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A white oval serving dish with cooked collard greens mixed with black eyed peas and topped with cooked, crumbled bacon.
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Collard greens and beans with bacon

Collard greens and beans with bacon are a favorite Southern recipe, made quick and easy here with a few shortcuts. It’s great for a New Year’s Day meal or an anytime dinner side dish!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 slices bacon
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large bunch collards, stems removed, leaves rolled tightly together and thinly sliced (see notes)
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup cooked field peas, see notes
  • For serving: Hot sauce

Instructions

  • Cook bacon in a large pan over medium heat until cooked through, turning occasionally, about 8-10 minutes. (You can prep your collards and other ingredients while the bacon cooks.)
  • Remove bacon and reserve, leaving bacon grease in the pan.
  • Add onion to the pan and sauté for 4-5 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
  • Add collards and cook until wilted down, about 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Add cooked field peas to the pan and stir until well combined and heated through.
  • Serve the greens and beans hot with reserved crumbled bacon and hot sauce on top, if using.

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Notes

I use field peas in this recipe because it makes this dish even more Southern to me. However, you could substitute black-eyed peas, pinto beans or even cannellini beans if you prefer here.
Field peas can be found fresh in the summertime in the South, but also are available canned or in the freezer section. Be sure they are cooked and ready to use for this recipe.
I use thick-cut bacon but any kind will do. I think 3 slices is enough but if you want extra, you can probably fit 4-5 slices in your pan.
To prep the collard greens, wash them well and shake or pat them dry. Remove the hard inner stem (similar to how you would prep kale) using either a knife or by folding the large collards leaves in half and tearing the stem out with your fingers. Then roll up your strips of collard green leaves into a tight roll and slice thinly.
Check out the video with my recipe for quick Southern collard greens with bacon to watch this in action.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 105kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 318mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g
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