Collard Greens with Andouille Sausage

This recipe is for my sweet dad..

Last week when I was visiting my parents’, he asked me if I had ever made collard greens. I love greens.. but collards weren’t one of the vegetables we grew up with in our Italian home. My research and investigation began at the grocery store with my first purchase of this Southern favorite. 

The texture is hearty and firm with a mild taste. This vegetable could hold up to a protein and spice! I have always wanted to make Andouille sausage, and I totally envisioned the spiciness with the mild flavor of the collards. So my mixing and matching began. Really simple ingredients, but such a beautiful melding of flavors and texture. You can almost do without the extra heat of the red pepper flakes because the sausage is so spicy, but the greens really need the seasoning. Be sure to cook your sausage separately to let them keep their own unique flavor. It was really the collards that I intended to enhance. This dish was a success, and my introduction to Cajun style cooking! Can’t wait to make blackened fish!! :)

Collard Greens with Andouille Sausage

Ingredients
1 Large Bunch Collard Greens
1 Pkg. Spicy Andouille Sausage (4 links)
1 Whole Shallot thinly sliced
2 Cloves Garlic finely minced
½ Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
2 Teaspoons Lemon zest
¼ of a lemon
Olive Oil

Directions

Clean Collard greens, drain and slice. Set a side.

Slice sausage on the diagonal. Set a side.

In a large cooking pan, brown sausage in a few tablespoons of olive oil. 

Remove sausage and set a side. In same pan, add a few more teaspoons of olive oil, sauté shallots and garlic till translucent and golden. Add red pepper flakes. Add sliced collards and stir till cooked. I like my stems to be aldente, but the leaves to be semi-soft. 

You can cook them to your desired tenderness. Add lemon zest and toss to incorporate. Squeeze around a ¼ of the lemon over the greens. Add the Andouille Sausage back to the collard greens and stir to warm them through. 

Serve on a pretty platter and enjoy!