Prepping Steamed Greens

on July 3, 2011
in Prepping Series

Eat your greens!

IMG_6654

I always KNEW I should eat stuff like collard greens, kale, Swiss chard, and mustard greens because they’re packed with nutrients and fiber, but I could never figure out how to prep the so they didn’t taste… well, absolutely disgusting.  Hah!  But really, greens are so delicious naturally that you don’t really have to mess with them too much. 

 

The trouble is if you overcook them and make ‘em soggy and gross.  A light steaming and a little bit of salt is all you need.

 

Here’s how I prep steamed greens!

 

First, chop and rinse the greens (for the Husband and I, I use an entire head of collard greens).

IMG_6657

Then, place the greens in a wok and add a cup of water.

IMG_6658

Then, put a top of the wok and turn the burner to high.  Cook for fifteen minutes.

IMG_6659

Drain the liquid from the pot and place the uncovered greens back on the turned off wok for a moment to heat off any remaining liquid.

 

Salt and serve…

IMG_6664

Nutritious and delicious!

 

With a  side of leftover Thai white rice, beets, kidney beans, and Mmmm Sauce (this combo didn’t really work!).

IMG_6665

Other fun ways to cook greens:

 

 

 

 

What’s your favorite way to do dark and leafy greens?

{ 49 comments }

 

  • Jessica @ The Process of Healing July 3, 2011, 2:43 pm

    I loooove collard greens!! I grew up eating fresh turnip greens and collards out of my grandma’s garden and her way of cooking them, and I wish I knew what it was, was the BEST!

  • Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga July 3, 2011, 2:50 pm

    Love the tutorial and seeing how everyone cooks some of their fave foods.

    Dark leafy greens…honestly I “cook” them by letting them marinate and soften with a thick dressing, i.e. something made from avocado, or with vegenasie + apple cider vinegar, something to break down the fibers of the plants, and let that massage in and soak in and then eat!

  • Allie @ Healthy Balance, Healthy Life July 3, 2011, 3:11 pm

    That’s funny–I like my greens “soggy”! I would prefer to call it “wilted” though 😉

  • The Teenage Taste July 3, 2011, 3:18 pm

    My all-time favorite way to enjoy greens is in Green Monster smoothies because I can’t taste them one bit. A close second is sauteed with garlic and olive oil.
    Gotta love those greens! 😉

  • Rachel July 3, 2011, 3:18 pm

    I have got to make this Mmmm Sauce!

    I either like to roast my greens, or cook them until they are more soggy than crisp. I’m gonna have to try cooking them like this though, probably holds a lot more of the nutrients in place than it does when I cook the absolute heck out of them, haha!

  • Lena July 3, 2011, 3:36 pm

    Hi,

    actually I would not recommend to wash the greens and then cut them. If you wash them after cutting, a lot of the vitamins get lost.

    • Lena July 3, 2011, 3:37 pm

      I mean wash them, and then cut them. That’s the better way (from what I heard at least).

      • CaitlinHTP July 4, 2011, 11:59 am

        Interesting!! I will try to do this from now on.

  • Katie @ Nourishing Flourishing July 3, 2011, 3:37 pm

    I love my kale in “chip” form or massaged with dressing. Otherwise, I steam my greens in the same fashion, or saute them with garlic and olive oil. We got a lot of experimentation in with various greens last summer during our CSA shares! 🙂

  • Molly @ RDexposed July 3, 2011, 3:55 pm

    Just ate kale chips 10 minutes ago!

  • BroccoliHut July 3, 2011, 4:02 pm

    I love Dinosaur kale with garlic and tahini!

  • Aine @ Something to Chew Over July 3, 2011, 4:12 pm

    Spinach is my favourite – I love it mixed into pasta or I steam it as a side.

    But probably my favourite way is in this sandwich:

    http://somethingtochewover.blog.com/grilled-cheese-sandwich-with-spinch-and-tomato/

  • Sarah July 3, 2011, 4:13 pm

    Looks yummy. I wished I could get more of those type of green here is Australia. It’s hard enough to find Kale! Generally I have to stick with silverbeet and spinach. Silverbeet is what we call swiss chard. It’s easier to grow it that find it at the shop.

  • Holly @ The Runny Egg July 3, 2011, 4:16 pm

    I know I should eat more greens — but I really only like kale in chip form — I should try your method!

  • Jenny July 3, 2011, 5:23 pm

    A vendor at my local farmer’s market has about 20 varieties of leafy greens. I usually destem them (for swiss chard I save the stems), tear them up and steam saute them. Usually I sautee some garlic in olive oil, then put the greens still damp from washing in the saute pan, toss them with oil and then cover until they are wilted.

    • CaitlinHTP July 4, 2011, 12:00 pm

      20 VARIETIES? i want to go to your farmers’ market!

      • Jenny July 4, 2011, 2:57 pm

        Well, that would require coming to Easton, PA (I live in Allentown)! 20 might be an exaggeration, but it is close. We got Beira Kale this week – its a lighter green and flat like Collards.

  • Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin July 3, 2011, 5:27 pm

    I love greens, but I rarely just steam them on their own. I usually throw them in stir fries or scrambled eggs or something. I should eat them this way more often!

  • katie @ KatieDid July 3, 2011, 5:49 pm

    I can’t stand wilted green for some reason, they taste slimy to me. But I do like to stuff tons of spinach into the middle of an omelet just before I flip it.

  • lauri (redheadrecipes.com) July 3, 2011, 6:12 pm

    I’m not a huge fan of collards, but my husband loves them with lots of vinegar!

  • M July 3, 2011, 6:12 pm

    Hi Caitlin!
    I was always taught that “steaming” vegetables
    was when the vegetables did NOT cook/boil/simmer
    IN the water(because when you drain water you lose
    much of nutrients in the water!
    Instead I have been told to use a “basket” type
    thing where the veggies are in the basket above the
    boiling/simmering water (but not touching water)and then you close the lid.
    I think that is steaming.What you are doing is more of a simmering in water(but I am sure totally delish!)

    (That being said though,one of my tastiest ways to eat greens
    is not steaming, but sauteeing in a drop of olive oil
    with a drop or two of maple syrup and sriracha-yum! 😉

    • Susan January 31, 2013, 3:39 pm

      I was going to suggest using a steamer basket, too. Cooking them for 15 minutes in water seems like overkill (then you reheat them?) plus you lose nutrients when you drain water from the veggies. I steam broccoli 2-3 times a week. It only takes about 6-7 minutes. I also sautee spinach in a tiny bit of olive oil and garlic.

  • Hillary July 3, 2011, 6:28 pm

    I love spinach sauteed in olive oil and garlic—-or thrown into a smoothie! Both are delicious and nutritious.

  • Fran@ Broken Cookies Don't Count July 3, 2011, 7:15 pm

    I know how to cook spinach, but I’m often at a loss as to how I should cook other types of greens. Thanks for the suggestions, I know I should be eating more of them!

  • Jackie @ that deep breath July 3, 2011, 7:20 pm

    Thank you so much for this tutorial!! I’ve been needing this!

  • monicanelsonfitness July 3, 2011, 7:46 pm

    great tips!

    for me=kale chips, kale chips, and kale chips. 🙂

  • Stephanie C July 3, 2011, 9:19 pm

    My FAVOURITE way to prepare greens is one I found on Tastespotting about two months ago. You can make it healthier, but the best is to use butter. I wash the greens (this goes better with collard greens, but you can use any), cut the leaves away from the stem, chiffonade them, saute them with butter for about 5 minutes, then as they are about to be done.. throw in a few dashes of sherry vinegar. You can’t taste the vinegar AT ALL, unless you put too much in and it takes the bitterness out of the greens.
    You can use earth balance, or another butter replacement if you’re trying to be ultra healthy.. I haven’t tried olive oil.. but it would probably work.
    Another fave is kale salad with this dressing: olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper.. then a sprinkling of bread crumbs and parm cheese.
    I am still getting the hang of chard, but it’s my third fave out of all of these. I also can’t figure out how to prepare beet or turnip greens very well..

    • CaitlinHTP July 4, 2011, 12:03 pm

      I had to google chiffonade 🙂

  • Kris July 3, 2011, 9:20 pm

    I love, love, love raw kale. I snack on it. Friday night I put it in a quesadilla; yum! This week I’ll be using up sun dried tomato, white bean dip. Dip and layers of kale will make a delish sandwich. I love it as massaged salad, although I don’t massage it much because I love the volume and crunch. I hardly have to say that I love broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage too in any form.

  • Annette @ EnjoyYourHealthyLife July 3, 2011, 9:27 pm

    I love kale chips! Yumm-Y

  • Keelie (Sweat Equals Success) July 3, 2011, 9:32 pm

    I’m a HUGE kale chip fan…

  • kim July 3, 2011, 9:40 pm

    Sauteed w apple cider vinegar!

  • Abby @ Abz 'n' Oats July 4, 2011, 12:08 am

    Spinach is the darkest green I have ever tried. I need to get with the program. lol.

  • Abby @ Abz 'n' Oats July 4, 2011, 12:08 am

    Spinach is the darkest green I have ever tried. I need to get with the program. lol.

  • Kate (What Kate is Cooking) July 4, 2011, 1:03 am

    I love raw spinach and roasted kale 🙂

  • Katherina @ Zephyr Runs July 4, 2011, 2:26 am

    I either add them in a stir fry or eat them plain (rinsed and chopped) – and of course tossed in a smoothie. Steamed greens and kale chips are next on the list to try! Thanks for this series 🙂

  • Yolie @ Practising Wellness July 4, 2011, 3:31 am

    I love this post, thank you, the prepping series is so helpful for kitchen fraidy cats like me! I love my green veggies steamed with a generous sprinkle of sea salt, some stevia (weird I know) and sometimes lemon, or mustard. Yum! xyx

  • Sarah@The Flying ONION July 4, 2011, 7:27 am

    I love sauteed greens. Usually I’ll add just a touch of soy sauce or even some drained, canned, diced tomatoes to the mix with some sauteed onions. Delicious! 😀

  • jen July 4, 2011, 9:13 am

    Hey Caitlin just wanted to say I was the requester of this post and THANK YOU for putting it up so quickly! Yay!

    • CaitlinHTP July 4, 2011, 12:03 pm

      You’re welcome 🙂 Aim to please.

  • Laura July 4, 2011, 9:43 am

    Greens are our FAV! My husband and I LOVE a fresh spinach salad with dinner!

    Also just made a new post on having to give up running — http://tenacioustruth.blogspot.com/2011/07/why-ive-given-up-running.html

    Happy 4th!!!

  • Krista July 4, 2011, 9:55 am

    Love collards! I boil mine and add salt, pepper, and a splash of white vinegar or lemon juice – vinegar sounds weird, tastes amazing!

  • Julie (A Case of the Runs) July 4, 2011, 12:07 pm

    Sounds good… lately it’s been kind of hard for me to find greens palatable… maybe this would help.

  • Amber K July 4, 2011, 12:10 pm

    In a green monster, definitely. Turning them sweet is about the only way I can stand them. I don’t have a wok, but I do have a vegetable steamer that goes in the microwave. I just might have to get adventurous with it…we’ll see! Because kale chips were about the most disgusting thing I have ever eaten, ever! So I’m not doing that again!

  • Jolene (www.everydayfoodie.ca) July 5, 2011, 2:31 am

    My favourite way to eat dark and leafy greens is in a salad or a green monster.

  • Christina July 5, 2011, 11:30 am

    When I was young the only green veg I would eat was garden salad (the basic ones) and broccoli. As an adult I really have tried to taste new things and I’ve come to LOVE greens! I think people don’t like them when they’re either over cooked or undercooked but it really is simple. Your basic style of steaming them can be done for any green! Once you are comfortable you can add other ingredients, I like to add a bit of shoyu (or soy sauce) instead of adding salt. So yummy!

  • Christina July 5, 2011, 11:30 am

    When I was young the only green veg I would eat was garden salad (the basic ones) and broccoli. As an adult I really have tried to taste new things and I’ve come to LOVE greens! I think people don’t like them when they’re either over cooked or undercooked but it really is simple. Your basic style of steaming them can be done for any green! Once you are comfortable you can add other ingredients, I like to add a bit of shoyu (or soy sauce) instead of adding salt. So yummy!

  • Devonshire July 6, 2011, 6:56 pm

    So i know this post is a few days old BUT!!!…. Tonight the husband and i grilled chicken and i had some left over kale i needed to use up. I’m quite lazy today and didn’t want an extra dish to wash so i prepped the kale, put it in some tin foil along with olive oil, some water and sea salt and threw it on the grill for 5-6 minutes and it was perfectly steamed!! Thanks for this post though, i would have never thought to steam greens! Have a great day!

  • Jen August 14, 2011, 11:29 am

    Do you cook the greens on high heat for the full 15 minutes?

Previous post:

Next post:

Search The Blog

Read by Month:

Read by Topic:

Healthy Tipping Point