Almost everyone I know who is a bon vivant has tried kale chips. They have been in almost every blog, food magazine and cooking show in the past year. KALE CHIPS. Yes, they are great, but there is something out there from the South that tastes even better, shhh… it’s a secret, and it comes in the form of mustard greens. Mustard greens? Yes, mustard greens.
Growing up in the south, I never heard of kale. I was fed a steady diet of mustard, collard and turnip greens with no kale in site. So, whenever I tried my hand at these newfangled kale chips, I thought, hmmm… I bet mustard greens would be even better, and it turns out they are. Baking the mustard greens creates the same texture that you would get by baking kale, but they are just a tad more delicate in both texture and flavor. The addition of Cajun spices adds more of a Southern kick, which elevates the profile of this green.
P.S. I would have taken a photo of a full plate of mustard green chips, but before I knew it, I ate all but these 2 pieces! That should rest as my testament to how good these are. Try them ASAP, ya’ll.
Recipe: Serves 2-4 (or just me)
1 bunch of mustard greens
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon of Cajun seasonings
Salt to taste*
Note: Keep in mind that the Cajun seasoning has salt in the actual blend of seasonings, so you may want to use a little less salt than you would normally use to salt greens (or, if you are a halophyte, use as much as you want!)
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees
Triple wash and thoroughly dry the mustard greens (I use a salad spinner to make sure my greens are dry, but you can use a kitchen towel or paper towels if you don’t have a salad spinner.) Remove the center rib from the larger greens. The ribs are tough to eat, so you just want to make sure that you are using the leafy part of the greens. Place the greens in a large bowl and add the olive oil and seasonings. Toss the greens with your fingers until all of the greens are covered evenly with the oil and seasonings. Transfer the greens to a cookie sheet and lay in a single layer (you may need to use 2 cookie sheets for all of the greens to fit properly in a single layer.) Let the greens bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until dry and slightly brown. Then, dig in!
8 replies on “A Mess of Mustard Greens”
They smelled really good! And that is a high complement for someone who absolutely hates greens! I would have had the courage to taste them but they were all gone… 🙁 I’m a halophyte!! 🙂
Well I’ll make them for you next time! I’ll put some extra Cajun seasonings on there for you!
I love kale chips so I would love to try these too! Maybe I will try this exact recipe but instead with kale. Pretty soon we’ll be full of kale in the garden!
Great idea! I love the spice from the Cajun seasoning!
I just stumbled over your wonderful blog. Actually, I posted about Island Cottage Company in my blog today and the owner had a mention of you on her business facebook page! What a great site. Being a foodie myself will bring me back again and again. Maybe we’ll see each other at the Southern Coterie!
Of course! Thank you so much. See you soon!
This sounds really good, I am a northern bred gal (But with plenty of kin down south.) I was wondering, what other spices would taste good with Mustard Green chips? I like Cajun seasoning, but it is often to much for my stomach, so that one is pretty much out. Would any combination of sweet and savory work? (Like say using brown sugar and salt.) I might have to just jump right in and experiment! I’m pretty sure I’ve seen Mustard Greens at my local fruit and veg market.
Sarah,
If you can’t do Cajun Seasonings, I would suggest trying a pinch of cayenne pepper with salt and black pepper, or, if that’s still too much, try smoked paprika for great flavor (without that punch of heat!) I haven’t tried doing a sweet version of these chips, but if you do please let me know how they come out!
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Amber