Garlicky Greens | Component Cooking

Erin Alderson

Garlicky Greens | Component Cooking | Naturally Ella

I debated on what to share first but over the past year, these garlicky greens have made their way into numerous recipes. These greens are a wonderful all-season addition to recipes. It’s simple: sauté your favorite greens with a little olive oil and garlic. I typically use kale because it has a bit of texture but chard, spinach, collards, or beet greens would work just as well.

Print

Garlicky Greens

  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 2 servings
  • Category: Component
Print

Description

An easy component for more meals, these garlicky greens are easy to cook and work with many different types of greens like kale, chard, or collards.

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch kale, collards, or chard (8 ounces)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

  1. Remove the stems from the greens and roughly chop- set aside. Peel and mince garlic.
  2. Heat a pan over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil followed by the garlic. Cook for a minute or two, until the garlic is fragrant and browning.
  3. Stir in the greens and salt, reduce the heat, and cook until the greens have wilted to your desired texture. Stir often and/or cover the pan to help the greens wilt.
  4. Use immediately or store in an airtight container for up to five days. 

Notes

Tips & Tricks: Save the stems for use in a stir fry, pesto, or pickles.

Different varieties of kale cook differently. I prefer lacinato kale for this but the curly kale will work. If the greens are having a tough time wilting, add a splash or two of water and cover to steam slightly. 

Stock up: get the pantry ingredients you will need: Kale, Olive oil, garlic

Nutrition: see the information.

Nutrition

  • Calories: 99
  • Sugar: 2.6
  • Sodium: 282
  • Fat: 5.6
  • Carbohydrates: 10.9
  • Fiber: 4.1
  • Protein: 5

Garlicky Greens

variations

Alliums: These garlicky greens work well with minced onion, shallots, or green garlic.

Ginger: I love to add a couple teaspoons of freshly grated ginger with the garlic. This variation is perfect for pairing with coconut milk or soy sauce. I love to use this in noodle bowls, soups, and in crepes.

Lemon: For a pop of brightness, add 1 teaspoon or so of lemon zest and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

How to use Garlicky Greens

Eggs: Tuck these garlicky greens in an omelette with a bit of feta, havarti, or gouda. These greens also work really well in an egg scramble.

Noodles/Pasta: Cook a batch of pasta or Asian noodles and toss the greens with the noodles. These garlicky greens work well with many sauces including a peanut sauce, tomato sauce, or cream sauce.

Grains: Toss the greens with cooked grains and legumes for an easy power-packed grain bowl. I like to drizzle the bowls with a bit of lemon vinaigrette.

Soups: Make a pasta or grain based broth soup and stir these greens in at the end of cooking. I also love using the ginger variation for a noodle-based soup (similar to this bok choy soup).

Pizza: Add the greens to a olive oil or tomato sauce-based pizza before adding the cheese.

Recipes that use Garlicky Greens

Garlicky Kale Pizza
Savory Oatmeal with Garlicky Kale with Fried Eggs | @naturallylella
Harissa Potatoes over Garlicky Kale | Naturally Ella
Kale Quiche with Garlic | @naturallyella