Tomato Stewed Greens

Beginner Cook - Medium Cooking Time - Side Dish - Vegan - Vegetarian - Gluten-Free

We're one month into the new year and you're doing your best to stick to your resolution of eating healthier. Achieving this noble goal may seem easy during the summer months when fresh fruits and vegetables are bountiful, but the dead of winter? Not so much. When it's freezing temperatures outside, I crave warm foods and eating a salad simply doesn't cut it. Not to mention that tomatoes and other summer crops don't taste as good out of season. So how do I go about tackling this winter conundrum? Tomato stewed greens. This recipe tastes great, is easy to prepare, works well with cold weather crops like collards (pictured above) or chard (pictured below), and scores high on the healthy eating front. Other than the olive oil, there aren't many calories in this dish. As a result, for someone who loves to eat without counting, this meal really hits the spot!

Ingredients (Serves 4 as a side or 2 as a main dish)

• 2 bunches of chard / 1 bunch of collards
• 1 medium red onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (divided)
• 5 cups water

Time - 45 minutes*

• Preparation - 10 minutes
• Cooking - 35 minutes*

* If cooking collards, consider adding an additional 45 minutes to the cooking time to allow the stems to soften

Preparation

• Clean the greens. One way to do this is to fill the sink or a bucket with water and let the greens soak for 10-15 minutes

• While the greens are soaking, peel and chop the onion and mince the garlic
• Combine the onion, garlic, and a 1/4 cup olive oil in a large pot and cook until translucent over medium-low heat

• Cut the base of the leaf stems and add to the pot. If cooking collards, also roughly cut the leaves into large strips

• Add water and salt to the pot and boil over medium heat for 15 minutes. If cooking collards, allow for the additional 45 minutes of boiling time

• Once the greens have softened, add the tomato paste and a second 1/4 cup of olive oil
• Simmer over medium heat for an additional 15 minutes
• As the water evaporates, the liquid surrounding the greens will begin to resemble a type of rich tomato broth. Don't miss out on serving some of this "broth" along with the greens. If you don't want the broth to mix with the other foods, serve in a small side bowl as shown with the collards in the first picture

• Cheers to another day of sticking to New Year's resolutions!