Soul Food Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey

Make a pot of Soul Food collard greens the old-school way, braised with smoked turkey and aromatics in a rich and flavorful potlikker! This one-pot recipe is a uniquely Black American dish that started as innovation and became tradition.

And if you enjoy this recipe, you'll love my Soul Food power bowls made with quick-cooked greens!

Why are collard greens Soul Food?

Despite performing the forced labor that built the agricultural prosperity of the American South, enslaved African Americans were restricted to growing only a few select crops for themselves. The collard green was among these crops and likely resembled the West African greens they had experience cultivating and cooking.

Historically, greens have been cooked with preserved meat like ham hocks and/or bones to add flavor and heartiness. So the braised collard green dish represents making something from nothing, using ingredients previously regarded as scraps or less than, to create comfort in a bowl!

A Note on Potlikker

Also called pot likker, pot likka, or pot liquor, this rich and tasty liquid is the sum of the flavors and ingredients used to cook down greens, Soul Food-style green beans, and other Southern foods. Whatever pot liquor doesn't get slurped up with these greens, can make a great soup or gravy base--just how you would use any broth.

Simple Quality Ingredients - Everything in this collard greens recipe can be found at a typical American grocery store or farmers market. You probably have several items on hand!

Full of Fiber and Vitamins - Don't fall for the trope of the African American heritage diet being unhealthy. Traditional collard greens are made with whole food ingredients, and each one serves a purpose because the dish was born out of invention.

Layers of Flavor - Since collard greens have a longer cook time, they get steeped in flavor, and I have a couple flavor tricks to share that make these the best collards you'll taste.

👉🏾 We love Soul Food classics around here, like my seafood cornbread dressing and chicken and andouille gumbo, representing the Third Coast or my Great Great Aunt Georgia's peach cobbler. And don't forget the cookout potato salad, candied sweet potatoes or baked mac & cheese!

Collard Greens - Look for greens that are firm (not wilted) and medium to dark green. You can use pre-chopped greens for ease, but either way I recommend cleaning them very well.

Smoked Turkey - Smoked and tougher cuts of meat take time to become tender, just like collard greens, so they work perfectly. You can use smoked turkey drums, turkey necks, turkey wings, turkey tails--whatever you can find.

Garlic and Onion, as well as garlic powder and onion powder, for an extra oomph of flavor in the pot liquor!

Apple Cider Vinegar and Brown Sugar add sweet and sour flavor notes that help counteract the inherent bitterness of greens. We're only adding a little, so don't worry.

👉🏾 And save those bones to make leftover turkey bone broth at home!

Stock or Broth - Any kind of poultry stock will do, including turkey broth, chicken stock, or even a bone broth.

Brown Sugar - You can use a different kind of sweetener like coconut sugar, maple syrup, or honey if you don't have brown sugar on hand.

Vegan - Make your vegan southern greens without meat by using vegetable broth and omitting the turkey. I recommend adding up to one teaspoon of liquid smoke to capture some of the smoky flavor the turkey would normally provide.

How to Make Collard Greens from Scratch

1. Step One: Wash your collard greens thoroughly, then remove the stems and chop them.

2. Step Two: Sauté onions, bell pepper, and garlic in spices and olive oil.

How to Serve

Collard greens are a Soul Food staple often served at soulful Sunday dinners and holidays. And Black Americans typically enjoy greens as part of the traditional New Year's meal with black-eyed peas and sweet golden cornbread or Southern sweet potato cornbread.

Greens like collards or mustard greens represent prosperity and abundance. Southern black-eyed peas are for good luck, and the gold color of cornbread is supposed to represent wealth. Make them part of your New Year's Day dinner menu!

Whether you're enjoying them on a holiday or a regular day, it is just good manners to serve collard greens with hot sauce.

More Favorite Soul Food Recipes

Looking for more recipes like this? Try these:

I hope you'll enjoy Southern collard greens with smoked turkey soon and very soon. And sharing is caring, so be sure to pin this Black folks' collard greens recipe for later and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!