Southern Style Mustard Greens
Welcome to a taste of the South with our flavorful Southern Style Mustard Greens recipe, featuring the savory richness of smoked turkey or ham hocks. This traditional dish captures the essence of soul food and comfort, delivering classic delicious flavor with every bite. This is the best side dish for your holiday spreads and Sunday dinners.
Servings 6
Calories 140kcal
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups chopped white onion
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 3 pounds fresh mustard greens This is usually 3-4 bundles. Weigh for accuracy. Weight includes the stems.
- 1 smoked turkey leg or wing
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth You can also use water.
- 1/2 tablespoon Creole Seasoning Adjust to taste.
Instructions
- Fill a large bowl or your sink with water. Use your hands and scrub the veins of the leaves to remove any dirty or sand. Wash the greens thoroughly until the water runs clear.
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to the pot along with the onions and garlic. I like to use a Dutch oven because you can saute the vegetables and cook the greens all in one pot.
- Saute the onions until they are translucent and fragrant.
- Deglaze the pan by adding half of the chicken broth.
- Begin to layer in the greens and add them in batches. Greens will need to wilt down a lot in order to fit in the pot. Add in the greens and then stir and allow them to cook down.
- Add in the Creole Seasoning and turkey. Bring the pot to a boil.
- Place the lid on the pot and adjust the heat to medium. Allow the greens to cook for 2 hours until the greens are soft and the turkey is tender.
- Open the pot and remove the turkey leg. Shred the meat from the leg using forks and return it to the pot.
- Serve.
Video
Notes
- It's also common to serve mustard greens with crushed red pepper or vinegar. Feel free to add these if you wish.
- You can substitute smoked turkey for ham hocks, bacon, salt pork, or whatever you wish.
- My turkey leg weighed about 2 pounds.
- If doubling the recipe or making more for a crowd you can double, triple the ingredients. If doubling, you can likely still use one turkey leg. For anything larger, you may consider using an additional smaller smoked turkey wing.
- The majority of the cooking time is dedicated to softening up the turkey leg so is can provide the immense flavor the dish needs. You can also cook your turkey leg in broth for 45 minutes to an hour while you clean and prep your greens. Once washed, you can prep the remaining ingredients and toss in the turkey leg and cook the greens for an hour or until tender.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 140kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 4g