Southern Collard Greens Recipe w/ Smoked Turkey Legs (soul food style) (2024)

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If you are looking for an easy, flavorful and downright addictive southern soul food collard greens recipe then HERE SHE IS!!!

Growing up, my grandmother use to prepare collard greens almost every Sunday and for a while, it was the only vegetable I’d ever eat. I can remember eating bowl after bowl of these things until I felt sick.

I still love collard greens to death but I’m really picky as to how they should be fixed (as most southern folks are : ) I hope that you will enjoy this recipe and go ahead and have two bowls…collards have more calcium than milk!

Ohhhhhh I CAN NOT do this post without sharing some quick facts about collard greens:

Collard greens have been cooked and used for centuries.The Southern-style of cooking of greens came with the arrival of African slaves to the southern colonies and the need to satisfy their hunger and provide food for their families. Though greens did not originate in Africa, the habit of eating greens that have been cooked down into a low gravy, and drinking the juices from the greens (known as “pot likker”) is of African origin. The slaves of the plantations were given leftover food from the plantation kitchen. Some of this food consisted of the tops of turnips and other greens. Ham hocks and pig’s feet were also given to the slaves. Forced to create meals from these leftovers, they created the famous southern greens. The slave diet began to evolve and spread when slaves entered the plantation houses as cooks. Their African dishes, using the foods available in the region they lived in, began to evolve into present-day Southern cooking

Watch me make these Southern Collard Greens from start to finish!

Serve the turkey leg pieces right along with the greens and savor a little piece of history!

Holiday Holiday Side Dishes Side Dish Southern Classics Thanksgiving