Heap these Southern home-style greens over grits for a satisfying supper. Don't forget to add a splash of hot sauce and a squeeze of lemon.
By Nancy Macklin, RDN ,
Ingredients
- 1 32-oz. carton low-sodium vegetable broth
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ cups dry instant grits
- 1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
- 2 14.5-oz. cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 15-oz. can no-salt-added red or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
- 1 16-oz. package frozen cut leaf kale
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Hot sauce (optional)
- Lemon wedges (optional)
Instructions
- In a large saucepan bring vegetable broth and 1 clove garlic to boiling. Stir in grits; reduce heat. Cover and cook about 5 minutes or until grits are thickened and creamy, stirring occasionally. (Mixture will splatter. Use a long-handle spoon to avoid burns.) If needed, add up to ½ cup water to thin to desired consistency.
- Meanwhile, in an extra-large skillet cook the remaining 3 cloves garlic, the onion, and bell pepper over medium 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding water, 1 to 2 Tbsp. at a time, as needed to prevent sticking. Add tomatoes, beans, paprika, and crushed red pepper (if using); bring to boiling. Gradually add kale, cooking until all kale has wilted. Stir in vinegar. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Spoon greens over grits. If desired, serve with hot sauce and lemon wedges.
Nutritional Information:
Per serving (¼ of recipe), 419 calories, 86 g carbohydrates, 15 g protein, 3 g total fat, 412 mg sodium, 16 g fiber, 12 g sugar
Note: Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only.
How can I cut the salt I m on a sodium restriction
Hi Gail. To reduce the salt in this recipe, do not add salt “to taste,” and use a vegetable broth with no sodium at all – you might have to make your own — or leave it out. And make sure that no salt is added to your canned beans and tomatoes. A great way to get no-salt pinto beans is to cook them from scratch. The folks at The Spicery have some no-salt spices you could try if you feel the flavor is lacking. Though, as I’m sure you know, once your taste buds get the hang of a low-salt diet, they don’t notice a lack of salt so much. https://www.localspicery.com/product/dynamic-duo/
Grits are similar to cornmeal. It differs in that grits are made from dried and ground corn that is usually a coarser grind. Grits are often made from hominy, which is corn treated with lime—or another alkaline product—to remove the hull
For the international reader, what exactly are ‘grits’?
Thanks,
Andy (Scotland)
Andy,
I am from Alabama, just so you know. Grits are coarse ground corn meal that when cook has a creamy texture. The Italians call it Polenta.
cornmeal. Similar to polenta.
It’s like polenta
Can Nutritional Information be included?
Hi Len, did you notice that there are no serving sizes listed in FOK recipes? They tell you how much it will make but they don’t tell you how much you should or should not eat; therefore, no nutritional information is ever given. There are many apps available that will allow you to customize your serving size to obtain the NI.
Hi Len,
We are currently working on adding nutritional information to all our recipes and anticipate for this feature to be live on the website by the end of the year. Please stay tuned for updates!
Thank you,
Courtney
Editor, Forks Over Knives
Made this with fresh Lacinato kale and fresh cherry tomatoes. In the instructions you don’t mention when to add vinegar.
Add the vinegar in step 2 after the greens are wilted.
Fantastic! So simple, but so tasty. My go to recipe for greens.
Excellent and simple!
This was delicious! Served 5 adults well.