Learn how to cut collard greens, plus tips on washing and cooking them, in this tutorial with step-by-step photos and a short video!
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Hearty collard greens are a delicious addition to recipes, including smoothies, salads, soups, and stews. I like them best when they’re braised and served on the side of Southern food, but that’s just me!
If you have never worked with collards in the kitchen, they may seem intimidating. But I’m here to show you just how easy it is to clean, cut, and prepare collard greens for cooking.
How to Wash Collard Greens
Collards can be pretty dirty, so be sure to clean them before cooking with them. The easiest way to wash collard greens is to place them in a 9×13 baking dish or a large rectangular food storage container. Fill the dish or container with cold water, and let the collards soak for a few minutes to loosen the dirt.
Use your hands to swish the greens in the water to remove any dirt. Drain the water from the container, rinse the collards, and pat them dry using paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.
How to Cut Collard Greens into Strips
- Place washed collard greens on a cutting board. Fold each green in half lengthwise, over the stem running through the middle. Use your knife to cut the stems off of the collard greens. Discard the stems.
- After you remove all of the stems, stack several leaves on top of each other in a neat pile. Starting at the bottom of the leaves, roll them up tightly.
- Slice the leaves perpendicular to the roll into thin strips. This technique is called chiffonade, and you may be familiar with using it to cut basil or other greens.
And that’s it! You just learned how to cut collard greens in three easy steps. For my video tutorial, scroll down to the recipe card.
Recommended Equipment
My favorite tools for cutting vegetables include my Shun Cutlery chef’s knife and Martha Stewart bamboo cutting boards. The boards have rubber stoppers on the bottom, so you won’t have to worry about them slipping.
How to Cook Collard Greens
You can eat collard greens raw or cooked. They have a softer texture and a milder (less bitter) flavor when cooked. Now that you know how to clean and cut collard greens, try one of these recipes:
- Shredded Collard Greens Salad with Peanut Dressing
- Coconut Braised Vegan Collard Greens
- Lentil Risotto with Collard Greens
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📖 Recipe
How to Cut Collard Greens
Ingredients
- 1 bunch collard greens
Instructions
- Place the collard greens in a 9×13 baking dish or large rectangular food storage container. Fill the dish or container with cold water, and let the greens sit for a few minutes to remove any dirt. Use your hands to swish the greens in the water. Drain the container, rinse the greens, and dry them with a towel.
- Place the greens on a cutting board, and fold each one in half over the stem running through the middle. Use your knife to make a lengthwise cut parallel to the stem to slice the leaves off of the stem. Discard the stems.
- Stack the leaves on top of each other, then roll them up. Cut the leaves perpendicular to the roll into thin strips. For a large bunch of collard greens, I usually do two stacks, since one stack would be too big.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Enjoy your greens! – Lizzie
Roderick Richardson
Once leaves collard cut do I need to cut the plant down to make more leaves
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Roderick, thanks for your question. I’m not sure of the correct answer, since I have never grown collard greens on my own. However, if you type that question into Google, I think you will be able to find the answer. Hope that helps!