My Southern Grandma Inez grows collard greens in her garden and cooks them in batches to freeze. We never saw them in anything she prepared us, perhaps because hearty greens are a hard sell for kids. I didn’t appreciate how flavorful and tender they could be until I was an adult—especially paired with spicy andouille sausage.
Prep time 25 minutes
Serves 6
1 tablespoon avocado oil
12 ounces (340 g) andouille sausage, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
11/2 cup (240 g) chopped sweet onion
1 large stalk celery, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
11/2 teaspoons Cajun Spice Blend
1 teaspoon sea salt, divided
1 bay leaf
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 15-ounce (425 g) can diced tomatoes
3 large collard leaves, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 quarts (1.9 liters) Simple Chicken Stock
2 tablespoons (30 ml) coconut aminos
2 tablespoons (30 ml) red wine vinegar
Hot sauce, for serving
1 Heat the oil in a medium skillet. Add the sausage and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until they are golden brown in spots. Transfer the sausage to a 4-quart (3.8 liter) slow cooker.
2 Add the onion, celery, green pepper, Cajun seasoning, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the skillet. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion is translucent, then transfer the vegetables to the slow cooker.
3 Add the other 1/2 teaspoon salt, bay leaf, garlic, tomatoes, collard greens, chicken stock, coconut aminos, and vinegar.
4 Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
5 Taste and add more salt and vinegar if necessary.
6 Serve with hot sauce.
