Savory Vegan Collard Greens (Instant Pot or Stove Top)

You can make this savory vegan collard greens recipe in half the time in your Instant Pot, or make these nutritious greens the traditional way on your stove top. 

Collard greens, more often called just “collards”, are a Southern staple. They’re traditionally made with salt pork or ham hock, but that won’t stop this vegetarian soul from enjoying her flavorful greens the vegetarian way!

You may be thinking something like “Quick cooked collard greens?! But collards take time” or maybe “Vegan collard greens? But collards are made with pork!”

But hang on. We’ll get to that.

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Collard greens, but…vegan?

One of the dishes I find myself missing most often at restaurants is collard greens; they’re so good, but so not vegetarian! So, I figured it was time to make collards with a vegetarian twist, giving the leafy green its chance to shine minus the meat.

The flavor in these greens comes from a few simple ingredients that when combined with collards create a slightly sweet, perfectly savory broth:

• Apple cider vinegar
• Soy sauce
• Vegetable broth (homemade or canned)
• A smidge of brown sugar
• Red pepper flakes
• Black pepper

Don’t forget about the diced onion and minced garlic sauteed in olive oil until aromatic. Mmm flavor!

How to make vegan collards in your pressure cooker

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 “saute” and “normal” heat and saute diced onion in oil for 3-4 minutes, until translucent. Add minced garlic and crushed red pepper and cook for another minute.

Add in the liquids and collard greens, roughly cut into 2-3 inch pieces and their hard stems removed. Set to high pressure for 25 minutes; once the time is up, manually release the pressure.

Careful! There will be a bit of liquid spray from the valve.

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

Collards are nutrient packed!

Collards are members of the cabbage family, but they’re also closely related to kale. Collard greens are rich with vitamins A and K, and are also a source of 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.

Collards are the perfect side dish for any comforting meal. Pair with mashed potatoes, breaded tofu, and a slice of jalapeno pimento cornbread and you’ve got yourself some healthy vegetarian comfort food!

Looking for more vegan Southern comfort food?

• Sweet Potato Biscuits with Cashew Mushroom Gravy
• Vegan Tofu Pot Pie with Mixed Veggies
• Crispy Baked Tofu Nuggets
• Vegan Macaroni and Cheese
• Savory Vegan Mushroom Gravy

All of my Instant Pot recipes are made in a 6 qt DUO60 Instant Pot. Check out more of my Instant Pot recipes here.

Print Recipe

4.75 from 8 votes

Savory Vegan Collard Greens

This vegan collard greens recipe uses simple savory ingredients and can be made in your pressure cooker or on the stove top.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time40 mins

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 85kcal

Author: Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LDN

Ingredients

• 1 pound collard greens
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 and 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari sauce
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (more if you like spicier food)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

Pressure Cooker Instructions

• Remove the hard stems the collard greens. Cut the leaves into 2-3 inch wide strips, about the size of lettuce leaves in a salad. Rinse the collards in water until clean.
• Press the "saute" function on your Instant Pot and set the heat to "normal" using the adjust key; add the oil. The Instant Pot will read "hot" when heated. Add the onion and saute for 3-4 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for 1 more minute.
  
• Add the collards to the Instant Pot, sauteing until wilted (about 1 minute). 
• In a medium bowl, combine the apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, vegetable broth and brown sugar. Pour into the Instant Pot. Lock the lid in place and set the valve to "sealing". Press the "pressure cook" key and adjust to "high pressure". Set the timer to 25 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure.
• When the 25 minutes (see note) are up, manually release the steam valve. Careful, it will be hot and some water may sputter out. Once the steam is released and the valve floats down you can open your Instant Pot.
• Give the collards a stir. Taste for salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Serve with their broth and enjoy!

Stove Top Instructions

• Remove the hard stems the collard greens. Cut the leaves into 2-3 inch wide strips, about the size of lettuce leaves in a salad. Rinse the collards in water until clean.
• Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute 1 more minute.
• Add the collard greens and saute until slightly wilted, about 1 minute. 
• In a medium bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients. Pour this liquid on the collards and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid.
• 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!

Notes

For the Instant Pot method: If the greens don't reach your desired tenderness replace and seal the lid and cook for 5 more minutes on high pressure. Add more time as needed.

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