Learn how to cut collard greens, plus tips on washing and cooking them, in this tutorial with step-by-step photos and a short video!
Hearty collard greens are a delicious addition to recipes, including smoothies, salads, soups, and stews. I like them best when they’re braised and served on the side of Southern food, but that’s just me!
If you have never worked with collards in the kitchen, they may seem intimidating. But I’m here to show you just how easy it is to clean, cut, and prepare collard greens for cooking.[feast_advanced_jump_to]
How to Wash Collard Greens
Collards can be pretty dirty, so be sure to clean them before cooking with them. The easiest way to wash collard greens is to place them in a 9×13 baking dish or a large rectangular food storage container. Fill the dish or container with cold water, and let the collards soak for a few minutes to loosen the dirt.
Use your hands to swish the greens in the water to remove any dirt. Drain the water from the container, rinse the collards, and pat them dry using paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.
How to Cut Collard Greens into Strips
Place washed collard greens on a cutting board. Fold each green in half lengthwise, over the stem running through the middle. Use your knife to cut the stems off of the collard greens. Discard the stems.
After you remove all of the stems, stack several leaves on top of each other in a neat pile. Starting at the bottom of the leaves, roll them up tightly.
Slice the leaves perpendicular to the roll into thin strips. This technique is called chiffonade, and you may be familiar with using it to cut basil or other greens.
And that’s it! You just learned how to cut collard greens in three easy steps. For my video tutorial, scroll down to the recipe card.
My favorite tools for cutting vegetables include my Shun Cutlery chef’s knife and Martha Stewart bamboo cutting boards. The boards have rubber stoppers on the bottom, so you won’t have to worry about them slipping.
How to Cut Collard Greens
How do you rip up collard greens?
Rip up the leaves into bite-size pieces with your hands for an easy option. For centuries, collard greens have been cut by simply ripping them. Just grab a hold of a handful of leaves with one hand and tear bite-sized pieces off with the other. They will rip easily and the actual size and shape don’t really matter for most recipes.
How to freeze collard greens?
The best thing to do is to purchase frozen collard greens to get rid of some of the steps. If you have collard greens, you want to freeze you first want to partially cook them by steaming or boiling them in water. Make sure not to cook them too much because you don’t want them to be mushy. After they return to room temperature you can place them in a freezer safe ziploc bag and press out as much air as possible. You can then put them in the freezer, and they can last at least a few months.
How do you clean collard greens?
Start by cleaning the collard greens. Then, using a standard kitchen chef’s knife, remove the stems and slice or tear the leaves into any size you want. Fill the sink halfway with a solution of lukewarm water and vinegar. Add 1⁄2 cup (120 ml) of white vinegar and enough water to cover the number of greens you have.
How do you tame collard greens?
Creamy, cheesy casseroles are just the sort of dish to tame the toughness of collard greens. Swap in shredded or chopped leaves in place of other greens, like kale, chard, or spinach. Get a recipe: Wild Rice and Kale Casserole 6. Puréed into Pesto Go beyond your standard basil or kale and use a bunch of collard greens for your next batch of pesto.