Name: Coconut Braised Vegan Collard Greens
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 bunch collard greens; 1 13.5 oz can coconut milk (full fat); 1 tbsp soy sauce (sub tamari to make gluten free); 1 tbsp rice vinegar; 1 bay leaf; 1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

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Incredibly flavorful and ready in 15 minutes, vegan collard greens will be your new favorite weeknight side dish! This quick collard greens recipe highlights how easy it is to cook them with ingredients that you probably have in your pantry.

vegan collard greens in a white bowl with gold fork next to it

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A few weeks ago, I worked with a couple who was interested in preparing flavorful, healthy dishes. One of the recipes we made involved simmering cod and spinach in coconut milk and seasonings. It was seriously SO good!!!

I instantly fell in love with the sweet and salty flavor profile, and have been waiting for the perfect moment to adapt the recipe with my own twists for the Veg World. Ahem, say hello to these Coconut Braised Vegan Collard Greens!

If you have never tried collard greens, they have a fairly bitter taste, so cooking them in fat helps to mellow their taste. That’s why I figured that coconut milk would be a perfect companion to this veggie!

This recipe is similar to my Quick Braised Collard Greens in terms of difficulty (SUPER EASY) but has a much stronger flavor, for those of you who want to take your collards’ game up a notch.

Why You’ll Love Braised Collard Greens

I know what you may be thinking, “collard greens sound pretty gross and kind of boring.” Am I right? WELL, NO, not when you cook them this way.

These creamy and downright delicious vegan collard greens have a lot going for them:

The coconut sauce is incredibly decadent. It basically tastes like coconut-flavored cream.
It takes 15 minutes from start to finish.
You only need 6 ingredients, most of which you probably already have!
Cooked greens are sometimes more fun to eat than a raw salad, especially in the winter months!

collard greens, soy sauce, pepper flakes, coconut milk, rice vinegar, bay leaves

How to Make Vegan Collard Greens

First, gather your ingredients: a bunch of collard greens, full-fat coconut milk (the kind in the can), soy sauce, rice vinegar, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes.

collard greens sliced into ribbons on a bamboo cutting board

collard greens during the cooking process in a black skillet with coconut milk

Next, clean the collards, peel the leaves from the stems, and slice them into ribbons. Pour the rest of the ingredients into a large skillet over medium heat. Add the collards and cook until tender. Boom!

Braised vegetable recipes are just so easy! Check out my Braised Radishes and Leeks and Lemon Braised Leeks and Quinoa Salad if you like this method of prepping veggies.

vegan collard greens in a white bowl topped with bay leaves

Expert Tips to Make Perfect Collards

To clean collards, fill a large bowl with water and dunk the greens into the bowl. Use your hands to swish them around to remove dirt. Empty the bowl, refill, and repeat until clean.
Be sure to use full-fat coconut milk, aka the kind that comes in a can. Coconut milk in a carton may not be full-fat, and that kind will not make the sauce as creamy.
The greens should get darker in color during the cooking process. The darker they get, the more cooked/tender they are. You can feel free to adjust the cooking time based on your preferences.
These are best eaten right away, but you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave.
Pour some of the coconut sauce from the pan over your collard greens before eating!

angled shot of vegan collard greens in a white bowl

Oh, and these greens would pair well with baked fish (especially cod!) or another lean protein. You can also eat them on the side of fried chicken 😉 (just every once in a while, of course)…

collard greens in white bowl with pepper flakes and fork on white counter

For more recipes using collards, check out the Shredded Collard Greens Salad with Peanut Dressing and the Lentil Risotto with Collard Greens.

I’d love to hear how you like this recipe! Rate/review using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments, and follow the Veg World on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Looking for something totally different? Browse the recipe library.

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