Easy Spring Greens Recipe (2024)

Published: by Nicky Corbishley

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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.

Easy Spring Greens Recipe (1)
Jump to:
  • πŸ“‹ Ingredients
  • Instructions overview
  • 🍽️ What to serve them with
  • 🍲 More fantastic side dishes
  • Easy Spring Greens Recipe
  • πŸ’¬ Reviews

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 sautΓ©ing, boiling and steaming, this results in tender, glossy greens with extra flavour, plus a nice bit of cooking liquor to drizzle over when serving.

πŸ“‹ Ingredients

Easy Spring Greens Recipe (2)
  • 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.

  1. Wash and dry the spring greens, then slice into strips
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

πŸ‘©β€πŸ³PRO 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.

Easy Spring Greens Recipe (3)

🍽️ What to serve them with

I love to serve up these collard greens with comforting saucy dishes! Try one of these:

  • Slow Cooker Smothered Pork Chops
  • Creamy Chicken Dijon
  • Slow-Cooked Steak Diane Casserole

I love how bright and vibrant these greens are! What would you serve them with?

Easy Spring Greens Recipe (4)

🍲 More fantastic side dishes

  • Steamed Vegetable Medley
  • Marinated Onions
  • Homemade Air Fryer Chips
  • Roasted Broccoli With Garlic
  • Easy Homemade Garlic Bread Recipe
  • Creamy Coleslaw Recipe

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Easy Spring Greens Recipe (11)

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.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Course side dish

Servings 4

Calories 122 kcal

Ingredients

  • 500 g (1.1lbs) spring greens (collard greens) - this is about two 'bunches'
  • 120 ml (Β½ cup) chicken or vegetable stock
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • ΒΌ tsp salt
  • Β½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

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 (Β½ cup) chicken or vegetable stock, 3 tbsp unsalted butter, 2 cloves minced garlic, ΒΌ tsp salt, Β½ 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

NOTE re: pan lid

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

Keywords greens, sauteed

Tried this recipe?Mention @KitchenSanctuary or tag #KitchenSanctuary on Instagram!

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

Easy Spring Greens Recipe (12)

Hi I’m Nicky

I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

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  1. Lysanne says

    Hi Nicky do you remove the stalk when slicing or leave it on? Thanks

    Reply

  2. Marilla says

    Any other Aussies here who can tell me what 'spring greens' are please? Google is no help, saying "Collards are members of the cabbage family (Brassica oleracea), and a staple side dish in Southern cooking. They feature dark green leaves and tough stems that need to be removed before eating. The flavor of collards is a cross between cabbage and hearty kale, similar to Swiss chard"
    I'm guessing I use a mix of spinach, silverbeet, and kale?
    It looks so pretty I want to whip it up on the weekend.

    Reply

  3. Elaine says

    I made this with savoy cabbage, it was truly amazing! My Husband adored it so no going back to the usual cooking method now!
    Thank you Nicky!

    Reply

  4. Anne-Marie Studden says

    Easy Spring Greens Recipe (21)
    Looks a lovely recipe, right up my street πŸ‘Œ
    BTW you have a typo in it, rather than salted it says slated x

    Reply

Easy Spring Greens Recipe (2024)
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