Vegan Collard Greens

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The secret to this flavorful side dish is a splash of liquid smoke.

By Toriano Fredericks

Updated on October 25, 2023

Tested by

Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Vegan collards at Boricua Soul — Photo: Lauren Vied Allen

Active Time:

25 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 55 mins

Yield:

10 servings

Collards are often cooked with a smoked ham hock to add a meaty, smoky flavor; this mildly spicy vegan collard greens recipe from Boricua Soul, a Puerto Rican–Southern restaurant in Durham, North Carolina, achieves the same depth of flavor with quality vegetable broth, adobo seasoning, and a hint of liquid smoke. Soak up the juices (potlikker) with cornbread, or drizzle over steamed rice.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly are collard greens?

Collard greens are a dark, leafy green that’s part of the Brassica oleracea family, which includes vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, and kohlrabi. They’re known for their thick, bitter leaves, which taste best when braised slowly. Although you can find them year-round, they’re at their peak in winter.

What takes the bitterness out of collard greens?

Salt and spice help reduce the bitterness of vegetables, such as collard greens. Here, we use hot sauce, adobo seasoning, and two varieties of salt to make this dark, leafy green more palatable. Blanching or slowly braising the greens for hours also tames their bitter profile.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Like many dark, leafy greens, collards will shrink in size significantly as they cook. Add the chopped greens to the Dutch oven in batches, slowly stirring them until they begin to wilt, before adding more. This will make it much easier to fit all of the greens in the pot to cook.

Make ahead

Vegan collard greens can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container.

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Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon white vinegar
6 medium bunches collard greens (about 10 ounces each), washed, stemmed, and cut into 1/2 inch-thick ribbons (18 to 20 packed cups)
12 cups vegetable broth (such as Zoup! or Brodo)
2 tablespoons hot sauce (such as Frank's RedHot)
1 tablespoon adobo all-purpose seasoning powder with pepper
1 tablespoon seasoned salt (such as Lawry's)
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt (such as Morton's), plus more to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke

Directions

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot over medium-high until shimmering, about 3 minutes. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring often, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add vinegar; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion and garlic are translucent, about 6 minutes. Working in batches, add collards, stirring constantly after each addition, until wilted and all greens fit in pot, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in broth, and bring to a boil over medium-high. Add hot sauce, adobo seasoning, seasoned salt, kosher salt, black pepper, and liquid smoke.
Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until collards are tender but not mushy, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Season with additional salt to taste. Using a slotted spoon, transfer greens to a large bowl to serve, adding potlikker as desired.

Originally appeared: February 2022