Name: Vegan Collard Greens
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon avocado oil; 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1 yellow onion (diced); 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved); 1 bunch collard greens; 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar; 1 teaspoon paprika; 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (to taste); 1/8 teaspoon black pepper (to taste)

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

These delicious vegan collard greens are simple enough for a weeknight meal but have enough flavor to serve to guests or as a holiday dish. You can whip up this tasty side dish in less than 30 minutes.

Pan of cooked collard greens with plate next to it.

Using just a few ingredients, these warm savory greens are easy to cook, versatile and flavorful. They're ready in less than 30 minutes and add flavor to any dinner table.

What to serve with collard greens? I love my Vegan Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole, and Butternut Squash Soup.

Ingredients you'll need

In this recipe, we'll cook the collard greens with garlic, onion, and tomatoes to create a savory, tasty side dish. You'll need the following ingredients:

Collard: Pick a fresh bunch of collard greens. They shouldn't have any brown spots and should feel stiff to the touch
Tomatoes: canned or fresh tomatoes can be used. I usually use diced cherry tomatoes.
Onions: both yellow and red onion taste great with collards
Apple cider vinegar: If you don't have apple cider vinegar, lemon juice also works to give it tanginess and more flavor.
Garlic: I prefer fresh garlic but you can also use garlic powder.
Paprika: I use sweet paprika in this recipe but you can use smoked paprika for a Southern flavor.
Oil: I prefer cooking with avocado oil but any oil or butter can be used.
Sea salt and black pepper: Add seasoning to taste.

Note: This recipe can easily be doubled, however, I recommend cooking in batches as the collards will fill up the pan until they are cooked down.

A plate of greens next to a pan of cooked greens.

How to cook vegan collard greens

1. Prepare the collard greens: Prepare the collard greens by removing thick central ribs using a sharp knife. Once you've removed the stems, stack the leaves on top of each other.

Cut thin strips across the leaves, creating long ribbons. Give it a few horizontal chops to create shorter ribbons. The collard greens are ready to be cooked.

2. Cook garlic and onion: Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until the onions become translucent and fragrant, about 8-10 minutes.

3. Add cherry tomatoes: Stir in the cherry tomatoes and increase heat to medium. Cook until soft, about 3 minutes.

4. Add remaining ingredients: Add the chopped collard greens, salt, pepper, paprika, vinegar, and stir until the greens are coated with the mixture.

Pro tip: If using fresh tomatoes, you may need to add a tablespoon or two of veggie broth or water to make sure there's enough liquid to cook the collards in.

5. Cook and cerve: Reduce the heat to low, and cook until the greens are wilted and dark green, about 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently. Turn off heat. Adjust seasoning, if needed, and stir.

Storing and reheating

To store: Cool down completely before storing in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To reheat: When ready to serve, warm up on a pan over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of water to add moisture, if needed. Alternatively, use the microwave to warm up.

Serving suggestions

These vegan collard greens have a fresh and tangy flavor, which makes them perfect for pairing with any main course. A few of my favorite options are:

Serve with soup, such as cauliflower soup or butternut squash soup.
Serve over jasmine rice, brown rice, or Basmati rice
In a Buddha bowl, such as a Vegan Power Bowl
Quinoa: cooked on the stovetop or Instant Pot
Pairs well with sweet potato casserole or mashed sweet potatoes

More easy side dish recipes

If you tried this Vegan Collard Greens recipe or any other recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know what you think. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for more delicious recipes.

Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published on November 7, 2019. Since then, it’s been freshened up with new pictures and more details to help you make the recipe.

Vegan Collard Greens

5 from 19 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep time: 5

Cook time: 20

Total time: 25

Servings: servings

Calories: 143kcal

Author: Sapana Chandra

These delicious vegan collard greens are simple enough for a weeknight meal but have enough flavor to serve to guests or as a Thanksgiving side dish. Quick and easy to make, they come together in less than 30 minutes.

Ingredients

Instructions

Prepare the collard greens by removing thick central ribs, stacking up the leaves, and slicing into thin strips.
Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until the onions become translucent and fragrant, about 8-10 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes and increase heat to medium. Cook until soft, about 3 minutes.
Add the chopped collard greens, salt, pepper, paprika, vinegar, and stir until the greens are coated with the mixture. Reduce the heat to low, and cook until the greens are wilted and dark green, about 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently. Add a few tablespoons of water, if needed, throughout the cooking process (*see note).
Turn off heat and serve.

Notes

*If the collard greens start to stick to the pan, you can 'deglaze' the pan with a bit of water (I recommend 1 tablespoon of water at a time, as needed) to prevent sticking.

Nutrition

Calories: 143kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 613mg, Potassium: 531mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 5401IU, Vitamin C: 50mg, Calcium: 276mg, Iron: 2mg

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Tried this recipe?Mention @realandvibrant and hashtag #realandvibrant!