Southern Turnip Greens Recipe (2024)

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🥬 Southern Girl Needs Her Greens

When BeeBop and I were newly married and exiled to New Hampshire by the U.S. Navy, we really missed our familiar southern foods, especially fresh produce. Luckily for us, we found a little place called Tuttle’s Red Barn. It was a farm near Portsmouth owned and operated by the same family for generations. And they had a produce store open to the public.

Well, one fall afternoon, we went out to Tuttle’s to get some farm-fresh produce, and I noticed their very large display of turnip roots. However, no greens! Being the naive young southern girl that I was then, I went up to one of the workers and asked where the turnip greens were. She directed me to the lovely display of roots.

I very sweetly explained to her that what I was looking for was the greens, “you know, the part that grows above the ground out of the tops of the roots.” Well, that girl looked at me like I had three heads, and each of them had sprouted horns. She said, “The tops!?!? We feed those to the pigs!” Whereupon I very sweetly informed her that in the South, we cook and eat the greens, and if she had never had any, then she didn’t know what she was missing.

Needless to say, I went home without any turnip greens that day, but it did cross my mind to sneak around back of the store and see if the pigs had any to share.

🪣 Washing Fresh Greens is a Pain in the Behind

Now you have to really want turnip greens badly to go to the trouble of washing them. It’s a painstaking, time-consuming process. Greens fresh from the garden always have a lot of grit clinging to the leaves, and you certainly don’t want that in your pot! I have heard tell of folks cleaning their greens in the washing machine. In a pillowcase. Really.

Fortunately for all of us, they now come washed and ready to cook in lovely cellophane bags in the produce section of the grocery store! Oh, happy day when those pre-washed greens became available!

I used to do the traditional recipe where you cook some sort of smoked meat in water for a while to make a seasoned broth, then add the turnips plus a load of bacon grease and cook for hours. However, these days, I do try to lighten things up. Sometimes. So, here’s how I cook turnip greens in a slightly lighter way.

❤️ Why We Love This Recipe

• It’s an easy, straightforward recipe that doesn’t skimp on the rich, smoky flavors Southerners love.
• It’s lighter on the bacon grease without sacrificing taste.
• Perfect with cornbread or as a side to most traditional Southern entrees.

🛒 Ingredient Notes

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• Turnip greens — The star of the recipe. They’re rich in nutrients and full of earthy flavors. Most Southern grocery stores have fresh turnip greens available throughout the fall and winter months, either in large bunches or pre-washed, cut, and packaged in cellophane bags.
• Bacon fat — It adds a hint of smokiness and depth. Just a tablespoon does the trick! Did you know that you can purchase bacon fat off the shelf now? I always have it in my refrigerator, but if you don’t keep it on hand, that may be a good option for you.
• Chicken bouillon – Enhances the savory flavors in the cooking liquid.

🥄 How to Cook Turnip Greens

1. In a large pot, combine the fresh greens, bacon fat, chicken bouillon, salt, and water.

2. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
3. Cover and cook for 45 minutes or until the greens are tender. Check the water level during cooking and add more if needed.

👉 PRO TIP: Some cooks add a pod of red pepper to the pot. If that’s your thing, go right ahead! Also, most people eat their greens with a vinegary pepper sauce or red chili pepper flakes. There’s no wrong way to eat turnip greens!

4. Taste and add additional salt if needed.

👉 Pro Tip: Lightening up the Seasoning

The traditional way of seasoning a pot of greens is by using either smoked meat (ham hock or turkey leg) or fresh pork. I prefer a smoky taste, but my mother prefers fresh pork in greens. To cook turnip greens using the traditional method, you would put a large pot of water on to boil with your choice of seasoning meat and let that cook for an hour or so until you have a lovely broth. Then, add the greens and proceed from there.

In this recipe, I use a minimal amount of fat in the form of bacon grease. See that one little bity tablespoon of bacon fat up there? That little bit is not going to hurt anybody, but it will add a wonderful smoky taste to the greens.

The chicken bouillon gives it an additional depth of flavor. The combination of the two substitutes for the big piece of meat we traditionally use in this recipe.I use this same combination of bacon fat and bouillon with lots of vegetables.

🍽️ How to Serve Southern Turnip Greens

What’s the point in having turnip greens if you don’t have some cornbread to go along with them? After all, you’ve got all that wonderful pot likker (for those of you not from the South, pot likker (liquor) is the juice in the pot with the turnip greens). Any cornbread you like is fine, but there’s not much better than old-fashioned Hot Water Cornbread.

And for many people, turnip greens are simply not complete without a splash of hot sauce. Specifically the vinegary pepper sauce. Either Texas Pete or Louisiana brand are fantastic choices!

🤔 How Do You Counteract the Bitterness in Turnip Greens?

Honestly, I’ve never noticed a pronounced bitter flavor in turnip greens, but I know others have. The best way to ensure your greens are not bitter is to pick (or purchase) them after the first frost of the year. Frost on greens eliminates bitterness. If you grow your own, that’s easy. If you’re buying them from the grocery store, you’d have to ask where they came from and when they were picked. Otherwise, simply add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to the greens for the final 20 minutes of cooking time.

🍚 How to Store

Cool the greens completely and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They’ll keep well for up to 3 days.

Cooked turnip greens may also be frozen in an airtight container for up to three months. Allow them to thaw overnight and the refrigerator and reheat over low heat or in the microwave.

❓ Questions About Southern Turnip Greens

📖 Recipe

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• Southern Fried Quail
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