Caramelized Red Onion And Fennel Vegan Braised Greens

Layers of flavor add depth and nuance to deceptively simple vegan greens. Most recipes for greens start with some sort of smoked meat but you'll never miss it with the slightly smoky and spicy kick of Aleppo pepper complimented by my favorite ingredient, Hot Vinegar. You can substitute with a good sherry wine vinegar but the Hot Vinegar really makes this dish sing.

This easy and versatile recipe works with any kind of greens and can be a side dish or combined with heirloom beans  or grains as a vegan main dish, or throw it on toast and top with an egg. Whenever I serve these greens I get requests for the recipe so here it is!

Ingredients:

1-2 Bunches of Greens (Kale, Chard, Collard, etc) 

1 Red Onion Cut Into 1/4" Slices

2 Cloves of Garlic Minced

1 Teaspoon Fennel Seeds

1/2 Teaspoon Aleppo Chili 

Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Red Wine

2 Teaspoons Hot Vinegar (or a good sherry vinegar) * this is VERY important.

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1. Cut the thick stems out of the greens and roughly chop them in big 2-4" strips. Wash them vigorously. If you are using chard, reserve the stems and chop them into 1/4" pieces. If you are mixing types of greens, keep them separate because they will cook at different speeds.

2. Sauté the red onion in olive oil over medium heat until it is soft. (about 3 minutes). Add the chard stems (if using), garlic, fennel seed, Aleppo pepper and a dash of salt. Cover and cook for another 3-5 minutes until the onions are very soft and starting to caramelize. 

3. Add the greens.  If you are mixing types of greens first put in the thickest greens that will require longer cooking time. Pour a splash of red wine on top of the greens and immediately cover with a tight fitting lid. Collards are generally the longest cook time, followed by Kale. Chard and Spinach take almost no time to cook and they should go in last. Allow to steam for a couple of minutes.

4. Lift the lid and stir the greens into the onion mixture using tongs. Cover again and allow to cook until they are soft but still bright green and not soggy. (3-8 minutes). Add a the vinegar, stir with the tongs again to incorporate, taste and season with salt and pepper.