This is the archived version of the Milk Street website and is no longer up to date.

Please visit 177milkstreet.com to see the current website with all of the latest recipes!

ADVERTISEMENT

This is the archived version of the Milk Street website and is no longer up to date.

Please visit 177milkstreet.com to see the current website with all of the latest recipes!

East-African Braised Collards with Tomatoes

4 Servings

50 minutes 20 minutes active

Made This Recipe? Write a Review.
Thank you for submitting your review! A member of our team is confirming the review meets our site's Community Guidelines. It will be posted on the site shortly.

This is our version of the East African dish called sukuma wiki. Hearty collards cook with alliums, spices and tomatoes until tender and silky, yielding wholesome yet satisfying braised greens. Add the chopped leaves by the handful to the skillet, stirring in more as the mound wilts down. This is a great accompaniment to roasted or grilled meats, chicken or seafood. Or serve it as a light vegetarian main with a starch alongside for soaking up the flavorful, brothy liquid. Rice works nicely, but cornbread would be delicious, too.

4

Servings

Tip

Don’t worry about thoroughly drying the greens after washing. A little water clinging to the leaves creates steam which helps the greens wilt down as they’re piled into the skillet.

50 minutes

20 minutes active

Ingredients

  • 3

    tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil

  • 1

    medium yellow onion, finely chopped

Directions

Reviews
Tam W.
March 27, 2026
great way to use up all the greens in the garden
Was looking for a new recipe to use up collards from my garden and this fit the bill. The spices bring a nice complexity to the tomato sauce. Based on the big amount of collards I had, I doubled everything but stayed with one Serrano. The heat level turned out great, just a nice background kick. I paired with the suggested cornbread (southern, no sugar!) and it was a great vehicle for sopping up the bright, flavor-filled liquid. Will freeze a couple of servings to enjoy another day.
Jon S.
December 23, 2022
Weeknight Gem
Easy enough version for a weeknight and just a stick-to-your-ribs classic.

ADVERTISEMENT