Collard Greens and Okra Salad w/ Spicy Vinaigrette
Unique collard greens recipe that can be prepared quickly for an easy weeknight salad or can be added to your repertoire of Thanksgiving side dishes. Greens are paired with fresh okra, lima beans, and cucumbers then topped with Asian vinaigrette.
1 teaspooncrushed red peppers or fresh Thai chiles
½ tablespoonsugar
¼ tbsp paprika
¼ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup Tamari Sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sesame oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Pickled Celery
½cupcelerythinly sliced
½teaspoonsugar
½teaspoonkosher or sea salt
¼cupcoconut water
½ cuprice vinegar
½stalklemongrasscut into pieces and lightly smashed
Instructions
Make The Salad
Tightly roll Collard leaves into cigars and then cut into strips. Wash and drain.
Using flat side of chef knife smash the cucumbers by gently pressing down on them with your palm.
Blanch the okra pods by boiling for 3-4 minutes and then adding them to a pot of ice cold water for 5 minutes to stop the cooking. Slice each pod in half lengthwise.
Assemble the salad adding okra, collards, beans, and cucumbers in a bowl and mix well.
Toss with vinaigrette and then top with celery, peppers, and sesame seeds.
Make the Vinaigrette
Mix all vinaigrette ingredients and a mixing bowl and set aside until ready to use.
Pickled Celery Instruction
Blanch celery by boiling in a pan of water then removing from heat and allowing to stand in iced bowl of water. Place celery in a mason jar with lid
Bring remaining ingredients to a gentle simmer long enough to dissolve the sugar and salt
Remove from heat and add to jar of celery. Allow to cool, preferably over night in the refrigerator, but at least 30 minutes.
Notes
Collard Greens can be substituted with chard or kale Skirt steak can be added for a more main dish option
A few things to consider in avoiding the slime factor:
The smaller the pod, the less slime you'll get
Wash and dry okra very thoroughly. Drying is key!
Generally speaking, cook okra at high heat levels using methods like roasting, searing, frying, or grilling. For this recipe blanching works well.
Cook okra in small batches. Overcrowded pans bring temps down which leads to steam which leads to slime
Add okra at the very end when you're ready to eat the dish as this will minimize contact with moisture. The acid in the vinaigrette is actually good for slime mitigation.
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