s daughter in Aspen who grew greens which thrived all winter. Perhaps you know her, as she has an organic farm in Silt now. The site is: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/2003-12-01/My-Rocky-Mountain-Winter-Garden.aspx.
Collards should thrive during the winter, though all greens slow down during the shorter days. My goal is to supply most of my vegetables, either by storing from my summer garden or growing through the winter.
Your collards recipe sounds delicious, and I will try it for sure!
Happy new year to you and your family, and thank you for the wonderful newsletter!
I recommend “The Winter Harvest Handbook” by Eliot Coleman for all things about growing produce in the cold. The book was a good read. I’m as much into reading and learning during the winter as into ‘doing’. I’ll confess I have not launched into doing what he does. But if you’re already talking about cold frames I’d bet you can find information in there which you will find useful. He grows produce in Maine in unheated greenhouses all winter and has the plantings scheduled so that he has something to take into the markets every week. I can’t imagine how he found the time to write the book!! But I read it cover to cover and thought it was fascinating.
Kathleen
It seems the links in your “sources” for your recipes do not work on Firefox browsers. Do they only work in IE? Thanks!
No, they work in Firefox. Are you using an adblocker?
Yep, that must be it. Weird that it would block a link though.
Collards for cash – ha! That’s new to me, but heck, worth a try
great sounding recipe! i need to eat more greens (one of my new years resolutions!)
Yum! This recipe is so tasty! The cream and nutmeg were unexpected flavors for me with collards.
I’m used to cooking my collards a bit longer to soften them up more, but liked the shorter cooking time. My husband, on the other hand, thought the recipe would be improved with a longer cooking time. Either way it’s very tasty!
Hi Jenny – love your blog. Your writing, esp. is so poetic – kudos to you.
I have a question, that I can’t seem to find the answer to – maybe you could answer it in a future post?
My question: I see lots of WAPF’ers say “do not eat ultra-past. cream” It’s dead, I know. But, WHY not eat it for the sake of a healthy fat?
I live in Little Rock, AR – and cannot find anything but ultra past. cream in my stores. I have access to real milk, but I do not want to sacrifice my milk for the sake of the cream.
Julie,
I was wondering the same thing about the cream! I can get whole, non-homogenized milk (still pastuerized, though a “low temp pastuerization?” However the cream is all utra-past. What to do?
Tried it, it is absolutely delicious and our guests even asked for more. Thanks!!
Just tried this tonight, and all I can say is YUMMMMM!!!
Those greens look nice and creamy and good!
I made this for dinner yesterday, and we all LOVED it. Thanks for another creative and EASY dish! I will be using again in the future!
Warmly,
Molly
I made this for dinner tonight and it was SO delicious. Thanks for a great recipe!
I made this on New Year’s Eve and everyone loved it, even the kids who don’t ever eat greens! Thanks for the great recipe!
I just made this tonight for dinner, and it was amazing! I halved the recipe, but now I regret it… I sure would have like to have extras for leftovers tomorrow!
yum. i’m always looking for new ways to encorporate greens into my diet. i’ll have to try this sometime!
This was a lovely change in cooking our greens, thanks for the recipe!
Could you substitute kale with this recipe?
I have to say I am in love with creamed collards. I adjusted the recipe as we are dairy free (used coconut milk) and shitake mushrooms b/c DH doesn’t like onions. Anyway, have made this several times now and am very happy with the recipe. Thank you.
I am going to go to the store right now and make this for breakfast. Planning to use Camel’s milk instead of the cream for one recipe and cream for the other.
Ah, I have to get off of your site. I am so hungry. LOVE your photos and tips!
Jane
We made this for Thanksgiving this year, and it was such a hit, I got more collards to make it for New Year’s!
So happy you like it! It is one of our favorite recipes, too!
Many years ago I was served a delicious dish of cabbage that had been cooked in something milky (or was it cream?) and I wanted to do something like it but was scared of milk boiling over or burning and I had no idea of how it was done!
Playing it safe, I put a huge dollop of butter in the saucepan, then stirred in enough finely shredded cabbage and kept on stirring to cover ut with the butter to protect. It began to wilt and turn the most glorious shades of green! A pinch of sea salt and a grind of pepper was added. It tasted great to me but the family was used to (ho-hum) well-boiled cabbage that had to be drained! So I put in so much of a great standby in our home- frozen peas… and stirred some more till the peas were just heated through.
History was made!
The menfolk were seduced by this dish… and would know dinner was ready by the fragrance of my Buttery Cabbage’n’ Peas! Nowadays I add a handful or two of baby spinach for added colour and nutrition and stir for seconds till wilted.
Sounds like a lot of stirring? 10 minutes from start to finish. If busy I put a splash of water in and put the lid on for a few minutes till time to put in peas.
It is a great side-dish for company too! Quick, simple, easy, nourishing, eye appeal, taste… all boxes ticked! ((*_*)) Yummmmm!
Thank you for reminding me of the accidental origins of our family favourite green!
I wasn’t prepared to really love this dish. Like it, probably, but definately not love. I am literally eating it right now, as part of our New Years Eve dinner, and I LOVE it! It is probably one of my top 3 all time favorite vegetable dishes I have ever had. Thank you so very much!
Jenny, thank you so much for this recipe! I found your website in… I think early December when a friend posted a link to your bone broth. Since then I’ve made the broth, the pumpkin custard, and last night/this morning (I’m working a really early shift so I’ve been awake since 6 pm last night) I made both the wassail and the collard greens.
I have to give you massive praise for the recipe for the collard greens. (Not to ignore the wassail – I loved that too!) My roommate is from New Orleans and grew up in the land of collard greens. When I told her that I was making collard greens for New Year’s, she grimaced. It was only after we started devouring the creamed collard greens that I got an explanation from her. After her first bite she looked at me in amazement and proclaimed, “Oh my god. These are AMAZING! I have NEVER, ever, liked collard greens. They’ve always been slimy and bitter. But these – they’re just… Will you teach me how to make this?”
I’m having a lot of fun trying out your recipes and you definitely made our New Year’s Eve. Thanks!
This is amazing!!!! I just made it. Even my 1.5 year old loved it!
This is so delicious. You’ve definitely got me hooked on collards. Thanks so much!
ok,these are amazing and now my new favorite way to
eat collards. i fried bacon and added that to the final
mix with a side of black eyed peas and hot sauce!
ZOWIE!!