We’re swapping bacon for sun-dried tomatoes in this vegetarian-friendly versions of Instant Pot collard greens. This delicious side dish is also gluten-free, Whole30 and paleo-friendly.
Cooked collard greens get their fame from the Southern U.S. cuisine, where they are usually braised with diced bacon or ham hock which adds that lovely, salty and smoky flavour to the leafy greens.
WHAT ARE COLLARD GREENS?
Collards are part of the same family as kale, cabbage and broccoli and have many of the same nutritional benefits. Collards are dark-green, smooth and large leaves that are hardier than say spinach or Swiss chard. As such, they usually require longer cooking time, however, they can also be stir-fried.
Having leafy greens on a regular basis is highly recommended for optimal nutrition and luckily, they can be prepared in many delicious ways.
HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT COLLARD GREENS
Today, we want to show you how to make super simple Instant Pot collard greens but instead of bacon, we’re using sun-dried tomatoes to add saltiness (and sweetness) to the collards while cooking. It’s a lovely twist that turns this classic dish into a plant-based version and we think it can give the bacon version a run for its money.
In the recipe below, we are recommending chopped sun-dried tomatoes although our recipe tester and photographer Carly Harmon ended up using whole sun-dried tomatoes. She enjoyed it both ways, so it’s up to you.
The steps are simple (find the full recipe below):
- Wash and roughly dice the collard leaves.
- Saute onions and garlic in olive oil.
- Add the greens and sun-dried tomatoes with a little water and pressure cook for 5 minutes on HIGH.
- Finish with a drizzle of lemon juice.
MORE VEGETARIAN INSTANT POT RECIPES
- Instant Pot Vegan Mac & Cheese
Instant Pot Corn With Cajun Butter & Lime
Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas (Not Vegan) - Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes
- Instant Pot Green Bean Casserole
Instant Pot Collard Greens With Sun-Dried Tomatoes (Vegan, GF)
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: Side
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Description
This is a delicious, plant-based recipe for collard greens. Flavorful sun-dried tomatoes are used instead of bacon to add both saltiness and sweetness to the leafy greens.
Ingredients
1 white onion, diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (from a jar, preserved in oil like this)
1 large bunch of collard greens, leaves roughly cut (hard stems removed)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 cup of water
To finish: Juice of ½ lemon and garnish with extra sun-dried tomatoes
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot on and press the Sauté function. Add the onions and olive oil and cook for 2-3 minutes to soften and brown off slightly.
- Add the rest of the ingredients (except for lemon juice) and stir through. Turn the Sauté off, place and lock and lid and set to Manual, HIGH pressure for 5 minutes. After 3 beeps the Instant Pot will start to build up the pressure and cook the greens. Once the timer goes off, release the pressure naturally.
- Open the lid, drizzle the juice of ½ lemon and stir through. Serve on a big platter and garnish with extra sun-dried tomatoes if you like.
Notes
You could use kale instead of collard greens for this recipe. We used sun-dried tomatoes preserved in olive oil but you could also use the dry version as they will rehydrate in the cooking process or you can soak them in warm water for 5-10 minutes before adding to the pot.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 146
- Sugar: 3.4 g
- Sodium: 312.2 mg
- Fat: 11.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 11.1 g
- Fiber: 4.6 g
- Protein: 3.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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