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These smoky sweet vegan collard greens are the perfect side dish for barbecue or dairy-free mac and cheese. With a slight sweetness by way of dried cranberries, they have a lovely rounded flavor. Vegan & gluten-free.
When we were in North Carolina, I couldn’t wait to have some real Southern-style greens.
I’m a big fan of collards in all of its forms. I devour it piled on top of injera as gomen. And I can’t refuse it when it’s used as the packaging of a raw taco.
But the first way that I came to know and love collards was slow cooked at soul food restaurants in Los Angeles. Steamed piles of smoky greens would accompany barbecue or mac and cheese.
(Going to LA? Don’t miss the greens at Stuff I Eat. Although, they actually make theirs with kale.)
The first place that we dined in North Carolina was Bean Vegan Cuisine. (<– Post includes a video tour!)
Collards were offered as a side dish, and that was a must.
The smoky, slightly sweet, vegan collard greens were mouthwateringly good. They were clearly slow cooked and falling apart in my mouth as I bit into them.
The vague sweetness of the greens was interesting to me, as it was unlike any other greens I’d had.
The executive chef and founder of Bean, Charlie Foesch, came over to say hello. I commented at how wonderful the greens were.
He asked if I’d like to know his secret. Of course, the answer was yes.
Smoky sweet vegan collard greens
He said that when he opened Bean, he wanted to have collard greens on the menu but made without the animal products that are often included (for obvious reasons since Bean is a vegan restaurant).
He decided to add dried cranberries to the greens to give them a subtle sweetness that didn’t overwhelm. I looked closer at my greens and saw that dried cranberries were breaking apart in them.
Genius!
Dried cranberries are the secret ingredient
As soon as I got home, I had to try it for myself.
I made collards my usual way with lots of sautéed garlic, a bit of water for steaming the greens, a dash of liquid smoke, and part of a vegetable bouillon cube for added flavor.
(This is my preferred bouillon. I often add it to soups or stews instead of vegetable broth or stock. It’s an easy pantry ingredient to have on hand. However, if you’d prefer to use broth, stock, or even just water, that works too.)
Finally, I added dried cranberries and allowed the collards to cook for 20 to 30 minutes until they were fully softened.
The smoky sweet vegan collard greens were perfection. They have a bold flavor, fall apart in the mouth, and still hold onto that wonderful edge of tinniness that I love in collard greens.
The first time I made these vegan collard greens, I served them with blackened tofu using the creole spices I got at the Savory Spice Shop.
The second time I barbecued seitan on a skewer and made some baked fries to go with it.
A note about liquid smoke
Oftentimes Southern-style greens are smoky by way of animal products.
People will include a smoked portion of a pig, specifically the joint where the pig’s foot was attached to his leg (called a ham hock).
Keep in mind, of course, that the only reason it has a smoky flavor is because it was cooked in a smoker.
So instead of smoking someone’s leg and then using it to flavor something else, I cut out the middle pig and use liquid smoke. Both the pig and I prefer it that way.
Liquid smoke is an ingredient that makes some people apprehensive. They imagine it’s some fake concoction when in fact, liquid smoke is literally condensed and liquefied smoke.
It’s made by placing hickory, applewood, or mesquite wood in large chambers and then applying intense heat. That causes the wood to smolder and release smoke.
The gasses are then cooled in condensers, which liquefies the smoke. The droplets are collected and the impurities are filtered and removed.
The flavor of liquid smoke is intense and a little goes a long way.
I’ve noticed that in many recipes, people use a lot more than I do. I wonder if different brands have different intensities.
I like to use Wright’s, because of the short ingredient list. You can find it in most grocery stores next to the barbecue sauces or grilling accoutrement for just a couple of bucks.
If you’d still prefer to stay away from liquid smoke, try using smoked salt instead. That’s what I often use in my vegan split pea soup.
Smoked salt is obviously saltier than liquid smoke, though. So start with less salt and add more as needed.
Smoky sweet vegan collard greens
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 6-8 garlic cloves minced
- 2 bunches collard greens removed from ribs and roughly chopped in medium pieces
- Up to 1 cup water*
- 1/2 vegetable bouillon cube optional**
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
- Pinch salt
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Bring a soup pot to a medium heat and add extra virgin olive oil. Depending on your garlic preferences and garlic clove size, add 6 to 8 minced garlic cloves to the pot. Saute garlic in oil a few minutes, until fragrant.
- Add collard greens to pot along with 3/4 cup water, half of vegetable bouillon cube (if using), liquid smoke, pinch of salt, and dried cranberries. Stir collard greens to fully combine and turn up heat slightly. Bring greens to a simmer, and then turn heat to low. Add a cocked lid to the pot, so that the greens can steam.
- Cook for 20 minutes, stopping occasionally to stir. If the water is getting too low and it looks like the greens might burn, add the remaining 1/4 cup of water.
- After 20 minutes have passed, taste the collard greens to see if they have your preferred amount of softness. If you'd like them to be softer, cook an additional 10 minutes, being careful to watch that the greens don't run out of liquid on the bottom of the pot.
Becky Striepe says
Those look so good! I’m glad you got to eat some good southern food! If you’re ever in Atlanta, we’ll have to go to Soul Veg for some vegan soul food!
Cadry says
I would love that, Becky! I haven’t been to Atlanta since 1997, which was long before I was vegan. It would be so fun to explore the city with you!
Susan says
I love liquid smoke, but think there is definitely a difference between brands. I bought a huge bottle of a new brand a while ago, and it is so strong that if I add what a recipe calls for it will end up tasting like ash, not good!
Cranberries is a pretty clever addition!
Cadry says
I’m glad to hear that you agree with me on the potency of different liquid smoke brands. Most of the time what’s called for in recipes would obliterate any other flavors in the dishes. I always do a quarter to a third of the amount included in most recipes.
I thought the cranberry addition was very clever too! It adds a bit of sweetness without being too much.
Mae says
So funny that you posted this today. My roommate made dinner tonight and it included collard greens. I was thinking about how my favorite way to eat collards is your garlicky sauteed collard greens recipe. As soon as I finished eating, I came on here and saw this! I recently started using liquid smoke…it is amazing! I’m loving it on black beans.
Cadry says
Oh, I didn’t know that my garlicky sauteed collard greens are your favorite way to eat them! That’s so nice to hear. I haven’t added liquid smoke to black beans in way too long. I’d kind of forgotten about it, but you’re right. They play very nicely together.
Joann says
This looks delicious, and I love the idea of the dried cranberries for sweetness. I enjoy putting them in my mixed greens salads, so I know they would be great with collard greens too. I like a bit less liquid smoke than others use too.
Cadry says
Thanks, Joann! You’ll have to try the dried cranberries in your greens sometime. They add a nice subtle sweetness without overwhelming.
Bianca says
What a great idea!! You know I love me some collard greens — slow-cooked until they’re almost mush. And plenty of liquid smoke (I probably use too much, but I like em real smoky). I must try adding cranberries!!! I usually add a pinch or two of sugar for that sweetness, but cranberries sound better.
Cadry says
Yes, give it a go! I think you’ll be a fan.
Kathy Boyd says
I have zero experience cooking collards, to my utter shame. So I was very pleased that on my first try, I got it right! I followed the instructions to the letter. They do take some babysitting because you have to watch that there’s enough water, but if you’re doing other stuff in the kitchen, it’s not a big deal to peek in and stir every once in a while. I did end up using the full cup of water and doing the extra 10 mins. The liquid smoke — I was a bit afraid it would be overpowering but it’s not at all. This recipe is exactly how it’s named, smoky and sweet (not too sweet). I did add some cajun seasoning at the end to “kick it up a notch” but I do that with almost everything 🙂
Cadry says
Thanks for the great feedback, Kathy! Some Cajun seasoning at the end sounds like a delicious addition.