It seems funny for me to look back 35-plus years to my early days of living in North Carolina and remember how novel so many of the foods seemed at the time. It isn’t that they were all unfamiliar, of course. Fried chicken, black-eyed peas, biscuits, even banana pudding are served in other places, but they are deeply woven into the fabric of southern U.S. culture. There are a few other southern staples that I quickly learned to love, including grits, pimento cheese and okra.

Of all the foods widely considered “southern,” collard greens are the only one I had never tried or even heard of before I moved here all those years ago. And even then, it took me some time to come around to enjoying collards because the first few times I had them, they were steeped in liquid (entirely too long, if you ask me) with something called “fatback.” I recall them being greasy, dull and overly salty, and I mostly paid them no mind. A few years later, right around the time the term “superfood” began making the rounds, I had collards prepared a better way—sturdy,  spicy and actually still green. And I fell in love.

Collard greens are indeed a nutritional powerhouse, and they will be a featured item on many southern tables this long weekend, as families gather to celebrate Juneteenth. In honor of the joyous occasion, I thought perhaps my Comfort du Jour community might be willing to check out another version of this ubiquitous southern side dish.

Surprisingly, this is the first time I’ve made collard greens without some kind of meat in the base. I usually start with a few slices of smoky bacon, and occasionally I’ve browned up some Neese’s hot pork sausage— it’s a local brand that’s quite popular and very good. But this time, I wanted to keep my collards meat-free, and give some other ingredients a chance to strut their stuff. I wanted heat, smoke and (most importantly) something red. 

The color red is a big deal to the Black community on this occasion, as it symbolizes courage and resilience as well as blood shed by enslaved ancestors. Red drinks are common at Juneteenth celebrations, as are red desserts such as strawberry pie and red velvet cake.

I started with onions sauteed in olive oil, then I seasoned it up with salt and pepper, a generous shake of crushed red pepper (as much as you want) for heat and sass, a fat handful of sliced cremini mushrooms for body, and about a teaspoon of smoked Spanish paprika for big earthy flavor. Next, I tossed the chopped collards into the pan in batches, adding oil as needed until the whole bagful was wilted and glossy. Finally, diced tomatoes at the end for sweetness and the pop of beautiful red color I wanted.

A splash of cider vinegar intensifies the flavors of the dish, which is covered and simmered for about half an hour until the collards are tender to your liking. The flavor is undeniably smoky, a perfect accompaniment to crispy southern fried chicken and easy, creamy mac and cheese. This is serious southern comfort, y’all!

Smoky Mushroom & Tomato Collards

• Servings: 6 to 8
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Difficulty: Easy
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Collard greens will be on many tables this weekend for Juneteenth celebrations. This version is entirely plant-based, with juicy mushrooms, smoky paprika for earthy flavor, and tomatoes for a pop of red!

Ingredients

• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium sweet onion, diced
• Salt and black pepper
• A few shakes crushed red pepper flakes (as hot as you want it)
• About 8 large cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 1 tsp. smoked Spanish paprika
• 1 pound fresh collard greens, cleaned, trimmed of heavy stems and chopped into bite size pieces
• Half a 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, or about 1 cup fresh peeled, chopped tomato
• 2 to 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

The trick for cooking the collards without taking all day is cooking them first in the oil. Don’t be stingy with it, and add more as needed with each handful of collards that you throw into the pot. The oil helps break down the fibrous leaves more quickly than if you simmered them in liquid alone.

Directions

1. Heat a large, wide pot over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and onions, season with salt and pepper and saute until slightly softened. Stir in crushed red pepper.
2. Add mushroom slices to the pot and cook until they are lightly browned on both sides. Add smoked paprika and continue to cook a minute or two to release the full flavor of the paprika. Add a handful of collard greens and toss until wilted. Season with salt. Repeat with remaining collards until all are in the pot.
3. Add tomatoes and cider vinegar. Stir until evenly combined and bubbling around the edges. Reduce heat to low, cover the pot with a lid and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.