I love collard greens--not only are they incredibly healthy but I love their slightly bitter flavor and robust crunch. I love spinach too, but I think collard greens are more interesting. The other day I was racking my brain to come up with another way to cook them, other than steaming or sautéing, and a thought popped into my head: why not roast them? They are hearty and sturdy enough to withstand the high temperatures of the oven and I imagined that roasting would bring out a different flavor and texture in the greens.
And I'm happy to say that my intuition was right. Collard greens do something amazing in the oven. The smaller pieces become paper thin and flaky and absolutely melt in your mouth, while the more substantial pieces become perfectly cooked with just the right amount of crunch and softness. They really are delicious and somehow feel elegant too (I think anything roasted tends to feel more fancy!). You could serve them with salmon or any kind of steak or pork, or stir them into a pasta dish along with olive oil and freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Roasted Collard Greens
Turn your oven to 425 degrees
Toss your collard greens in a baking pan with olive oil, salt, and freshly ground pepper to taste (I use my hands and really massage the olive oil into the greens)
Roast for 8-10 minutes, stirring once (and be careful not to let them burn)
Enjoy!
