Essential Greens-Cooking Guide

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How to prepare and cook nutrient-packed fresh greens.

Dark leafy greens, such as kale, collards and chard, are nutrient powerhouses—rich in vitamins A, C and K. Look for greens in bunches in the produce section near lettuce; beets are sometimes sold with the greens still attached, but you can often find the greens sold separately as well. One pound of greens cooks down to about 1 cup, so plan accordingly.

Start with 1 pound of greens.

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Greens [1]

Here are a few quick and easy greens-cooking suggestions to get you started:

Blanch greens and sauté with a little garlic and olive oil.
Add a splash of vinegar or a squeeze of lemon juice to balance greens’ bitter flavor.
Top greens with chopped toasted nuts or stir in dried fruit.
Cook extra greens and store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days—you can reheat them later in the week for pasta dishes or toss them into a batch of soup.

Read the rest of our Greens Cooking Guide for tips on preparing and cooking a variety of dark leafy greens.

Beet Greens

Prep: Cut stems 1 inch above beet crown. Trim long stems from large leaves; discard blemished leaves. Wash in several changes of water; drain. Cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces.

Cooking: Very tender leaves can be cooked like spinach (see page 125). Cook larger mature leaves, covered, in a wide pot of 2 cups lightly salted boiling water just until wilted, about 5 minutes. Drain and press out moisture. Be aware that beet greens, like beets, will bleed and discolor accompanying foods.

Yield: 2 servings, about 1/2 cup each

Per serving: 48 calories; 0 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrate; 5 g protein; 5 g fiber; 426 mg sodium. Nutrition Bonus: 270% Daily Value vitamin A, 80% DV potassium, 70% DV vitamin C.

Collards

Prep: Pull the leaf from the tough ribs and stems; discard stems. Wash in several changes of water; drain. Cut leaves into 1-inch pieces.

Cooking: Cook, covered, in 2 cups lightly salted boiling water until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and press out moisture.

Yield: 4 servings, about 1/2 cup each

Per serving: 34 calories; 0 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 6 g carbohydrate; 3 g protein; 4 g fiber; 21 mg sodium. Nutrition bonus: 210% Daily Value vitamin A, 40% DV vitamin C.

Kale

Prep: Strip leaves from stems; discard stems. Wash in several changes of water; drain. Cut into 1-inch pieces.

Cooking: Cook large, tough leaves, covered, in 2 cups lightly salted boiling water until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and press out moisture. Small tender leaves can be steamed in a covered skillet with a little water until wilted.

Yield: 4 servings, about 1/2 cup each

Per serving: 33 calories; 0 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 2 g fiber; 27 mg sodium. Nutrition bonus: 320% Daily Value vitamin A, 80% DV vitamin C.

Mustard Greens

Prep: Trim and discard long stems. Wash in several changes of water; drain. Bunch up leaves and cut into 1-inch pieces.

Cooking: Cook large mature leaves, covered, in 2 cups lightly salted boiling water until tender, 10 to 12 minutes (add more water if needed). Small tender leaves can be steamed or stir-fried until wilted. Drain and press out moisture.

Yield: 4 servings, about 1/2 cup each

Per serving: 14 calories; 0 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 2 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 2 g fiber; 15 mg sodium. Nutrition bonus: 120% Daily Value vitamin A, 40% DV vitamin C.

Spinach

Prep: Trim stems. Wash leaves in several changes of water. Cut into 1-inch pieces.

Cooking: Tender spinach cooks in 1 to 3 minutes. Cook in a steamer basket over an inch of boiling water. Drain excess moisture. Or steam, covered, in a large pot with just the rinse water clinging to the leaves. Or stir-fry in a little olive oil and garlic.

Yield: 2 servings, about 1/2 cup each

Per serving: 46 calories; 1 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrate; 6 g protein; 6 g fiber; 167 mg sodium. Nutrition bonus: 270% Daily Value vitamin A, 60% DV vitamin C, 67% DV folate, 55% DV potassium, 30% DV iron.

Swiss Chard

Prep: Wash in several changes of water; drain. Strip large leaves from the edible stems. Pull strings from stems; cut stems crosswise into 1-inch lengths. Bunch up leaves and cut into 1-inch pieces.

Cooking: Cook in 2 cups lightly salted boiling water. Add stems first and cook for 5 minutes, then add leaves. Full-size leaves cook in about 10 minutes. Steam young leaves for 5 minutes. Drain and press out moisture.

Yield: 4 servings, about 1/2 cup each

Per serving: 21 calories; 0 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 4 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 2 g fiber; 185 mg sodium. Nutrition bonus: 130% Daily Value vitamin A, 30% DV vitamin C, 15% DV iron.