Tender sauteed greens are an easy go-to vegetable side everyone should know how to make. They pair with everything from quick pastas to weeknight chicken dinners, and come together in minutes.
These mustard greens are smothered in lots of garlic, kicked up with a pinch of red pepper flakes, and brightened with balsamic. When you have the main dish squared away, mustard greens are the easiest answer to “What should we have with it?”
What Are Mustard Greens?
While mustard greens might not be as trendy as kale or as omnipresent as spinach, they’re well worth getting to know. They’re the leafy green of the mustard plant and are related to collards, cabbage and, in fact, kale, and are common in Indian, Chinese, Japanese, African and Southern U.S. cooking.What Do Mustard Greens Taste Like?
What makes mustard greens unique is their flavor. They’re peppery, pungent, and a little bitter—quite similar to mustard, which makes sense since the seeds used to make mustard come from the same plant!Can I Eat Raw Mustard Greens?
While mustard greens can be enjoyed raw, heat greatly mellows their pungency, which is why sauteing them is such a great choice.How to Buy Mustard Greens
Mustard greens come in all sorts of colors, shapes, and sizes, but the bunches you’re most likely to find are bright green in color with ruffled, frilly leaves. When shopping for mustard greens, note that the smaller, more tender leaves of spring will generally be milder in flavor than the mature leaves of summer and fall. Look for crisp leaves and bright color, avoiding any bunches that are yellowed, wilted, or have brown spots or holes.4 Secrets to the Best Sauteed Mustard Greens
The key to taming the inherent bite of mustard greens is actually quite simple: Use a combination of heat, fat, salt, and acid. When these elements work in tandem, they mellow the greens and result in something truly tasty.Heat: Heat mellows the greens’ pungent flavor.
Fat: Coating the leaves in fat softens their bite: olive oil, coconut oil, butter and ghee are all great options. Or if you’re the thrifty type who saves bacon fat, I don’t need to tell you it’s also a delicious choice.
Salt: Speaking of bacon, it’s a classic ingredient in many Southern mustard green recipes because it lends both fat and salt. Other salty ingredients like soy sauce, pancetta, capers and anchovies can be cooked with the mustard greens to balance their bitterness. Of course, you can also just season with a big pinch of kosher salt.
Acid: Acid plays off the warm pungent greens, fat, and salt to put everything in harmony. After the greens have wilted and become tender, you’ll pull the pan off the heat and add a splash of acid. This could be your favorite type of vinegar, such as balsamic, sherry, red or white wine, or apple cider, or a squeeze of citrus juice like lemon, lime or orange. Here, I call for balsamic vinegar because it’s a pantry favorite and it’s got a round, approachable flavor.
What to Serve With Sauteed Mustard Greens
- Serve them as a side dish alongside mains like Roast Chicken, Roasted Pork Tenderloin or Pan-Seared Ribeye.
- Add them to simple pastas such as Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, Cacio e Pepe or Brown Butter Parmesan Pasta.
- Top homemade pizzas with them. Try Garlicky White Pizza with Mozzarella and Ricotta, Focaccia Pizza or Pan Pizza.
Sauteed Mustard Greens
Serves 4- 1 1/2 pounds mustard greens (about 2 bunches)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
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2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, wide, high-sided saute pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes if desired. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute (do not let the garlic brown).
3. Add the mustard greens a few handfuls at a time, stirring after each addition so that they start to wilt, until all of the greens are added. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mustard greens are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, and serve.
Recipe notes: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
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