Sautéed Greens

Here’s a super simple and pretty perfect recipe for sautéed greens, adapted from Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking by Toni Tipton-Martin. We reviewed the book in June, 2020. Think of it like a master recipe for when you have lots of enticing greens — any combination of mustard greens (my fave), turnip greens, chard, baby kale, beet greens, young collards, spinach or even arugula. I tossed some radish greens in mine as well. Tipton-Martin writes that the dish is inspired by the Brazilian style of sautéeing raw greens; her additions (inspired by Ruth Gaskins and the singer Isaac Hayes) are cider vinegar and maple syrup.

Another Tipton-Martin recipe we love: Jubilee’s Pickled Shrimp.

Ingredients

2 pounds mixed greens (mustard or turnip greens, spinach, chard, arugula, baby kale, radish greens, beet greens or young collards)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cider vinegar

1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Wash the greens. Cut out the stems and thick midribs and slice them thinly. Stack 2 or 3 leaves, roll them tightly into a log and slice into 1/4-inch-wide ribbons. Repeat with the rest of the greens, keeping the younger, more tender greens (if using) separate.

2. In a very large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 or 6 minutes. Add the garlic and sautée for another minute.

3. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add half of the tougher/more mature greens, and sauté until limp and there’s more room in the pan. Add the remaining tougher/more mature greens and sauté until tender, 7 or 8 minutes more. Add any tender greens (if using) and sauté a minute or two, until tender.

4. Stir in the red pepper flakes, vinegar and maple syrup (if using), the salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Taste and adjust seasoning. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring, until the flavors come together and the greens are cooked to your desired doneness.

Recipe notes

We felt the dish wanted a little more acid than called for in Tipton-Martin’s recipe, so we upped the cider vinegar slightly, as well as specifying an amount of salt, since the quantity of greens is precise. We also adjusted sautéeing times for onion and garlic, so that onion is soft enough and garlic doesn’t burn, and called for separating out the more tender greens from the start, so they can be added in last and cooked less.