Raise your hand if you love collard greens! 🙋 Classic southern collard greens are a staple for Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings, but typically involve bacon, fatback, or ham hocks for flavoring and are not vegetarian-friendly. I was vegetarian for about 8 years, so after years of only having sides for holiday gatherings, I have a soft spot in my heart for making side dishes that are veggie-friendly and just as delicious.

In fact, I recently brought this dish to a work potluck, and my coworkers — even the meat eaters! — said these were the best collards they ever had and that they didn’t miss the pork one bit.

In this recipe, I substitute mushrooms, vegetable broth (I love the Better Than Boullion brand), maple syrup, and a splash of soy sauce so you still get a savory, umami flavor without the pork.

So there you have it. Whip up a batch of these vegetarian/vegan, sweet, and tangy collard greens and enjoy!

This recipe is based off of the Sweet & Tangy Collard Greens from Bon Appetit. Check that one out if you prefer meaty collards. :)

Cheers,
H

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Vegetarian Sweet & Tangy Collard Greens

Yield: about 2-3 quarts or roughly 8 servings
Cook time: about 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 8 ounces of white or baby bella mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 pounds collard greens, stripped off the stems and chopped into 1-inch segments (bagged pre-cut greens work great!)
• 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce (optional)
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Heat butter in a large heavy pot over medium. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Add onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and softened, 5–7 minutes.
3. Add collard greens to the pot one handful at a time, letting them wilt before adding more.
4. Add broth and bring to a simmer.
5. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until greens reach desired tenderness.
6. Stir in vinegar and maple syrup and simmer for another minute to dissolve the syrup.
7. Remove from the heat and season with salt, pepper, pepper flake, and soy sauce to personal preference of salty/spiciness.