Learn how to make one of my favorite weeknight sides, Sautéed Collard Greens with Raisins + Onions. This easy, flavorful, healthy recipe only requires four main ingredients that are sautéed together for a hearty and savory side dish your whole family will love!
For those of you who enjoy collard greens, I wanted to share one of my favorite ways to cook them up. Sautéing them with plenty of onions, garlic and some raisins is a great way to add plenty of flavor and depth with very little effort. The caramelized onion really take this dish to the next level in terms of tastiness and the raisins are a bit unexpected, but exactly what makes this side dish stand out.
How Do You Make Sautéed Collard Greens with Raisins + Onions
Start this recipe by preparing the collard greens. Remove stems from the collards and finely chop them up. Pile the leaves on top of one and other, roll into a fat cigar, and thinly slice into ribbons.
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large non-stick sauté pan. Add sliced onions and sauté, stirring often, for about 15 minutes or until onions are golden brown. If onions begin to burn, turn the heat down.
Toss chopped collard stems and garlic into the pan and sauté for another 5 minutes or until stems have softened. Stir in leafy greens along with 1/3 cup water into the pan. Season with some salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes or until the greens have wilted.
Add in the raisins and cook another 2-3 minutes to allow the raisins to warm up. Adjust seasonings and enjoy!
Tips
- Collard greens can harbor sand and dirt, so be sure to clean them well with fresh, cool water.
- When you add the collard greens to the skillet it will look like an overabundance, but don’t worry, they will cook down quite a bit. Also, be aware that because collard greens are tough, they take longer to cook than most other greens.
- If you aren’t a huge fan of collard greens, try substituting the collard greens with kale, Swiss or rainbow chard, baby spinach leaves, mustard greens, or any other greens you prefer. But be aware that some greens, such as spinach, will not need to cook as long as collards.
- For convenience, you can use pre-bagged greens, if available at your grocery store.
- Store cooked collard greens in a sealed container in the refrigerator once completely cooled. They will keep for up to about 3 to 4 days.
Serving Options
The options are pretty much endless when it comes to pairing sautéed collard greens with a main dish. I like to enjoy this along with some baked salmon or chicken for a quick weeknight meal! It’s also wonderful with beans and rice… just don’t forget the cornbread!
More Recipes With Collard Greens
Black Eyed Peas & Collard Greens
Healthy Artichoke Dip with Collard Greens
Spaghetti Squash with Garlicky Collard Greens and Parmesan Cheese
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Sautéed Collard Greens with Onions + Raisins
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 onions sliced into crescents (about 4 cups)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3/4 lb collard greens 6 cups
- 2 tbsp raisins
Instructions
- Remove stems from collards and finely chop them up.
- Pile the leaves on top of one and other, roll into a fat cigar, and thinly slice into ribbons.
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large non-stick sauté pan. Add onions and sauté, stirring often, for about 15 minutes or until onions are golden brown. If onions begin to burn, turn the heat down.
- Toss chopped stems and garlic into the pan and sauté for another 5 minutes or until stems have softened.
- Stir in leafy greens along with 1/3 cup water into the pan. Season with some salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes or until the greens have wilted.
- Toss in raisins and cook another 2-3 minutes to allow the raisins to warm up. Adjust seasonings and enjoy!
Comments
Cara says
I usually do this with spinach or kale, and never think to buy collard greens. But lately my store has been out of the big bags of chopped kale that I love, and I only see collards. I guess I’ll have to try them!
Corinne says
I looked up what evoo is. I noticed it on some recipes. Is is extra virgin olive oil? If so you might consider defining it at the bottom of each recipe where you use the acronym.
I am looking forward to trying your recipes! They look fantastic!
Dani says
Yes it is Extra Virgin Olive Oil – I didn’t even realize I was using it! I’ll make note of that.
Elizabeth says
I just finished making and eating this dish. It was really good! I am not really a fan of collard greens but this recipe made easy for me to eat them. I decreased the recipe in size for 2 servings and used avocado oil instead of extra virgen olive oil. I enjoyed it by itself for dinner. Thank you, Dani for the recipe!
Dani says
You are very welcome!! This is one of my favorites!