Do you associate greens like collards, mustard, and kale with cooler weather? For a long time, I did. I leave my collards simmering on the stove for hours, steam cozying up the kitchen and doubling as a heating bill hero. I like to serve them alongside hearty casseroles and cornbread. And for as long as I can remember, I’ve heard brassicas taste best after bitten by a frost.

Just as Cookie Monster remains unconvinced that cookies are a sometimes food, so do I that we should confine greens to the bookends of the year. Let’s have greens in the summertime, too!

Here’s a light, colorful recipe that incorporates familiar summer flavors and gets us out of that hot kitchen fast.

Savory mustard greens with peppers and pintos

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 16oz bag washed and chopped of Mustard Greens* (I used Nature’s Greens)
• 1 large red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, or a combination, chopped
• 2 cups double-strength vegetable broth (this stuff is amazing!)
• 1/2 – 1 cup cooked pinto beans, drained, and rinsed (canned is fine!)
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• juice of half a lemon

Instructions

• Heat a large soup pot on medium/medium-high and add oil
• Add onions and sauté 5-7 minutes, til soft, stirring often
• Add garlic, sauté 30 seconds
• Add peppers, sauté 1 minute
• Pour in broth and bring to a strong simmer (just short of boiling)
• Pour bag of mustard greens on top.
  • Note: Pot will be very full. It’s okay. Just put the lid on and leave at medium heat for 5-6 minutes. The greens will cook down to less than half their original volume.
• Toss pintos on top. Stir thoroughly.
• Let cook, covered, 10 minutes.
• Season with pepper and sugar. Stir thoroughly.
• Let cook two more minutes, simmering.
• Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice. Stir well again. Serve!

Cool story: A serving of mustard greens has 180% of your daily vitamin A, 100% of your vitamin C, and 530% of your vitamin K. 😎

*You could also use collards, but I would recommend chopping them up a bit more finely before adding them to the pot, and simmering longer. Kale would work fine, too.