Best Hearty Garlic Greens Recipes

SLOW-COOKED GARLICKY GREENS

Steps:

• Working in batches, cook greens in a large pot of boiling heavily salted water until just barely wilted, about 2 minutes. Drain; let cool, then squeeze out excess water with your hands. Coarsely chop; set aside.
• Heat a clean large pot over medium. Cook garlic and 1/2 cup oil, smashing down on garlic with a wooden spoon, until golden and soft, about 4 minutes. Add chiles de árbol and cook 30 seconds to infuse the oil with chile. Reduce heat to medium-low; add reserved greens. Cook, tossing and stirring occasionally, until greens are deep green and tender, 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer greens to a platter and drizzle with more oil.

BRAISED GREENS

Steps:

• Wash the greens and remove tough stems. Cut or break greens into 2-inch lengths.
• Heat a nonstick pan over high heat; reduce heat to medium-high, add the oil and sauté the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the greens, and sauté for 1 minute.
• Stir in the stock, Sherry and hot pepper flakes; cover, and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until greens are soft.

HEARTY WINTER GREENS SAUTE

Steps:

• Remove the center stems from all the greens and slice the leaves into 1/2-inch ribbons. Pour the olive oil into a large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion and garlic and saute until tender and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Stir in the ribbons of mustard greens, turnip greens and kale in batches, adding the next batch as the one prior wilts down. Once those three greens are added to the pot, pour in the broth and cook 15 minutes. Then add the ribbons of Swiss chard and cover with a lid. Let simmer 5 more minutes. Taste for seasoning. Spoon the greens into a large serving dish.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH VEGETABLES AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Place chicken on a large plate and season generously with salt and pepper; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Let chicken stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Meanwhile, toss carrots, shallots, potatoes, and lemon with 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a large roasting pan, with shallots in center and carrots, potatoes, and lemon toward edges.
• Rub chicken with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, tie legs with twine, and nestle in center. Roast, flipping vegetables around edges once, until chicken is golden and a thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast (avoiding bone) registers 160 degrees, 55 to 60 minutes. Transfer chicken and lemon halves to a carving board and tent loosely with foil. Flip vegetables; return to oven and roast until caramelized and tender, 15 to 20 minutes more. Carve chicken and transfer to a platter or return to roasting pan. Sprinkle with parsley, squeeze lemon over top, and serve with vegetables.

PARMESAN WHITE BEAN SOUP WITH HEARTY GREENS

Steps:

• To make the Parmesan broth: In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high. Add the garlic, cut-sides down, and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the Parmesan rinds, lemon rinds, thyme and 8 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the broth tastes full and rich and is reduced by half, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (You will have about 4 cups of broth.) Reserve half the garlic and half the lemon rinds, then strain the broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Once cool, the broth will keep for 1 week refrigerated or 3 months in the freezer. If freezing, leave a bit of space between the broth and the lid of the container, as the broth will expand.)
• To make the soup: Squeeze the garlic cloves to release them from the reserved head. Finely chop the reserved lemon rind. In a large pot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low. Add the garlic cloves and the red-pepper flakes and cook, breaking up the garlic with your spoon, just until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Increase the heat to medium, add the greens and 1/4 teaspoon of the chopped lemon rind and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the greens are wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add the beans and all of the Parmesan broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the greens are silky and the beans and broth are warmed through, about 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and taste. Stir in lemon juice and additional lemon rind to taste. (You will not use all the lemon.) Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with black pepper and grated Parmesan on top.