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collard greens recipe with okra, cucumbers, and lima beans

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.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Modern Soul Food, southern
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 121kcal
Author: Marwin Brown

Ingredients

Salad Ingredients

  • 12-15 Whole Okra pods
  • 1 bunch Collard Greens cut into strips
  • Frozen Baby Lima beans or edamame thawed
  • Cucumbers halved lengthwise then cut into quarters
  • Pickled celery optional
  • Padron peppers optional
  • 1 teaspoon Sesame seeds
  • 2 tablespoon Asian Vinaigrette

Spicy Vinaigrette Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp  garlic  finely chopped
  • tablespoon ginger  finely chopped
  • tbsp  red bell pepper  diced
  • tsp  dried herbs thyme, oregano, or basil
  • teaspoon crushed red peppers or fresh Thai chiles
  • ½  tablespoon sugar
  • ¼  tbsp  paprika
  • ¼  cup  rice vinegar
  • ¼  cup  Tamari Sauce
  • tbsp  olive oil
  • tsp  sesame oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Pickled Celery

  • ½ cup celery thinly sliced
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
  • ¼ cup coconut water
  • ½ cup rice vinegar
  • ½ stalk lemongrass cut 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 121kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 832mg | Potassium: 206mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1070IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 0.8mg
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