How to Buy, Prep, and Cook 6 Leafy Greens, From Kale to Spinach

To the unknowing eye, the farmers market in chillier months may be uninspiring — tomatoes and stone fruit are a long way off, and all you see at vendors’ tables are bunches of hearty greens, a monochrome landscape of dark green. But take a closer look: Leafy greens like kale and spinach are the humble heroes of late fall, winter, and early spring.

These unwieldy-looking bunches may seem intimidating, but they offer a wide span of flavors and textures to work into your weeknight dinners. Leafy greens are culinary chameleons that can adapt to several cooking techniques and add instant depth to any meal. They’re sturdy enough for braising, but also can be added to a quick sauté or enjoyed raw in salads.

From brassicas like pleasantly bitter, earthy collards and pungent mustard greens to amaranths like slightly sweet, mineral-rich spinach, here’s how to select, store, prep, and savor these mighty greens.

Kale

This queen of the salad greens has deep, earthy flavor when served raw — as in this Kale Caesar with Fried Chickpeas — but mellows and sweetens slightly when cooked. Both leaf and stem are edible, although the stems are best chopped into small pieces so they can cook at the same rate as the leaves. Choose kale leaves with nicely saturated tones: they’ll range from very dark blue-green lacinato kale to vibrant green curly kale. As with all greens, avoid or remove any wilted or yellow leaves. The stems should look fresh with no withering parts. These are the most common types of kale, which can all be used interchangeably.

• Lacinato kale (also called Dinosaur or Tuscan) has crinkled, firm, dark blue-green leaves that are are long and narrow in shape. It is ideal for soups or stews like Caldo Verde (Portuguese Potato and Kale Soup with Sausage).
• Curly kale leaves has fluffy-edged leaves that are brighter green; have smooth, veined surfaces; and are large enough to stuff and roll cigar-style into Stuffed Kale with Bulgur Tabbouleh.
• Russian kale is easily identifiable by its magenta stems and green-blue leaves with ruffled edges.

Turnip greens

Turnip greens have broad, flat, dark green leaves with pale green fibrous stems. They taste similar to turnip bulbs, and are mildly peppery and earthy. Their flavor also depends on the variety: Hakurei turnip leaves are sweet, while purple top turnip greens are spicier. Their intense flavor and prickly leaves make turnip greens a challenge to eat raw, but their bitterness softens as they cook. Harvested young, the stems are tender enough for quick-cooking methods. Look out for bruised or torn leaves when selecting.

Mustard greens

Mustard greens are among the most assertive of greens. They’re quite spicy when served uncooked and perfect as the topping in this Grilled Skirt Steak with Mustard Greens Chimichurri. They can also be sautéed or stewed for dishes like our Pasta with Greens and Beans. The longer you cook mustard greens, the more mellow they become. Preparing them with starches, acids, or rich ingredients like cheese also helps to soften their bite. If you don’t have time for braising, try blanching the greens before sautéing, or submerging them in boiling water before plunging them into an ice bath: Their pungent compounds cook out in water.

Mustard greens’ leaves can range in color from bright green to reddish and purple hues with ruffled or frilly edges. Choose crisp leaves with vibrant color. Avoid any bunches or bags of mustard greens that are yellowed or wilted, or are brown in spots.  

Swiss chard

Swiss chard has a crunchy texture, mild bitterness, and an earthy flavor similar to beets. Its stems are distinctively tangy and tender enough to chop and toss into stir-fries and salads, and its leaves are robust enough to stand up to braises. They soften just as well when cut into ribbons and tossed into pasta. The colorful stems, which come in hues from ruby to orange to white, are what really set Swiss chard apart at the farmers market. Swiss chard leaves should have a crisp and perky feel with vibrant green leaves that will range from lighter to deeper tones depending on the variety.

Collard greens

These brassicas are the perfect middle-of-the-road leafy green that can be used in everything from soups to salads to pasta. They’re not too bitter and have mild mineral notes, making them well-suited to our Collard-Green Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette. They are hearty enough to braise for our Proper Pot of Greens, and are also a good choice for quick-cooking dishes like Sautéed Collards and Cabbage with Gremolata. Remove the tough ribs first, and cut the leaves into smaller pieces. Choose leaves that are green and firm, and avoid any that have spots of brown or yellow.

Spinach

Spinach’s mild-tasting leaves shine in a variety of applications and deepen in flavor as they cook. Flat-leaf spinach — which includes baby spinach — has smooth, sweet, and tender leaves; it’s perfect for salads, but it can’t take heat well. For cooked dishes like Catalan-Style Spinach or Coconut Curry Creamed Spinach, reach for mature spinach in the form of curly spinach, also known as savoy spinach. Its sturdy leaves and thick stems are perfect for blanching, simmering in soups or stews, stir-frying, and steaming. Choose crisp green leaves with no yellowing or wilting.