By Megan McFadden in Ingredient — Dec 24, 2022

20 Ways to Enjoy Collard Greens: Vegan Recipes You'll Love

Collard greens are used in various ways, from soul food to wraps. Try these vegan collard green recipes today.

Introduction

There are so many leafy greens that you can incorporate into your diet. One commonly overlooked in the Midwest is collard greens, a popular Southern food staple.

Unfortunately, collard greens came to the United States due to slavery. If you want to learn more, I wrote a thorough blog post on vegan African recipes that expands on how African cultures have influenced American cuisine and the rest of the world.

Today, collard greens are used in various ways, from soul food to wraps. Try these vegan collard green recipes today, including but not limited to the following.

Easy Collard Greens
Gomen
Cajun Jackfruit and Collard Greens
Collard Green Wraps
Instant Pot Collard Greens

1. Easy Collard Greens

If you’re new to cooking with collard greens, here’s the recipe for you. Make these easy collard greens from I Can You Can Vegan.

2. Gomen

Gomen is Ethiopian collard greens. Try some vegan gomen from Healthier Steps.

3. Cajun Jackfruit and Collard Greens

If you want to travel to a great place with various cuisines, go to Louisiana, the home of Cajun and Creole cuisines and is also known for soul food and Southern favorites.

Try this Cajun jackfruit and collard greens from Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures.

4. Collard Green Wraps

If you’ve ever had a lettuce wrap, you can do the same thing with collard greens. Make these collard green wraps with the help of Minimalist Baker.

5. Instant Pot Collard Greens

I get discouraged by using an Instant Pot because it’s messy and hard to clean up afterward. Yet again, I’m the type who throws all dishes in the dishwasher.

If you like using this appliance, try these Instant Pot collard greens from Shane & Simple.

6. Caribbean Bean Soup

I’ve traveled to the Caribbean twice, once to Cuba on a college capstone trip and another to Puerto Rico with my dad earlier this year. Oddly enough, I ate more beans on my trip to Guatemala than on my trips to the Caribbean combined.

If you like beans, make this Caribbean bean soup from Connoisseurus Veg. Here are more soup recipes.

7. Curry Coconut Braised Collard Greens

In college, I used to go to an Indian restaurant every once in a while. The food was delicious, but even the mild options were too spicy for my stomach.

If you like curry, I recommend having curry coconut braised collard greens, a recipe by Butter Be Ready.

8. Sautéed Collard Greens

Adjectives are paramount when it comes to restaurant menus. When I go out to eat, I tend to check out the veggie sides because you can prepare them in various ways. For example, steamed veggies typically are vegan due to being prepared in water. Sautéing implies it might not be vegan because it could contain butter or another animal-based fat.

Make these vegan sautéed collard greens with the help of Glue and Glitter.

9. Gumbo Z’herbes

If you want an excellent hot dish similar to soup, try gumbo, a stew-like dish popular in Creole and Cajun cuisines. Here’s some gumbo z’herbes, which was Chloé Landrieu-Murphy’s feature on Cooks Without Borders.

10. Rosemary Potatoes With Collard Greens and Sausage

Potatoes are one of my favorites at my house after pasta. I tend to slice them, add vegan cheese and herbs, and then bake them in the oven for half an hour.

If you like potatoes too, try these rosemary potatoes with collard greens and sausage from The Vegan Atlas.

11. Smoky Collard Greens

More foods can be smoky besides smoked ham. Here are some smoky collard greens from The Curious Chickpea.

12. Collard Green Lentil Soup

Lentils are one of the cheapest protein options, like one dollar or two per pound.

Make this collard greens lentil soup with the help of Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures.

13. Spicy Collard Slaw

Coleslaw is a typical side at many celebrations, but you can make it with other greens besides cabbage.

Here’s a spicy collard slaw recipe from Forks Over Knives. You may like these cabbage recipes.

14. Collard Green Carbonara

I’ve tried many pasta recipes and noodles, but I haven’t tried carbonara yet. Have some collard green carbonara, which is Rabbit and Wolves’ feature on Best of Vegan.

15. Hoisin-Glazed Collard Greens and Sweet Potatoes

I got some leftover sweet potatoes from one of my relatives at Thanksgiving, which are still fresh.

One idea is to make Hoisin-glazed collard greens and sweet potatoes from The Vegan Atlas. Here are additional sweet potato recipes.

16. Southern Collard Greens

On our way to Florida, we went to an excellent World War II museum in New Orleans. That trip included my first experiences with Southern cuisine.

Even though those meals were not that memorable, I would like to return to New Orleans sometime. Then, I can try more Southern dishes, like Southern collard greens, similar to the recipe from Healthier Steps.

17. Rainbow Collard Green Salad

The saying goes, the more colorful your plate is, the healthier it is. That may be true with produce, but many think like my dad and consider a fruit salad as a fruit dessert pizza and a glob of ice cream.

Try this rainbow collard green salad from Food For The Soul.

18. Grits and Greens

Grits are a typical breakfast dish in the Southern United States. Have some grits and greens from From The Comfort Of My Bowl.

You may like these vegan breakfast ideas.

19. Twice-Baked Potatoes With Collard Greens

I dreaded when my school served twice-baked potatoes. For some reason, I never liked them.

If you disagree, have these twice-baked potatoes with collard greens from The Curious Chickpea.

20. Coconut Bacon Collard Greens

I’m tired of non-vegans bragging about bacon. I wouldn’t say I like bacon because it’s too greasy and has a weird texture.

Fortunately for vegan bacon lovers, there are alternatives, as seen with these coconut bacon collard greens from Minimalist Baker.

Conclusion

Collard greens play important roles in the Southern United States. It is a staple of Kwanzaa, a classic veggie side, and an enhancer of soul food.

If you like leafy greens, make recipes with cabbage, lettuce, spinach, and arugula. If you prefer Southern flavors, create food with okra, black-eyed peas, yams, and turnips.

Stay tuned for my next blog post on vegan brownie recipes.