Coconut Bacon Collard Greens (15 minutes!)
Easy 15-minute, 1-pan collard greens with coconut bacon for a smoky, crispy crunch! A delicious, healthy, plant-based side dish or snack.
Servings 2
Ingredients
- 1 heaping Tbsp coconut oil (or sub other neutral oil like avocado or grape seed oil)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (yields ~1 1/2 Tbsp as original recipe is written)
- 2 large bundles collard greens* (finely chopped // see photo // organic if possible)
- 1 healthy pinch each salt and pepper
- 3 Tbsp Coconut Bacon (or sub Eggplant Bacon)
- 3-6 Tbsp vegetable broth (DIY or store-bought)
- 1-2 tsp coconut sugar
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flake
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (optional // for serving)
Instructions
- Heat a large metal or cast-iron (my preferred) skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add coconut oil and garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant and very slightly golden brown.
- Add collard greens and a pinch each salt and pepper and stir. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally until bright green in color and slightly soft.
- Add coconut bacon, vegetable broth (start with lesser end of range- 3 Tbsp or 45 ml as original recipe is written), a bit more salt and pepper, coconut sugar (start with lesser end of range- 1 tsp as original recipe is written), and red pepper flake. Stir, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Continue cooking to desired tenderness. I like mine with a little crunch left, so I leave the vegetable broth at 3-4 Tbsp (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size), but you could continue adding vegetable broth (up to 6 Tbsp // amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) and simmer up to 15 minutes for more tender collards.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more coconut sugar for sweetness / flavor balance, salt and pepper for overall flavor, red pepper flake for heat, or more coconut bacon for smokiness and crunch.
- Serve immediately with additional coconut bacon and a squeeze of lemon juice (optional). Best when fresh, though leftovers keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or a skillet over medium heat until warmed through.
Notes
*If you can't find collard greens, curly kale will work in this recipe as well. Just reduce cooking time by a few minutes, as it typically requires less time to become tender.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with coconut bacon.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with coconut bacon.
Nutrition (1 of 2 servings)
Serving: 1 serving Calories: 166 Carbohydrates: 12.9 g Protein: 4.6 g Fat: 12.9 g Saturated Fat: 10.2 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 351 mg Fiber: 5.6 g Sugar: 2.5 g