Cooked Collard Greens With Ham

By
Andrea Lynn
Andrea Lynn
Food writer, recipe developer, and personal chef who has authored four cookbooks. She focuses on Southern cuisine, soul food, and spices.
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Updated on 06/12/21
Collard greens in a skillet

sf_foodphoto / Getty Images

Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 2 hrs 30 mins
Total: 3 hrs
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
363 Calories
22g Fat
18g Carbs
27g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 363
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g 28%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Cholesterol 58mg 19%
Sodium 1092mg 47%
Total Carbohydrate 18g 7%
Dietary Fiber 9g 33%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 27g
Vitamin C 42mg 209%
Calcium 329mg 25%
Iron 3mg 18%
Potassium 566mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Collard greens are a staple in soul food cooking, and in this recipe, simmering the greens in a pork broth really intensifies the flavor. To make preparing this dish easier, try and find washed and chopped collard greens in the supermarket. These bags eliminate the hassle of washing and removing the stems of each collard green leaf. If you can’t find the bags, strip the leaves to remove them from the center ribs before washing and chopping.

Ingredients

  • 2 to 3 smoked ham

  • 2 pigs feet, split

  • 1/2 pound bacon, chopped

  • 2 garlic cloves, smashed

  • 1 dash kosher salt, or more as needed

  • 32 ounces (4 cups) collard greens, de-ribbed and chopped

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • Hot sauce, optional, for serving

Steps to Make It

  1. Add ham hocks, pigs’ feet (optional), bacon and garlic to large pot, and cover with 12 cups of water, or enough water to cover pork products.

  2. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to low and let the pork stock simmer for 2 hours. Check occasionally and stir.

  3. After pork stock has cooked 2 hours, carefully remove ham hocks and pigs’ feet to bowl.

  4. Let cool and remove any meat from pork products.

  5. Meanwhile, season pork stock with salt to taste. The amount of salt needed will depend on the saltiness of the pork products used.

  6. Increase the heat to high so stock is boiling.

  7. Drop the collard greens into the boiling stock in bunches, stirring so the greens are wilted until all the greens are in stock.

  8. Reduce heat to low again, and let the greens simmer in the stock for 30 to 45 minutes.

  9. Add sugar and reserved meat from ham hocks and pigs’ feet to collard greens.

  10. Season to taste and serve collard greens using a slotted spoon.

  11. Add hot sauce to taste.