Vegan Instant Pot Collard Greens

Flavorful vegan collard greens are easy to make in your Instant Pot or on the stovetop. All you need is 10 minutes of active time and a handful of pantry staples for a big, delicious pot of Southern-style greens!

Collard greens, more often called just "collards", are a Southern staple. They're traditionally made with salt pork or ham hock, but you can still make them delicious with no meat!

Recipe features

• Instant pot or stove top recipe: These vegetarian collard greens be made on the stove top or in the Instant Pot.
• Flavor: Perfect balance of savory, umami and sweet flavors.
• Easy: Made with pantry staples and fresh collard greens.
• Quick: Cooking collard greens only requires 8-10 minutes of active time.

One of the dishes I find myself missing most often at restaurants is Southern-style collard greens. They're so good, but so not vegetarian or vegan!

I figured it was time to make my own version of Southern-style collards with a vegan twist, giving the leafy green its chance to shine without meat.

Ingredients

The flavor in vegan collard greens comes from a few simple ingredients that when combined with fresh collards create a slightly sweet, perfectly savory broth.

• Collard greens: I recommend buying a bunch and slicing them yourself, but pre-sliced greens will work. This is because sometimes pre-cut greens are more bitter.
• Apple cider vinegar adds a necessary punch of acid. Regular vinegar works in a pinch.
• Soy sauce: This can be replaced with tamari to make the recipe gluten-free. Coconut aminos would also go well here, but they are a bit sweeter.
• Vegetable broth: Choose a flavorful broth if using store bought. You can choose reduced sodium for more control over saltiness of the dish.
• Brown sugar adds a hint of sweetness. This can be adjusted to taste.
• Smoke flavor: You can add ¼ teaspoon of liquid smoke for a smokier flavor. I leave it out because I'm not a big fan of liquid smoke but it definitely does the trick. Smoked paprika is also a good addition.

How to cook collard geens

Instant Pot instructions

All of my Instant Pot recipes are made in a 6 qt DUO60 Instant Pot.

Making collards in an electric pressure cooker cuts the cooking time by half and you end up with the same soft, wilted texture as stove top collards.

First, you'll want to set your Instant Pot to "sauté" and "normal" heat.

Sauté diced onion in oil for 3-4 minutes, until translucent (image 1). Add minced garlic and crushed red pepper and cook for another minute (image 2).

Add in the liquids and collard greens (image 3). You can roughly cut the greens into 2-3 inch pieces or tear them. Remove the hard stems.

Set to high pressure for 25 minutes. Once the time is up do a quick pressure release. Careful! There will be a bit of liquid spray from the valve.

If you find the collards aren't as tender as you wish (image 4), just place the lid back on and set the timer for 5 more minutes.

Stovetop instructions

Collards on the stovetop are a "fix it and forget it" kind of recipe.

1. Start by heating oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Next, add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté 1 more minute.
2. Add the collard greens and sauté until slightly wilted, about 1 minute. It will look like a lot of greens but they will shrink down as they cook.
3. Stir together the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Pour this liquid on the collards. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.
4. Cover with a lid and simmer until tender. Add additional vegetable broth as needed. It will take 50 minutes to an hour for the collards to become tender. Serve collards with their broth and enjoy!

About collard greens

Collard greens are a member of the cabbage family, but they're also closely related to kale. Collard greens are rich in vitamin A and vitamin K and are also a source of plant-based iron, folate, and calcium.

Because these vitamins and minerals can seep out of the greens during their long cooking process, you'll want to enjoy your collards with the liquid they're cooked in, also known as potlikker.

Potlikker (also called pot liquor) is the broth or liquid, that results from the cooked-down greens. It's vitamin-rich and wonderfully delicious, taking on the flavor of every ingredient in the pot.

There's a wealth of history behind collard greens in the American south. I urge you to dig into it if you're interested in food and Southern history. This article highlights a more recent event in history, but entire books have been written on the subject of collard greens as well.

Why are my greens bitter?

Collard greens usually turn out bitter when they aren't cooked long enough. They should be so tender that they almost melt in your mouth.

One way to decrease bitterness in collard greens is to add extra salt and acid. Salt mellows greens bitter flavor, which is why I add salt in addition to the soy sauce. Acidity comes from apple cider vinegar, but you can also add a squeeze of lemon juice.

Sometimes pre-cut greens are more bitter which is why I usually slice a bunch of collards instead.

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