Skip to Content

Turnip Greens – How to Cook Delicious Southern Greens

If you love southern greens then you’ll love these turnip greens.  

One of the many great things about turnip greens is they cook up faster than collard or mustard greens.

How to Cook Southern Turnip Greens

Health Benefits of Turnip Greens

  • According to the NIH consumption of cruciferous vegetables (turnips and their greens, cabbage, bok choy, radishes, cabbage, mustard greens, collard greens, etc.) reduce the risk of lung, prostate, breast, and colon cancer.
  • Sulforaphane which is a phytochemical found in cruciferous vegetables may stimulate enzymes in the body that detoxify carcinogens.
  • They are a great source of fiber, one cup of boiled turnip greens is about 5 grams of fiber.
  • They provide vitamin C.
  • Stimulates immunity and reduces inflammation.
  • Helps to balance blood sugars.

Equipment Needed to Make Turnip Greens With Bacon

  • Large Pot with Lid
  • Cutting Board
  • Chefs Knife

Ingredients For Making Turnip Greens With Bacon

  • Turnip greens – cleaned and cut into bite sized pieces
  • Uncooked bacon or bacon ends – chopped
  • Onion – diced
  • Garlic – minced
  • Jalapeno pepper (optional) – cut in half and seeded
  • Chicken broth
  • Water
  • Seasoning salt
  • Black pepper
  • White vinegar

How to Cook Southern Turnip Greens With Bacon

Mince up one pound of uncooked bacon or bacon ends.  

Cook bacon in a pot or dutch oven ( I cooked this dish in a Calphalon non-stick 8.5 quart dutch oven), when bacon is almost done add one large diced onion.

How To Cook Greens

While onion and bacon are cooking, mince up some garlic.  Remove the stem from a jalapeno, cut it in half, and seed it.

Southern Greens

Trim the cut ends of the greens.  Rinse greens in water to remove all the sand and dirt.  

Cut greens into large pieces.  I leave the stems, turnip greens are so tender, the stems cook all the way through.

Cooking Fresh Turnip Greens

When bacon and onion are cooked, add in diced garlic and jalapeno halves.  

Cook the garlic for two minutes and then add six cups of chicken broth to the pot along with two to three tablespoons of white vinegar (trust me on this one, the vinegar makes this dish very special).  

Add in one teaspoon of seasoning salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

Cover and simmer on medium heat for 30-45 minutes or until the turnip greens are tender.  

Taste for seasoning.  Remove the jalapeno halves before serving.

How to Cook Southern Turnip Greens
How to Cook Southern Turnip Greens

How to Cook Southern Turnip Greens

Shelly
Southern Turnip Greens.
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 45 mins
Total Time 55 mins
Course Veggies
Cuisine American
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 4 pounds turnip greens – cleaned and cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1 pound uncooked bacon – chopped
  • 1 large onion – diced
  • 1 tablespoon garlic – minced
  • 1 large jalapeno – cut in half and seeded
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2-3 tablespoons white vinegar

Instructions
 

  • Cook chopped bacon in a pot or large dutch oven until more than half way done. Then add the chopped onion, and continue cooking until the onion is done.
  • Add minced garlic and jalapeno halves to the pot and cook two minutes.
  • Stir in chicken broth, water, seasoning salt, black pepper, and white vinegar.
  • Cover and simmer pot on MEDIUM heat for 30-45 minutes or until greens are tender. Stirring frequently.
  • Taste for salt.
  • Remove jalapeno halves before serving.

Disclosure:  This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

More Great Recipes

Click here to cancel reply.
Recipe Rating




Binance US Pagpaparehistro

Friday 12th of May 2023

Thank you for your sharing. I am worried that I lack creative ideas. It is your article that makes me full of hope. Thank you. But, I have a question, can you help me? https://accounts.binance.com/ph/register-person?ref=OMM3XK51

gate io airdrop

Wednesday 22nd of March 2023

Reading your article has greatly helped me, and I agree with you. But I still have some questions. Can you help me? I will pay attention to your answer. thank you.

Christina

Monday 30th of January 2023

I was reading this recipe which sounds delicious but then I realized that nowhere in the recipe does it say want to add the turnip greens in with the rest of the vegetables? Do they go in after the bacon and onion have cooked or right from the beginning? Also, I’m curious as to whether you have to pick all of the green parts of the turnip greens off or can the stems go in as well

The right way to Cook dinner Southern Turnip Greens - NEXT GENERATION BLOGGER

Thursday 22nd of July 2021

[…] LEARN MORE ABOUT How to Cook Southern Turnip Greens […]

Tania Mushtaq

Thursday 3rd of December 2020

Thank you for sharing this recipe it is new thing for me that we can cook turnip green instead of white

I hope you love the products I recommend! When you buy through links on HangryFork.com, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Learn more