How To Cook Mustard Greens Without Meat (three great tricks for max flavor)

Today we’re talking all about how to cook mustard greens without meat. Enter our healthy Vegetarian Mustard Greens! This is one pot of big-flavored, addictively delicious meat-free mustard greens, guys. And dare I say it – you won’t miss the bacon a bit. Yes, we’ve cracked the code on how to achieve luscious, succulent greens with rich, smoky, spicy flavor running through every bite. Read on to see how we do it, or jump ahead to the recipe, if you like.

If you’re seeing green (like me, always) and are way into these meat free mustard greens AND want to check out our ever growing Southern Greens series, you might want to check out our Pasta with Mustard Greens, Ultimate Southern-Style Mustard Greens, or Slow Cooker Mustard Greens.

What are Mustard Greens?

Three cheers for the Brassica Family! Ahem. Anyway, mustard greens have broad, deeply green, frilly leaves that carry long veins throughout the length of their leaves. The leaves are anchored by thick, coarse stems that are tough and very fibrous – not good for eating. Smaller mustard greens leaves are much more tender than the large ones and can actually be eaten raw, whereas the larger leaves really do need to be cooked. They’d be too hard on the stomach otherwise! Trust me.

In sum, Mustard Greens have a pleasantly crunchy texture and a very bold, peppery flavor that carries note of both horseradish and freshly cracked black pepper.

For more information about these and other great greens, I highly recommend you check out the book, The Vegetable Butcher. I own a copy and absolutely love it. I’ve learned so much from Cara. She founded a company called Little Eater, and it’s great.

Are Mustard Greens Healthy?

As card-carrying members of the Brassica family, Mustard Greens are incredibly good for you, as is the case with any hearty, leafy dark green. So, finding ways to work them into your diet, when and where you can, is a great practice. Pastas might just be my very favorite way to do that. One cup has over 500 percent of your daily vitamin K intake, necessary for blood and bone health. Mustard Greens also a great source of vitamin A, vitamin C and folate, and contain decent amounts of calcium and manganese. They even have calcium and protein!

I love little more than a big, steaming pot of Southern Style greens, y’all. It’s an all-time favorite of mine and serves as the ultimate in comfort food in my book. I actually mean that literally, as it’s a recipe that I feature in my cookbook – Smoke, Roots, Mountain, Harvest (Greens, Eggs, and Ham). If you’ve never treated yourself to the delight that is a big pot of cooked-to-death Southern-style greens, then you MUST.

Want more greenery in your life? No worries. I’ve got you covered there.

• The Best Tortellini and Sausage Soup
• Cauliflower and Sausage Soup with Kale Chips
• Tuscan Sausage and Kale Soup
• Southern Cucumber Salad
• Ghormeh Sabzi (a super green and herbaceous Persian beef stew)

What to serve with these Vegetarian Mustard Greens

Want some inspiration for seriously good side dish/plate partner options for these healthy southern greens? I’ve got you covered. I’ll share a few of my favorite vegetarian dishes that would go beautifully alongside these mustard greens.

• Red Curry Mac and Cheese. The GOAT.
• Honey Cream Dinner Rolls
• Golden Cauliflower Gratin with Hazelnuts
• Garlicky Lemon Pepper Roasted Asparagus

How to make These Meatless Mustard Greens

The omission of chicken stock and bacon calls for creative alternative flavorings, in my best ever Vegetarian Southern Style Greens recipe. We’ll use vegetable stock, smoked paprika (trick #1), and finish the pot off with a big pat of butter (trick #2), for richness. The crunch of some smoked almonds seals the deal (trick #3), and we think you’ll enjoy these every bit as much as our classic Southern Style Mustard Greens. 

How to Cook Mustard Greens Without Meat: Ingredients

• 1 to 1.5 pounds mustard greens (such as Nature’s Greens; pre-washed/trimmed greens are often sold in 1-pound bags)
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• One or 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 to 1.5 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (or other cooking oil)
• A medium-sized sweet onion, diced (such as Vidalia)
• 1.5 to 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, or to taste
• ½ teaspoon granulated sugar, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Handful of chopped smoked almonds, to finish

How to Cook Mustard Greens without meat

1. Firstly, in a large lidded pot set over medium-high heat, add the greens and stock. Stir and toss as they begin to cook and wilt down. Once they’ve all been moistened and are wilting, leave the greens to cook and simmer in the stock, partially covered (the lid shouldn’t be fully closed) for about 10 to 15 minutes. Much of the stock will have evaporated by the point.
2. Next, transfer the greens to a bowl for the time being, and set aside.
3. Reduce the heat a little, if needed, and add 2 to 3 tsp of oil. Cook the onion for a couple of minutes until tender. Add the smashed garlic and chili flakes and cook for another couple of minutes. Add the greens back into the pot, along with the vinegar and sugar, and the butter. Stir to allow the greens to simmer along with the seasonings, and to pick up their flavors; about 5 minutes.
4. Serve the hot greens topped with the chopped smoked almonds. 

If you like the looks of these healthy Meat-Free Mustard Greens, you might also enjoy:

Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic and Honey

Giant Brussels Sprouts Frico

The Ultimate Hasselback Potato Gratin

Samoan Palusami

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