How to Cook Turnip Greens
Wash the greens., Remove the stems., Tear apart the leaves., Sprinkle with lemon juice.Lightly sprinkle the turnip greens with the lemon juice, tossing them gently with your hands to coat., Boil water in a Dutch oven., Add the greens and cook...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Wash the greens.
Rinse the turnip greens under cold, running water, scrubbing them gently with your fingers.
Drain the leaves by drying them in a salad spinner, patting them dry with clean paper towels, or spreading them out on clean paper towels and allowing them to air dry.
You could also clean the greens by allowing them to soak in a clean bowl or sink of cold water for several minutes to loosen the dirt.
Quickly rinse with running water before draining. -
Step 2: Remove the stems.
Cut the stems off at the base of each leaf using a sharp knife.
Examine the leaves as you work.
If there are any bruised or wilted leaves, toss them out. , Use your fingers to tear the leaves into small pieces.
Each piece should be about 1/2 inch (1.27 cm).
You should have roughly 12 cups (3 liters) of torn turnip greens.
If desired, you can also give the turnip greens a rough chop with a sharp knife instead of tearing them apart by hand. , Let the turnip greens sit for at least 5 minutes.
The lemon juice helps to activate the myrosinase enzymes in the greens and increase the formation of isothiocyanates.
In short, the lemon juice prevents the greens from wilting while increasing their nutritional benefits. , Fill the Dutch oven halfway with water and add a pinch of salt.
Bring the water to a boil over medium-high to high heat.
A 5-quart to 6-quart (5-liter to 6-liter) Dutch oven is recommended.
Anything less might be too small, but anything much larger may lead to an unnecessarily long cooking time.
If you do not have a Dutch oven, you can use a heavy metal stock pot, instead. , Add the greens to the boiling water and cover the Dutch oven.
Cook the turnip greens for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the greens are tender.Many cooks prefer to extend the cooking time by reducing the heat to medium or medium-low.
Once the water slows to a simmer, cook the turnip greens for 45 to 60 minutes. , Pour the contents of the Dutch oven through a colander to drain the water.
Lightly press the remaining turnip leaves with your hands or the back of a wooden spoon while still inside the colander.
Doing so squeezes excess liquid out of the leaves. , Transfer the turnip greens to a large bowl and add the butter, salt, and pepper.
Toss the greens with the new ingredients to flavor them.
If desired, you can use olive oil instead of butter for a healthier alternative.
The salt and pepper should be added according to your personal tastes.
If you are uncertain about how much to use, start with roughly 1 tsp (5 ml) salt and 1 tsp (5 ml) black pepper.
Toss, taste, and add more as desired. , Transfer the turnip greens to individual plates and serve. , The greens will absorb the broth, and the broth will add more flavor to the greens. , Use roughly 1 cup (250 ml) of salt pork, ham, or bacon to the cooking liquid.
Brown the meat and add it, along with any pan drippings, to the greens as they begin to cook.
You can also add 1 medium chopped onion and up to 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) granulated sugar. , Instead of cooking the greens in boiling water, sauté them in 1 Tbsp (15 ml) of olive oil until tender.This could take 5 to 15 minutes, depending on how wilted you prefer the greens to be.
Instead of using olive oil, you could use bacon grease to add more flavor.
Turnip greens will be crisper if prepared this way and will retain more of their bright green color. , Flavored vinegars and vinaigrette dressings are especially common choices.
Balsamic vinegar and cider vinegar both have sweet undertones but add a complimentary tart taste to the greens.
Vinaigrette dressings, like raspberry vinaigrette or balsamic vinaigrette, are a little less tart and a little more sweet, but compliment the taste of the greens in a similar manner.
Drizzle soy sauce or Teriyaki over the greens for an Asian-inspired flavor.
Top with slivered almonds or crunchy chow mein noodles. , This works especially well if you sauté the greens. sauté 1 medium onion, chopped, or 1 clove of garlic, minced, before sauteing the turnip greens.
Sprinkle red pepper over cooked greens for a spicy kick. , Boil equal parts of each with salt, oil, garlic, bacon, and sugar. -
Step 3: Tear apart the leaves.
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Step 4: Sprinkle with lemon juice.Lightly sprinkle the turnip greens with the lemon juice
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Step 5: tossing them gently with your hands to coat.
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Step 6: Boil water in a Dutch oven.
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Step 7: Add the greens and cook.
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Step 8: Drain the turnip greens.
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Step 9: Flavor the greens with butter
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Step 10: and pepper.
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Step 11: Serve immediately.
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Step 12: Boil the turnip greens in chicken broth instead of water.
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Step 13: Add bacon or ham to the cooking liquid.The traditional "Southern style" turnip green is prepared with bacon or ham as a way to offset the bitterness of the greens.
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Step 14: Cook the turnip greens in a skillet.
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Step 15: Drizzle cooked greens with a flavorful dressing.
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Step 16: Add other seasonings to vary the taste of the greens.
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Step 17: Cook the turnip greens with other greens for a more varied flavor.Try a combination of turnip greens
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Step 18: collard greens
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Step 19: and mustard greens.
Detailed Guide
Rinse the turnip greens under cold, running water, scrubbing them gently with your fingers.
Drain the leaves by drying them in a salad spinner, patting them dry with clean paper towels, or spreading them out on clean paper towels and allowing them to air dry.
You could also clean the greens by allowing them to soak in a clean bowl or sink of cold water for several minutes to loosen the dirt.
Quickly rinse with running water before draining.
Cut the stems off at the base of each leaf using a sharp knife.
Examine the leaves as you work.
If there are any bruised or wilted leaves, toss them out. , Use your fingers to tear the leaves into small pieces.
Each piece should be about 1/2 inch (1.27 cm).
You should have roughly 12 cups (3 liters) of torn turnip greens.
If desired, you can also give the turnip greens a rough chop with a sharp knife instead of tearing them apart by hand. , Let the turnip greens sit for at least 5 minutes.
The lemon juice helps to activate the myrosinase enzymes in the greens and increase the formation of isothiocyanates.
In short, the lemon juice prevents the greens from wilting while increasing their nutritional benefits. , Fill the Dutch oven halfway with water and add a pinch of salt.
Bring the water to a boil over medium-high to high heat.
A 5-quart to 6-quart (5-liter to 6-liter) Dutch oven is recommended.
Anything less might be too small, but anything much larger may lead to an unnecessarily long cooking time.
If you do not have a Dutch oven, you can use a heavy metal stock pot, instead. , Add the greens to the boiling water and cover the Dutch oven.
Cook the turnip greens for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the greens are tender.Many cooks prefer to extend the cooking time by reducing the heat to medium or medium-low.
Once the water slows to a simmer, cook the turnip greens for 45 to 60 minutes. , Pour the contents of the Dutch oven through a colander to drain the water.
Lightly press the remaining turnip leaves with your hands or the back of a wooden spoon while still inside the colander.
Doing so squeezes excess liquid out of the leaves. , Transfer the turnip greens to a large bowl and add the butter, salt, and pepper.
Toss the greens with the new ingredients to flavor them.
If desired, you can use olive oil instead of butter for a healthier alternative.
The salt and pepper should be added according to your personal tastes.
If you are uncertain about how much to use, start with roughly 1 tsp (5 ml) salt and 1 tsp (5 ml) black pepper.
Toss, taste, and add more as desired. , Transfer the turnip greens to individual plates and serve. , The greens will absorb the broth, and the broth will add more flavor to the greens. , Use roughly 1 cup (250 ml) of salt pork, ham, or bacon to the cooking liquid.
Brown the meat and add it, along with any pan drippings, to the greens as they begin to cook.
You can also add 1 medium chopped onion and up to 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) granulated sugar. , Instead of cooking the greens in boiling water, sauté them in 1 Tbsp (15 ml) of olive oil until tender.This could take 5 to 15 minutes, depending on how wilted you prefer the greens to be.
Instead of using olive oil, you could use bacon grease to add more flavor.
Turnip greens will be crisper if prepared this way and will retain more of their bright green color. , Flavored vinegars and vinaigrette dressings are especially common choices.
Balsamic vinegar and cider vinegar both have sweet undertones but add a complimentary tart taste to the greens.
Vinaigrette dressings, like raspberry vinaigrette or balsamic vinaigrette, are a little less tart and a little more sweet, but compliment the taste of the greens in a similar manner.
Drizzle soy sauce or Teriyaki over the greens for an Asian-inspired flavor.
Top with slivered almonds or crunchy chow mein noodles. , This works especially well if you sauté the greens. sauté 1 medium onion, chopped, or 1 clove of garlic, minced, before sauteing the turnip greens.
Sprinkle red pepper over cooked greens for a spicy kick. , Boil equal parts of each with salt, oil, garlic, bacon, and sugar.
About the Author
Tyler Powell
Experienced content creator specializing in DIY projects guides and tutorials.
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