Trying a New Veggie - Collard Greens

So one of my New Year's Resolutions is to try a new vegetable at least every month. Tonight, soup is on the menu so I have a great soup recipe from the Clean Eating Cookbook that calls for collard greens. As a dietitian, I hate to admit that I couldn't even find this leafy green in the grocery store - I had to ask! To save you the effort, I'll include a picture to help with identification. Not only is this recipe healthy and delicious, it's easy and budget-friendly! This recipe also happens to provide 30% of your daily fiber intake, is a good source of iron and can easily be gluten-free.

Nutrition Breakdown // Collard greens :: This leafy green veggie is a great source of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, folate, calcium, and fiber. Collard greens contain many other vitamins and minerals and also alpha-linolenic acid, a type of omega-3 fatty acid.

Black-Eyed Pea Stew

Servings: 4 // Time: 35 minutes

 

Ingredients:

4 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth (gluten-free if need be)

8oz collard greens, chopped (about 8 cups)

1 can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
2 cups red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 (15.5oz) can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained (to wash off the salt - or buy frozen like I did)

Ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Bring broth and water to a boil in a large saucepan over high-heat. Add collard greens, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add tomatoes and potatoes and return to a simmer. Cover and cook until potatoes are tender, 10-12 minutes. Stir in peas and simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with pepper to taste.

Nutrition Information (per serving): 180 calories, 1g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 37g carbohydrates; 8g fiber, 5g sugar, 10g protein, 150mg sodium**, 0mg cholesterol

**This was the sodium content with the particular ingredients that I used. The nutrition information provided with the actual recipe had a higher amount of sodium actually - just shows you can always modify any recipe to be healthier!