The Best Collard Greens Seasoning
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Ready to level up your greens? This collard greens seasoning blend brings a ridiculous amount of umami depth, giving you that slow-cooked, Southern-style flavour instantly without pork or hours on the stove. I use this greens seasoning constantly, and if you love making your own blends, my Pork Chop Seasoning is another staple.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- ✅ Recipe Name: The Best Collard Greens Seasoning
- 🕦 Ready in: 1 minute
- 🤝 Serves: 10
- 🧑🍳 Main ingredients: mushroom bouillon, garlic and onion powder, cayenne pepper, brown sugar
- ✨ Summary: This collard greens seasoning comes together in minutes and makes your greens taste amazing without any pork. It’s honestly a game-changer!
Why you’ll love this recipe
Here’s why you’ll love this collard green seasoning recipe:
- Flavour: This blend gives you that incredible Southern-style depth you usually get from long slow cooking, but instantly. Mushroom bouillon makes the collard green seasoning super flavourful right away, which is perfect if you want that classic depth without smoked meat. But if you’re up for a slow-cooked dish, give my Ragu Bianco a go.
- Time & budget hack: Mix a big batch of this collard greens seasoning in under five minutes, put it in a jar, and grab a spoonful when you need it. Seriously saves time when you’re busy! This Miso Dressing is another favourite trick of mine.
- Ideal for other veggies: Tweak the cayenne for heat, or swap the bouillon base. This blend works for pretty much any vegetable you’re cooking.
If you’re building a full Southern-inspired plate, don’t forget One-Pan Cajun Dirty Rice Recipe (Ready in 30 Minutes!), KFC Popcorn Chicken Recipe, and Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
The key ingredients that make this greens seasoning so special are:
- Mushroom bouillon: This gives the blend an incredible, almost meaty, base that really makes this seasoning for greens stand out while staying completely vegetarian. If you don’t have it, you can easily substitute it with chicken or vegetable bouillon, but the flavour won’t be quite as deep, so try and find the mushroom one! If you love mushrooms, my Simple Pork Stroganoff Recipe is another must.
- Garlic and onion powder: I always use these two as they basically make up the core of a great seasonings for greens mix. Using the powders is just easier – it mixes better, and you completely skip the chopping! You should use them to make this Creamy Leftover Ham Pasta as well.
- Cayenne pepper: Just a touch of cayenne really enhances the other notes in the collard greens seasoning. If you want a zero-heat option, just swap the cayenne for the same amount of paprika.
See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and quantities.
Variations/ Adaptations
- Amp up the heat: You could increase the amount of cayenne pepper in the collard greens seasoning, or swap the cayenne for a hot pepper flake blend if you want something more intense. Either can be used in my Easy Gyoza Dipping Sauce, which you’ll love if you love a bit of heat.
- Make it smoky: Add 1 tsp of smoked paprika to the mix for a smokier flavour that really complements the greens. It gives this collard greens seasoning recipe an almost barbecue-rub vibe. This one-pan Spanish Chicken is perfect with a bit of paprika too.
- Herb swap: The dried thyme is a classic pairing for collard greens, but you can swap it out for dried oregano or marjoram. Use the same quantity to keep the herb balance right.
- Skip the salt: For a low-sodium option, leave out the salt and increase the other spices just slightly to compensate. You can always salt your greens to taste when cooking them.
How to make an Easy Collard Greens Seasoning Blend
Step 1: Combine all of the ingredients so that they are incorporated.
Step 2: Store in clean, dry airtight container at room temp until needed.
If you love bold veggie sides, you’ll also enjoy this Jennifer Aniston Salad (Easy 10-Minute Recipe), Tonkatsu Inspired Pork & Cabbage Salad, and Easy Skillet Roasted Corn.
Tips for the best result
- Store your collard greens seasoning in a clean, dry, airtight container to keep the spices fresh and potent. This keeps the blend fresh for up to 3 months.
- The mushroom bouillon is what gives the collard seasoning its depth, but if you don’t have it, use chicken or vegetable bouillon for a similar, though slightly different, flavour.
- The brown sugar isn’t for a sweet taste, but rather for balance as it helps to round out the savoury, salty, and spicy notes in the greens seasoning ingredients. My Easy Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin also uses a touch of sweetness for balance.
- This recipe is proportioned to perfectly season around 1kg of fresh collard greens, so don’t be shy with it!
How to Use Collard Greens Seasoning (Expert Tips)
Getting the best flavour out of your collard greens seasoning is all about layering the taste. When you’re ready to use the seasoning blend, these techniques will stop your greens from ever tasting bland again:
- Add seasoning in layers: Don’t chuck all the seasoning in at once! Season once early for depth, then give it a final little sprinkle before serving to bring back all the aroma.
- Start with fat and heat: Warm up a splash of oil or butter first, then add the seasoning for about 30 seconds before pouring in your liquid. This helps intensify the overall flavour.
- Adjusting for frozen greens: Remember frozen collards lose water fast and can wash out seasoning. The trick is adding a pinch of the mix halfway through simmering to keep the flavour strong.
- Balance bitterness, heat, and umami: If your greens taste sharp or bitter, a tiny bit of extra heat or an extra minute of simmering helps. These tweaks are great for anyone searching how to make collard greens taste good quickly.
- Use it beyond greens: This blend works in bean soups, sautéed cabbage, Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables, and rice dishes like this One Pot Chicken & Rice. It’s great for cooks looking for a quick seasoning to add flavour to veggies.
Serving Suggestions
Once you’ve made this collard greens seasoning, you’ll be using it in everything! It works great for seasoning collard greens, of course, but also for any hearty green, vegetable, or even in a soup.
Try it with:
Leftover Storage and Reheat Instructions
Refrigerator: No refrigeration is needed, just store the dry collard greens seasoning in a dark pantry or cupboard in an airtight jar.
Freezer: Don’t freeze the seasoning blend. Freezing can introduce moisture, which will cause the spices to cake and lose potency.
Reheat: The seasoning blend is used in cooking so it doesn’t need to be reheated. Once the greens are done, enjoy them hot! This really is the best seasoning for greens.
Recipe FAQs
This homemade collard greens seasoning blend with mushroom bouillon, garlic powder, onion powder, and a touch of brown sugar, is the best seasoning for collard greens in my opinion. What is in greens seasoning often varies, but this mix is a great starting point!!
To fix bland collard greens, stir in a little apple cider vinegar for that much-needed acidity, or add a pinch of smoked salt or a spoonful of bouillon right at the end. Sorted.
The unique flavour comes from the greens themselves (they are part of the cabbage family), but most recipes rely on greens seasoning and cooking liquor to make collard greens taste good.
You can make collard greens seasoning without meat by relying on bouillon, smoked paprika, and plenty of onion and garlic powder to build a savoury base. It’s so good you won’t even miss the pork!
If you’re looking for a perfect main course, consider making Healthy Chicken Lasagna (High Protein), Delicious Chicken Bolognese (Meal-Prep Ready), Simple Baked Ravioli Casserole Recipe.
If you tried this Collard Greens Seasoning Blend, it would mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
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