Long-Cooked Collards with Apples and Bacon

This side dish is an autumn favorite at Iowa's Rapid Creek Cidery -- and a great way to explore nutritious collard greens. The recipe takes a while, but most of the cooking is hands-free, leaving plenty of time to prepare pork chops or chicken.

Long-Cooked Collards with Apples and Bacon
Hands On Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 15 mins
Servings:
4
Yield:
5 cups

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 2 medium red cooking apples (such as Jonathon or Braeburn), cored and cut into 1/2-inch wedges

  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme

  • 4 slices bacon

  • 1 onion, sliced (about 1 cup)

  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

  • 16 cups stemmed collard or mustard greens

  • 1 14 ounce can reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth

  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

  • Hot sauce

  • Salt

  • Black pepper

Directions

  1. In a deep 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add apples and thyme, stirring to coat. Spread evenly; cook 7 minutes or until browned and tender, turning once. Remove from skillet and set aside.

  2. In the same skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Leaving drippings in skillet, transfer bacon to paper towels; crumble and set aside. Add onion to skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and just golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

  3. Using tongs, add collard greens to skillet, about 2 cups at a time, folding greens into onion mixture. When all the greens have been incorporated, add about 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, leaving 1 inch of greens not submerged. Increase heat and bring to boiling; reduce heat and simmer until tender but not mushy, 30 to 45 minutes.

  4. Stir vinegar and a few dashes hot sauce into greens. Gently stir in apples. Season with salt and black pepper. Top with bacon before serving.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

331 Calories
22g Fat
26g Carbs
11g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
Calories 331
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 22g 28%
Saturated Fat 9g 45%
Cholesterol 40mg 13%
Sodium 700mg 30%
Total Carbohydrate 26g 9%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 11g
Vitamin C 59mg 296%
Calcium 369mg 28%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 961mg 20%
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