Collard Greens with Red Onions and Bacon

Not only are collard greens delicious, but they are good for you.  Collard greens have been proven to lower your cholesterol level and help prevent cancer. Just a cup of collard greens gives you tons of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, and folate.  Be careful when cooking collard greens because you DON'T want to OVERCOOK them. They do need a longer cooking time than swiss chard or kale but you may want to check them occasionally to make sure that they don't overcook.  This recipe is great and not only because there is bacon.  This recipe has a little spiciness to it, but it is still delicious. We ate it with our homemade gnocchi for a meal but I think it would go well with pasta, too.

Collard Greens with Red Onions and Bacon

Collard Greens with Red Onions and Bacon
4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into fourths
(from Christiansen Farm CSA)
1 medium red onion, chopped coarsely
1/2 chicken broth 
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1 bunch collard greens, coarse stems and ribs discarded and leaves and thin stems washed well, drained, and chopped coarsely

1. In a deep heavy kettle, cook bacon over moderate heat until crisp and transfer to paper towels to drain.
2. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon drippings and in remaining drippings in the kettle cook onions, stirring occasionally, until browned slightly and softened.  Transfer onions with slotted spoon to a bowl. 
3. To kettle add broth, vinegar, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and about half of the bacon, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
4. Add about half of collards, tossing until wilted slightly, add remaining collards, tossing until combined.  Simmer collards, covered, 15 minutes. Stir in onions and simmer, covered, 15-30 minutes more, or until collards are very tender.  Serve collards topped with remaining bacon.