The Best Southern Mixed Greens (Collard, Turnip, and Mustard)

By Barbara | Soul Food Cooking | SoulFoodCooking101.com

The smell of a pot of mixed greens simmering low and slow is one of those things that pulls the whole house into the kitchen. Smoky from the salt pork, sharp from a splash of vinegar, deep from a full pour of chicken broth, and hearty enough to fill a bowl on its own before it even makes it to the plate.

This recipe pulls collard, turnip, and mustard greens into the same pot for a bowl that tastes richer than any one of them on its own. Collards bring the meaty bite, turnips add a peppery edge, and mustards give a sharp kick that keeps every forkful interesting. Serve a bowl next to my Southern Cornbread and you’ve got Sunday dinner sorted.

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Recipe Overview

• Prep: 15 min
• Cook: 1 hr 15 min
• Total: 1 hr 30 min
• Servings: 8 to 10
• Cuisine: Southern
• Course: Side

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Blending three kinds of greens in one pot gives you a bowl with more depth than a single-green pot could ever pull off. Collards handle the meaty backbone, turnips soften into that peppery bite that keeps each spoonful lively, and mustards cut through the fat with a sharp finish. The salt pork renders low and slow at the start so the whole pot cooks in its smoky drippings, then chicken broth stretches that flavor across every leaf. A splash of white vinegar at the end brightens the whole thing up so it never tastes heavy. Simmer it all together for an hour and the greens turn tender enough to fall off the fork, seasoned all the way through. Fam, this is the pot that gets scraped clean at Sunday dinner.

Ingredients

• collard greens
• turnip greens
• mustard greens
• chicken broth
• salt pork
• 1 onion
• garlic
• white vinegar
• onion powder
• red pepper flakes
• black pepper
• kosher salt

Tools You’ll Need

• Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot
• Cutting board
• Sharp knife
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cup
• Cooking utensils
• Colander for rinsing the greens

Watch the Video

How to Make the Best Southern Mixed Greens

Step 1: Clean and Prep the Greens

Give all three bags of greens a good rinse in cold water to wash away any grit. Sand hides in the crevices of greens, so don’t skip this step. If you’re using bunches instead of bagged greens, strip the leaves off the tough center stems, then chop or tear into bite-sized pieces. Set the cleaned greens aside while you build the flavor base in the pot.

Step 2: Render the Salt Pork

Bring a large Dutch oven to temperature over medium heat, then add the whole 12-ounce package of salt pork. Let it cook for about five minutes, turning as needed so the pieces brown on both sides. You want the fat to render out and the salt pork to start crisping around the edges. This is the flavor foundation for the whole pot, so give it the time it needs.

Step 3: Add the Onion

Add the chopped onion right into the pot with the salt pork and its rendered fat. Cook for about two minutes, stirring so the onion picks up all that smoky flavor. You want it soft and turning translucent, not brown. If you love this technique for building a savory base, my Collard Greens With Ham Hocks uses the same layering approach with ham hocks instead of salt pork.

Step 4: Add the Garlic

Stir in one tablespoon of minced garlic and let it cook for about a minute. Garlic burns fast, so keep it moving. You need enough time for the aroma to hit the air, no more.

Step 5: Pour in the Chicken Broth

Pour in all eight cups of chicken broth and bring the pot to a light boil. The broth pulls all the salt pork drippings and onion off the bottom of the pot and becomes your cooking liquid. Homemade or store-bought works. If you like a lighter broth, use low-sodium so you can control the salt at the end.

Step 6: Add the Greens

Now add all three pounds of greens to the pot. Push them down into the broth with a wooden spoon, cover the pot, and let them simmer for about five minutes so they wilt and settle into the liquid.

Step 7: Season the Pot

Add the tablespoon of white vinegar first, then season with one teaspoon of kosher salt, one teaspoon of black pepper, one teaspoon of onion powder, and a half teaspoon of red pepper flakes. The vinegar is the secret weapon here. It cuts the richness of the salt pork and brightens the whole pot so the greens taste fresh instead of heavy.

Step 8: Simmer Covered for One Hour

Mix everything well, cover the pot, and let it simmer on low for a full hour. This is where the magic happens. The greens turn tender all the way through, the flavors marry together, and the pot liquor (that seasoned broth at the bottom of the pot) gets deep and rich. Try not to lift the lid too often. Every peek lets steam escape and slows the cook.

Step 9: Serve and Enjoy

After the full hour, taste and adjust the salt if you need to. Serve the greens straight from the Dutch oven with a spoonful of that pot liquor over each serving. A wedge of cornbread on the side is what you want for sopping up every last drop.

What to Serve with Mixed Greens

Mixed greens belong on a plate of soul food classics. Pair them with a slice of Honey Glazed Ham Recipe From The Queen Of Soul Food Cooking or a plate of The Best Smothered Pork Chops In Onion Gravy and you’ve got a Sunday plate that eats like home. A serving of Southern Black Eyed Peas Recipe A Tradition Of Good Luck or Candied Yams Recipe fills out the plate with the traditional New Year’s spread. For seafood night, serve the greens alongside Southern Fried Catfish Recipe. And don’t skip a wedge of Southern Cornbread for scooping up the pot liquor.

How to Store

Let the greens cool completely, then transfer them (with the pot liquor) to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to four days. Greens actually get better on day two because the flavors keep developing in the fridge. For longer storage, freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

How to Reheat

The best way to reheat mixed greens is on the stovetop over low heat. Add a splash of chicken broth or water if the pot liquor has thickened, and stir every few minutes so the greens warm through evenly without sticking. You can also reheat them covered in the oven at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes. The microwave works in a pinch, but the stovetop keeps the texture the way you want it.

Pro Tips

Rinse the greens. Even bagged greens can carry a little grit. Use a Dutch oven or another heavy-bottomed pot with a tight lid so the greens hold their heat and simmer evenly. Don’t skimp on the salt pork rendering time. That fat is where the whole flavor foundation lives, and rushing it means a weaker pot. If you can only find one type of greens, this recipe still works. Use three pounds of collards, turnips, or mustards on their own. Adjust the vinegar to your liking. My recipe calls for one tablespoon, but if you like your greens on the tangier side, add another splash right before serving. Taste before you add extra salt at the end. Between the salt pork and the chicken broth, the pot may already be right where you want it. Save the pot liquor. That seasoned broth at the bottom is Southern liquid gold, so spoon it over cornbread, rice, or a bowl of black-eyed peas.

FAQs

Join the #SFCFamily!

When you make these Mixed Greens, come back and let me know how they turned out. Did you go with all three greens or lean heavier on one? What did you serve alongside them? Was the pot liquor the best part, like I always say it is? Drop a note in the comments below and tell me the whole story. Every message from the #SFCFamily lands on my day and I read every one. Snap a picture of your finished pot and upload it on the Soul Food Cooking App so the rest of the fam can see what came out of your kitchen.

If you haven’t downloaded the Soul Food Cooking App yet, it’s free and it’s the easiest way to keep every recipe I make right in your pocket. Grab it here: https://soulfoodcooking101.com/soul-food-cooking-app/

Until next time, remember to cook with love, eat with joy, and always season your food!

Barbara