Turnip Greens

Proper turnip greens are tender but still hold their structure. They're richly flavorful, a tiny earthy, and they're not overwhelmed by the other ingredients in the pot. The meat in turnip greens accentuates the greens, not upstages them. In short, good turnip greens are really all about the tender, bitter greens.

That's precisely how we developed this recipe, too. This turnip greens recipe is rich but doesn't lose sight of the greens themselves. Collard greens, even mustard greens, get far more attention, but we think that's a shame really. Fork-tender turkey, crispy-chewy bacon, garlic, and red pepper lend smoky, salty, and warming flavors. If you like heat, crank it up with more pepper, or keep a bottle of pepper vinegar nearby. Cooked greens are made for mixing them up just the way you like them, much like a good bowl of soup beans.

Learn how to cook Southern turnip greens—and get a recipe for turnip greens so good you'll never cook them another way.

What Are Turnip Greens?

Turnip greens are the broad, leafy greens that grow atop the turnip root. They're part of the same plant family as broccoli, kale, and Brussels sprouts. Frequently, turnips are sold without their greens as they do wilt more quickly than the root bulb, but if you spot them, fresh turnip greens are a treat. They grow best in the spring and fall.

These days, however, you can find washed and prepared turnip greens pre-packaged for you at most major grocery stores. These save a lot of time, but we'd still recommend you give them a quick rinse. (More on that below.)

Ingredients for Turnip Greens

Get out your Dutch oven. It's time to make some turnip greens.

• Bacon: Not just any bacon will work here. We want thick-cut, hickory-smoked bacon for the most flavor.
• Yellow onion: This will be sautéed until tender and lightly browned to build flavor.
• Garlic, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper: Seasonings for the turnip greens. If you like more heat, add more crushed red pepper, but if you're serving this to a big group, maybe keep it down and let people add hot sauce as they like it.
• Turnip greens: You can buy the ready-to-use kind from the grocery store, or you can trim and wash your own.
• Chicken broth: Used to simmer the turnip greens and make the most delicious pot likker. Store-bought is fine. Homemade is better.
• Turkey wings: The smokiness of the meat helps blunt the bitterness of the greens, and it makes these greens extra savory.

How To Prepare Turnip Greens

If you're working with whole, fresh turnip greens, you'll need to do a bit of cleaning and washing before they're ready to cook. The nooks and crannies of the leaves can hide away dirt and sand, neither of which are delicious in a bowl of cooked greens.

• Snap off the end of the stems from each leaf, right up to the leaf's end. (You can cut out the rib if you want, but they will cook down to tender.)
• Fill a large bowl with cool water.
• Place all the turnip green leaves in the water.
• One by one, gently wash each leaf by rubbing your hand around it, especially in any folds. Repeat on the other side of the leaf, and then with each leaf in the bunch.
• Remove the leaves from the water, and empty the water.
• Repeat this process until the water runs clear and dirt-free.

Do I have to wash pre-packaged turnip greens?

You don't have to wash pre-packaged turnip greens. Most bags will say they are "triple-washed" or "ready to cook." But dirt and sand have a sneaky way of making their way into the leaves, so we recommend washing them if you have the time. One rinse is usually enough.

How To Cook Turnip Greens

A pot of turnip greens is the perfect dish to set to simmer while you're working on other parts of the meal. It's not an all-day dish, but it will need to cook for a while. Full instructions (with step-by-step photos) for this recipe are further below, but here's a brief recap before you start:

• Step 1. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven. Then, scoop the bacon out of the pan and onto a paper towel-lined plate. Do not remove the drippings in the pan. Set bacon aside.
• Step 2. Add the onion to the bacon drippings, and sauté until tender and lightly browned.
• Step 3. Add to the onions salt, pepper, garlic, and red pepper. Cook until the garlic begins to brown.
• Step 4. Stir in the turnip greens and mix well with the onion mixture. Then add the chicken broth and turkey wings.
• Step 5. Simmer the turnip greens for about 45 minutes.
• Step 6. Scoop the wings out of the pot, and remove as much meat as you can from them. Shred the turkey meat, and toss the carcass and skin.
• Step 7. Stir the turkey meat back into the greens, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

What Can You Do About the Bitterness in Turnip Greens?

Turnip greens do have a bad reputation for being bitter, but we don't think they're any more bitter than other types of greens. Still, there are some things you can do to help with any bitter flavor:

• Add smoky meat: We used hickory-smoked bacon and smoked turkey wings because they flavor the greens richly, but they also help disguise any bitterness. Other recipes call for ham hocks, hog jowl, salt pork, country ham, or pork belly.
• Add sugar: We don't call for sguar in this recipe, but you can add a pinch to the pot to take the edge off.
• Use smaller leaves: Larger leaves tend to be more bitter, but small, tender leaves have less bitterness.

What To Serve With Turnip Greens

We won't argue with serving up a bowl of turnip greens with a wedge of cornbread and calling it a whole meal. It sure sounds like a fantastic dinner to us.

But as a side dish, turnip greens are right at home on a plate with cornbread, pork chops, and baked sweet potatoes. Or dipped fried chicken, biscuits, and hashbrown casserole.

Also, don't throw away all that beautiful broth, which is called pot likker (or pot liquor). Drink it from a teacup for the best savory beverage you've ever had.

How To Store Turnip Greens

Store any leftover turnip greens in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove with a bit of the pot likker.

Turnip greens freeze well, too. Store in a ziplock bag, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating in the microwave or on the stove.