We eat a lot of greens in our house, and I love adding garlic to everything. Combining the two is a natural combination for us. Not only is this a very healthy side dish, but it tastes fantastic and it’s simple to prepare.

This recipe works well with any greens that you happen to have on hand, which makes it a great way to reduce food waste (see HERE) by using greens that might be nearing the end of their shelf life. You can even use greens that you’ve previously chopped and tossed into a freezer bag, though note that they won’t take previously-frozen greens as long to soften. When we don’t make green juice as often as we anticipated throughout the course of the week, this is often what we do with the extra greens (or we braise them with cranberries — recipe HERE).

Garlic Braised Greens Recipe

Greens (I used two bunches of Kale, along with some Chard and Spinach)
Coconut oil
4 Garlic Cloves, or to taste
1.5 teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar, or to taste
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Tear or chop greens into bite-sized pieces (they don’t have to be very small, they’ll cook down a lot).

Warm a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add a generous amount of coconut oil.

Once the coconut oil melts, crush your fresh garlic through a garlic press or chop finely with a knife, then add it to the oil and sauté for a couple of minutes or until lightly browned.

Add your greens to the pan, and stir constantly for a minute or so. Then add the lid and allow them to braise for approximately 12 more minutes, or until they reach your desired level of doneness.

Add apple cider vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve and enjoy.