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This delightful recipe for savory stuffed collard greens offers a perfect blend of textures and flavors. Fill the leaves of the collard greens with a delicious mixture of ground meat and rice, flavored with a mix of aromatic herbs.

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They aren’t only tasty, but also loaded with a range of flavours that will leave you wanting more. It’s well worth noting that even my 9-year-old child eats at least five of these stuffed collard greens on their own :D. What’s a better selling point than a kid who loves the taste of the dish?

The unhurried cooking process guarantees that each bite is teeming with a delicious and fulfilling flavour. Whether freshly served or consumed later as leftovers, this dish is a traditional comfort food that improves with age. It’s adaptable, simple to make, and certain to please a large group of people.

Stuffed Collard Greens Recipe

Best Stuffed Collard Greens with a Hearty Tomato Twist

Difficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

hours

Total time

hours

minutes

These tasty stuffed collard greens are a perfect example of classic comfort food. They’re not just yummy, but also packed with a variety of flavors that will make you want more. Worth noting is that even my 9-year-old child eats at least 5 stuffed collard greens all by themselves :D. What’s a better selling point than a kid who loves the taste of the dish 😉

Ingredients

1.2 kg mixed ground meat
1/2 cup washed rice
About 20-25 collard green leaves (or savoy cabbage or young cabbage, depending on their size)
2-3 cloves of garlic
1/2 of fresh paprika
1/2 of red onion
1 carrot
10g celery root
Water or Broth
Spices: Salt, pepper, paprika powder, Dried parsley, Rosemary, curcuma powder
Tomato Sauce (optional)
2 tablespoons of oil
2 tablespoons of flour
2 dl of salsa di pomodoro
Salt to taste

Directions

Start by giving the collard green leaves a good wash. Trim away the tougher part of the leaf’s stem to make them pliable. If the leaves are large, you can cut them in half.
Blanch the leaves in boiling salted water for about 5 minutes. This makes them more pliable and easier to work with. Blanch them, then remove from the water and let drain and cool.
While the leaves are cooling, it’s time to prepare the filling. Mix the ground meat with spices and uncooked rice.
Place a collard green leaf on a clean surface. Then, add some filling and roll it up while tucking in the sides to make a tidy package.
In a spacious pot, arrange the stuffed collard greens. Add peppercorns, rosemary, bay leaf if desired, halved garlic cloves, half onion, and carrot.
Pour lukewarm water to cover them, or use a vegetable broth, and cook on low heat for about 2 hours.
Tomato Sauce (Optional)
In a separate saucepan, heat oil, and then add flour. Stir until the flour takes on a light, golden hue.
Gradually incorporate the water from the stuffed collard greens and the tomato paste. Stir constantly to craft a thick, velvety tomato sauce. Season it with salt according to your taste.
Pour this luscious tomato sauce over the stuffed collard greens in the pot.
Allow the stuffed collard greens soup to boil for 10-15 more minutes. This will help all the ingredients mix nicely and create a smooth and appetizing soup.

Recipe Video

Notes

Stuffed collard greens are one of those dishes that get better with time. You can savor them fresh and hot or let them sit for a day or two to intensify the flavors.
A dollop of sour cream adds a lovely touch, and they pair wonderfully with mashed potatoes for that classic side dish. For an extra special twist, try a tricolor mash incorporating potatoes, peas, and carrots.
Opt for fresh and vibrant collard green leaves to make the rolling process easier. Their tenderness is the key to a perfect dish.
When blanching the leaves, add a pinch of salt to the boiling water. It enhances their flavor.
Don’t hesitate to get creative with the filling. Add your favorite spices and herbs to match your taste preferences.
You can prepare stuffed collard greens in advance and they taste even better the next day – great news! So, they’re an excellent choice for meal planning.

Nutrition Value Table (per serving)

According to WebMD, collard greens are a highly nutritious vegetable that can be grown in your garden. They are rich in antioxidants that help to nourish your body and boost internal health.

Nutrient	Amount per Serving
Calories	Approx. 400 Calories
Total Fat	Approx. 20g
Saturated Fat	Approx. 7g
Cholesterol	Approx. 60mg
Sodium	Approx. 700mg
Total Carbohydrates	Approx. 25g
Dietary Fiber	Approx. 4g
Sugars	Approx. 3g
Protein	Approx. 30g

More information about Collard Green:
Collard Green, healthy for you?
Collard Green Nutrition facts
7 Benefits of Collard Greens

Substitutes and other ajustments

Collard Greens: If collard greens are not available, you can use savoy cabbage, young cabbage, or Swiss chard leaves as alternatives.

Savoy Cabbage

Savoy cabbage is an excellent alternative to collard greens in stuffed recipes. It has tender, crinkly leaves that are easy to work with. The taste is slightly milder than collard greens, but it still pairs well with the savory meat and rice filling. Blanch, stuff, and cook savoy cabbage leaves in a similar manner to collard greens since they are pliable.

Young Cabbage

Young cabbage, often referred to as spring cabbage, is another suitable replacement. It has tender, mild-flavored leaves that are perfect for stuffing. Since young cabbage leaves are more delicate, they may not require as long cooking time as collard greens. Be sure to blanch them to make them pliable before stuffing.

Swiss Chard

Swiss chard leaves, with their colorful stems and tender leaves, can be a creative substitute. While the taste is slightly different from collard greens, Swiss chard offers a unique flavor that complements the filling. To use Swiss chard, separate the stems from the leaves, blanch the leaves, and stuff them with the filling. Swiss chard adds a vibrant touch to the dish.

These alternatives offer flexibility and enable you to modify the recipe according to your preferences or the ingredients at hand. Whether you choose collard greens, savoy cabbage, young cabbage, or Swiss chard, you’ll still enjoy a delicious and hearty stuffed greens dish.

Keto Friendly & Gluten Free Stuffed Collard Greens

To make this dish keto-friendly and free of gluten, here are some tasty replacements:

Firstly, skip the step involving the tomato sauce. Without this additional component, you will not have the rich, creamy sauce, but you will still enjoy the delicious soup that is already part of the recipe.
Next, swap out the rice with cauliflower rice or riced broccoli. These low-carb alternatives not only provide the texture of rice but also add a delightful twist to the dish. Furthermore, opt for lean ground meat or a combination of ground meat and ground wild mushrooms to create a filling that’s both lower in carbs and bursting with flavor.

These changes will result in a keto-friendly and gluten-free version of the recipe that’s just as enjoyable, if not more so!