VEGAN BRAISED COLLARD GREENS WITH MUSHROOMS

Vegan Braised Collard Greens With Mushrooms image

When you remove the ham from collard greens, you'll have to find that smoky savoriness elsewhere. This recipe makes up for the lost ham with four critical ingredients: Mushroom stock that comes together in 30 minutes, rehydrated shiitakes, smoked paprika and soy sauce. The bitter, sour collard greens are sweetened with just a smidge of maple syrup at the end. If you don't have any on hand, add 1 teaspoon of white or brown sugar when you add the onions. And if you like your greens extra sour, serve the bowls with lemon wedges.

Provided by Sarah Jampel

Time 1h

Yield 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 20

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large sprig rosemary
1 large sprig fresh thyme
10 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved
1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 onion, quartered
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
1 bay leaf
4 dried shiitake mushrooms
Kosher salt, to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
10 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 medium onion, sliced into ¼-inch half moons
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 pounds collard greens (about 3 to 4 bunches), large stems removed, washed, and cut into ¼-inch ribbons
1 to 2 tablespoons soy sauce, to taste
1 teaspoon maple syrup (optional)
Lemon wedges (optional)

Steps:

Make the stock: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When hot, add the rosemary and thyme, and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, carrot, onion, celery, bay leaf and dried shiitakes and stir so the vegetables are coated in oil. Add 5 cups water, then bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain, reserving the rehydrated dried shiitakes. Cut the shiitakes into 1/4-inch cubes and set aside. Taste the broth and adjust salt as necessary.
Make the collards: In a large pot with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add red-pepper flakes, sliced mushrooms and reserved shiitakes from the broth. Cook until mushrooms are deeply brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the salt, onions and smoked paprika and cook until soft, about 5 more minutes.
Pour in the mushroom stock and bring to a boil. Add the collard greens in large handfuls, pressing them down to wilt in the hot stock before adding more leaves.
Turn the heat down to medium-low to simmer, then cover the pot and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, until the greens are silky and tender. Stir in soy sauce, starting with 1 tablespoon, and maple syrup. Taste the greens and adjust salt and sweetness as necessary. Serve with lemon wedges for a sour finish.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 67, UnsaturatedFat 4 grams, Carbohydrate 4 grams, Fat 5 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 2 grams, SaturatedFat 1 gram, Sodium 177 milligrams, Sugar 1 gram