A healthy collard greens recipe that's a unique vegan twist on traditional green goddess salad dressing recipes which is usually made with mayo and different herbs like parsley.
This collard greens based version is as delicious and more versatile working with different proteins like fish and grilled meats, but also plant-based dishes as well. The fresh cilantro and parsley give it a bright herbal essence while the collards provide the earthy base.
This vegan green goddess dressing is in my rotation of clean, healthy and delicious sauces that I have on hand week to week. It's actually closer to being a collard greens salsa verde. Every Sunday as part of my weekly meal prep I make 3-4 condiments and enjoy them liberally on simple easy weeknight meals I cook. This Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and Israeli Chimichurri (Zhug) are examples.
The recipe for this jar of green goodness doesn't get much simpler; it's just a quick blanch of the collards and then blending with all the other ingredients for a healthy way to get more collard greens into your diet. It's 5 minutes max of your time with a super high return on investment.
I know it is tempting to add more to this recipe, but really this is one of those where you just gotta trust that less is more. This recipe is the opposite of an involved recipe. Trust the process; adding a bunch of ingredients is an unnecessary self-inflicted wound.
Health Benefits of Collard Greens
Collard greens when cooked right are one of the most nutritious vegetables out there for you. They're extremely low in calories (only 70 calories in a cup of cooked greens) assuming you don't cook them in a vat of salt pork. They also are rich in dietary fiber, folate, and vitamins E,A,K, and C which all combine to provide cholesterol support, heart health, ease of digestion, detox support and cancer prevention. For more comprehensive details on collard greens' health benefit visit the article 11 Health Benefits of Collard Greens. This salsa verde recipe makes it easy to enjoy these benefits on a daily basis.
Greens Goddess Dressing w/ Collards Cooking Tips
- If you're not a fan of garlic use less or blanch it to minimize the bite
- Add jalapeños for heat if you prefer. I left them out for this recipe, as I wanted the sauce to be more versatile across different cuisines
- This is a make with ingredients you have on hand recipe, so don't fret if you don't have certain herbs in your fridge
- Let the salsa rest about 30 minutes before serving. This will allow flavors to come together.
- For a more Italian flavored salsa verde add capers and substitute lemon juice in place of lime juice in the recipe
What sides or main dish recipes does this green sauce work well with?
You can reap the benefits of this super green salsa verde all week on a variety of dishes. I include some specific recipe matches below, but my general approach is to drop generous amounts of the salsa on pastas, grain bowls, or grilled proteins. I tend to be more dinner focused but breast fast eggs and lunch business get the salsa verde treatment as well.
- Pasta
- Smoked Trout
- Smoked Lamb Ribs
- Coffee Rubbed Hanger Steak
- Smashed Sweet Potatoes
- Grilled Portobellos
- Celery Root Steak
MORE COLLARD GREENS RECIPES
- Southern Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey
- Collard Greens Salad
- Instant Pot Collard Greens with Smoked Brisket
- Curried Collard Greens
- Collard Greens Slaw
- Brazilian Collard Greens
- Blackeyed Peas and Collard Greens
Green Goddess Dressing w/ Collards AKA Collard Greens Salsa Verde
Make this healthy collard greens recipe today and check back with me in a day or two for some more quick and easy ways to get more of it into your life!
If you make this sauce, please come back and leave me a comment below with your feedback. Definitely take a photo of the dish and be sure to tag #foodfidelity so that I can see them.
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For another healthy collard greens recipe try this Pear and Fennel Salad w/ Collards.
Ingredients
- 5 garlic cloves
- 2 cups packed fresh cilantro leaves with tender stems
- 2 cups packed fresh parsley leaves with tender stems
- ½ small bunch collard greens (washed, de-stemmed and blanched) about 2 ½ cups
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in the bowl of a small food processor and process until just smooth with a hint of chunkiness and texture.
- Scoop salsa verde in a large glass mason jar. Top with extra virgin olive oil to cover the surface. Secure the lid tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
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