Garlic Spring Greens

We are always looking for ways to get more greens in to our diet and this simple Garlic Spring Greens recipe is one of our favourites. Shredded greens sautéed in butter and garlic and topped with pine nuts. Just 4 ingredients and less than 10 minutes and you have yourself an iron rich side dish.

A plate of cooked spring greens next to a blue towel and a small dish of pine nuts.

Who says green vegetables have to be boring? Not us! These leafy greens are brought to life with a little butter and a lot of garlic for a side dish that goes with almost anything.

They are so easy to prepare and hardly any effort to cook. The perfect side dish to balance out a heavier main.

Looking for some other recipes to add some more greens to your life? Why not try our easy Sautéed Cabbage, creamy Chicken Spinach Pasta, cheesy Broccoli Pasta Bake or our simple Garlic Green Beans?

Jump to:

Why You Will Love It
Ingredients and Substitutions
Variations
Step by Step
Serving Suggestions
Extra Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
More Vegetable Side Dish Recipes
Recipe
Feedback

Why You Will Love It

A delicious way to eat more greens - We could all do with some more green vegetables in our life, right? When we feel like we have been eating a bit too much comfort food, we make up a big portion of this to give us a boost. Green vegetables don't have to be boring, you just have to know how to cook them and how to season them. Garlic is always a good addition.
Just 4 ingredients - These spring greens couldn't be more simple. Just 4 ingredients (3 of which you probably already have in your kitchen and one of them is optional anyway).
A 10 minute side dish - When you have spend ages cooking the main dish, you don't want a long and complicated side dish to go with it. This takes just 10 minutes for perfectly cooked spring greens.
Different flavour options - We kept it simple with garlic. Lots of garlic. But, there are other flavours you could add too and we have given you some options below.

Ingredients and Substitutions

All the ingredients needed for this recipe with text overlay labels.

A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Spring greens - You can find these in the supermarket near the cabbage and spinach. They are usually in a bunch, or shredded in a bag. We like to shred it ourself at home, to remove the large stalks. To make the most of the nutrients in spring greens, try to refrigerate them and eat as close to purchase as possible.
Butter - This is what the greens are sautéed in. You could cook them in olive oil if you prefer.
Garlic - This is where all the flavours comes from in the greens. There are 4 garlic cloves in this, so the garlic taste is fairly heavy, but we like it like that. You could always reduce the amount of garlic if you aren't a huge fan. Make this side dish even easier by using garlic paste or frozen garlic.
Pine nuts - These aren't essential, as they are just sprinkled on top before serving. But we found they finished off the dish perfectly and added a nice crunch.

Variations

We have kept this spring greens recipe simple with just some garlic for flavour, but there are lots of other options. You could serve it with some shavings of parmesan cheese (although the dish would no longer be vegetarian).

You could also add some protein, and make it more of a main meal, by adding some chickpeas or butterbeans. Make this a little more indulgent by frying some bacon in oil before adding the greens to the pan.

Like a kick of heat on your side dish? Instead of topping the greens with pine nuts, add a sprinkling of red chilli flakes.

Step by Step

A pat of butter melting in a black frying pan.

One: Heat the butter in a large frying pan or wok.

Shredded spring greens added to the pan.

Two: Add the spring greens and cook on a low heat for 3-4 minutes, until starting to soften.

Three: Add the crushed garlic and stir. Cook on low for 2 minutes longer.

Serving Suggestions

I think you would struggle to find a main dish that these greens didn't go with. They are so simple, that they won't overpower a meal. Here are some of our favourite main dishes to serve this with:

Cooked spring greens topped with pine nuts.

Extra Tips

Add some extra texture to this side dish by frying some diced shallots before adding the greens to the pan.
Add some extra texture to this side dish by frying some diced shallots before adding the greens to the pan.
To make the most of the nutrients in spring greens, try to refrigerate them and eat as close to purchase as possible.
Make sure to wash the greens thoroughly before chopping.

A plate of cooked spring greens in front of a blue towel.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you cut spring greens?

Once the leaves have been washed well, put the bunch of greens on a chopping board and carefully holding the base, use a sharp knife and slice across. We like to slice them thin, so they are shredded. Kind of like how you would shred an iceberg lettuce.

How to store garlic spring greens.

We think this is best eaten freshly cooked, so we try to only make as much as we need. However, if you do have leftovers then they can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge until the next day. You can reheat them in a little butter in a pan.

Is this garlic spring greens recipe vegan?

If you swap the butter for oil, or a plant based alternative that heats well, then this is a delicious vegan side dish.

Can you make it in advance?

You could slice up the greens and crush the garlic earlier on in the day, but try to cook it only when you are ready to eat it.

What if spring greens aren't in season?

If you can't find spring greens in your supermarket, then you can use any cabbage and shred it.

More Vegetable Side Dish Recipes

If you've tried this spring greens recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

Recipe