SHOPPING & COOKING GUIDES

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Essential Greens-Cooking Guide

How to cook fresh greens.

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.

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 (1 pound)

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 (1 pound)

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 (1 pound)

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 (1 pound)

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 (1 pound)

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 (1 pound)

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.

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