We’re huge fans of dark, leafy greens here at Men’s Health. They’ve been shown to lower your risk of diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease, as well as aid weight loss and lower your blood pressure. To reap the benefits you should aim for two to four servings (one serving equals one cup raw, or ½ cup cooked greens) daily.

And, if you’re sick of salads, allow us to introduce you to collard greens.

This green needs no introduction to those of you in the southern U.S., where you’re also often cooking them with pork fat and cranking up the salt. We found a recipe for cooking collards that’s a whole lot lighter and quicker than most you’ll find. The instructions, straight from the chef, are a little different than most—on many levels.

Enlightened Collard Greens

Recipe by Sophina Uong chef of Pican in Oakland

1. It’s hot and humid in the south. Undress down to your skivvies and put on your “Where’s the beef?” apron.

2. De-stem, wash, and then rough chop the collards.





3. In a large pan, heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan well. Add a good handful of chopped sweet Vidalia onions along with a shake or two of chile flakes and one clove of chopped garlic. Cook until the onion softens and the garlic is golden, about 5 minutes.





4. Add collards, season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sizzle. Stir.





5. Shake your manly booty.





6. When the collards begin to cook down, add a splash of white wine for acidity and a few glugs of vegetable stock for richness. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until collards are tender, about 20 minutes.





7. Turn off the heat, and stir in a bit of maple syrup and a splash of sherry vinegar. Serve.

Paul Kita Paul Kita is the Food & Nutrition Editor at Men's Health, where he has covered the science of eating healthfully and the art of cooking simply for more than 10 years.

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