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–+ servings
overhead image of cooked collard green stems on plate
Melanie Lorick

Savory Collard Green Stems

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Save the stems! Collard green stems deserve their time to shine and this savory recipe is a great way to highlight their flavor, crunch, and place as a delicious side dish. A naturally low-waste recipe, this version is a delicious way to celebrate even more of the tasty collard green.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 2 people
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 102
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups collard green stems 291g, from approximately one head, cut into pieces about one-inch long
  • ⅓ cup yellow onion 50g, diced
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 11g
  • 2 cloves garlic 6g, minced
  • ¼ cup water 68g, warm
  • ⅛ teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 teaspoon white miso paste 17g, mellow white, start with one and a half teaspoons if you like a more mellow flavor

Equipment

  • 1 knife for dicing onions and collard green stems
  • 1 cutting board for dicing onions and collard green stems
  • 1 Skillet 10-inches or larger
  • measuring cups and spoons
  • 1 spatula
  • 1 small bowl for dissolving miso
  • 1 Spoon to dissolve miso paste

Method
 

  1. Mix warm water into a small bowl with the miso paste, stirring to dissolve the paste completely. Stir in the minced garlic and seasonings until distributed.
    2 cloves garlic, ¼ cup water, ⅛ teaspoon granulated garlic, ⅛ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoon white miso paste, ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  2. In a medium skillet over medium heat, sauté diced onion in olive oil for 3-4 minutes, or until the onions start to become translucent.
    ⅓ cup yellow onion, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  3. Add the diced collard green stems to the skillet with sautéed onions and cook until the stems start to become tender and move just beyond their vibrant green stage.
    2 cups collard green stems
  4. Push the greens to the edges of the skillet, leaving some room in the center. Pour in the miso-garlic mixture to the center and allow the garlic to briefly cook before starting to incorporate all ingredients.
  5. Stir to coat the collard stems in the miso mixture. Cook for another 3-5 minutes before removing from heat. The collard stem edges should look a little darker and are more tender than when we started cooking.
  6. Serve warm or store for later use.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cupsCalories: 102kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 374mgPotassium: 139mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 343IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 97mgIron: 0.3mg

Notes

Sustainability tips: 
  • Reserve the onion peels for a homemade vegetable broth. 
  • Keep the garlic peels for a homemade vegetable broth, or homemade garlic powder. 
  • If you have collard green leaves leftover, either sauté in this recipe, or use for more traditional collard green preparation. 
  • Onion, garlic, and collard green remnants are safe for home compost systems.
Nutrition note: Please note the nutrition calculation is based on collard green data, not isolated to the stems.
Mistakes to avoid: 
  • Adding the fresh garlic too early. 
  • Not washing stems well and allowing grit to stay on the stems. 
  • Over or undercooking. Use your judgement based on your skillet and stovetop settings.

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