Black-eyed peas and collard greens over grits
Garlicky, smoky collard greens and black-eyed peas with a splash of vinegar, piled over creamy grits, a Southern bowl that tastes rich and costs very little.
- 40 min total
- 30 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $1.64 a serving
- 450 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1 bunch collard greens
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup quick grits
- 2 tbsp butter (optional)
- 2 cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
- 1 tsp hot sauce (optional)
From your pantry
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1½ tsp salt, divided
- 4 cups water
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Each serving has about 450 calories, 17 g protein, 71 g carbs and 12 g fat, and costs about $1.64 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No butter? Ghee works.
- No hot sauce? Sriracha works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Strip the collard leaves off their thick stems, stack them, roll them up and into ½-inch ribbons. Swish them in a big bowl of cold water, then lift them out.
Slice. Slicing means cutting food into flat pieces of about the same thickness. Even slices cook evenly, so none are raw while others burn.
How you’ll know: Lay a few side by side: they’re close to the same thickness from one end to the other.
Dolly’s tip: Grit sinks, so lift the leaves out of the water instead of pouring them into a colander.Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, 6 minutes, until soft.
Medium heatTimer: 6 min
Stir in the garlic, pepper flakes and smoked paprika and cook 1 minute, .
Fragrant. Fragrant means cooking until you can clearly smell it, usually garlic or spices, often in about 30 seconds. That’s the moment the flavor is ready, just before it can burn.
How you’ll know: You can smell it from a step back, and garlic is pale gold, not brown.
Medium heat
Add the collards a handful at a time with the broth and ½ teaspoon salt. Cover and cook 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until tender and dark green.
Medium heatTimer: 15 min
Dolly’s tip: It looks like far too much at first. Collards cook down to a quarter of their size.Meanwhile, bring 4 cups water and ½ teaspoon salt in a over high heat, then pour in the grits slowly, the whole time.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
High heat
Dolly’s tip: Whisk while you pour, or the grits clump into lumps.Turn the heat to low, cover, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, a couple of times, until thick. Stir in the butter.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Low heatTimer: 6 min
Add the black-eyed peas and vinegar to the collards and cook uncovered 5 minutes, until hot and most of the liquid is gone. Taste and add salt if needed.
Medium heatTimer: 5 min
Spoon the grits into bowls, top with the greens and peas, and shake on some hot sauce.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
