Wondering what to do with mustard greens? This guide covers how to pick them, cook them, store them, and swap them, plus 24 recipes to put them to work.

What are mustard greens?

Mustard greens are the peppery leafy green of the cabbage family, the same plant whose seeds give us mustard. Raw, a leaf carries a sharp, sinus-clearing bite like horseradish or arugula turned up loud. Cook it and that heat mellows into a deep, savory green flavor.

They're a backbone of Southern cooking, where they're slow-cooked with smoked pork until silky. They turn up just as often in Chinese and Indian kitchens. The leaves are big and frilly, a brighter green than the tougher collard.

Among the Southern "pot greens," mustard sits between collards and turnip greens. Collards are the mildest and toughest, turnip greens run earthy, while mustard greens bring the most assertive, peppery edge of the three.

How to Use Mustard Greens

The classic treatment is a long braise. Strip the leaves from their stems, then simmer them with a smoked ham hock or salt pork for 45 minutes to an hour until they go meltingly tender, as in Mustard Greens & Ham Hocks.

The pork fat and salt tame the mustard heat, and the savory broth left behind, the "pot likker," is half the reward.

A quicker route is the sauté. Hit chopped leaves with garlic in hot oil for 5 to 8 minutes and they wilt to a fraction of their volume while keeping more bite.

They are equally at home stirred into a pot of beans or lentils near the end, the way Spicy Greens & Red Lentil Soup and Curried Mustard Greens & Garbanzo Beans with Sweet Potatoes use them.

They carry whole regional dishes. Mustard greens go into Cajun gumbo z'herbes, the green gumbo of leftover greens, and into the Punjabi sarson ka saag behind Chana aur Sarson ka Saag Biryani.

Across East Asia the leaves are pickled and soured, the funky note in Pork Rib Soup With Pickled Mustard Greens.

Young, tender leaves skip cooking entirely. Tear them small and toss them raw into a salad for a peppery kick, the role they play in Dandelion Salad with Mustard Greens Vinaigrette.

Pairing and Common Mistakes

Mustard greens want fat, salt, and acid. Smoked pork, ham hocks, garlic, ginger, and a finishing splash of vinegar all balance the pepper. A drizzle of sesame oil leans them toward their Asian uses.

The most common mistake is leaving the stems in. The thick center ribs stay fibrous and stringy long after the leaves are tender, so fold each leaf and strip the stem before cooking.

The other misstep is treating them like spinach in timing. Mustard greens are sturdier and need either a real braise or a proper sauté; a 30-second wilt leaves them harsh and raw-tasting.

A splash of vinegar or lemon at the end rounds off any lingering sharpness.

Substitutes

Match the swap to the heat you want. For the same peppery punch, raw or cooked, arugula or young turnip greens come closest. Broccoli rabe, also called rapini, is another sharp, slightly bitter stand-in that holds up to a braise.

For a milder green that behaves the same way in a long-cooked pot, collard greens or kale are the workhorses. They lack the mustard bite, so add a spoonful of prepared mustard or a few mustard seeds to make up the difference.

In a raw salad, watercress gives you a similar peppery snap with more delicate leaves. Swiss chard works when you want the leafy body without much heat at all.

Buying and Storing

Look for crisp, vivid green leaves with no yellowing or slimy spots, and avoid bunches with woody, oversized stems, which signal an older, more bitter plant. Smaller, younger leaves are milder and better for raw use.

Store them unwashed, wrapped loosely in a paper towel inside a plastic bag in the crisper drawer, where they keep for three to five days. Wash just before cooking, since damp leaves spoil fast.

Mustard greens are gritty. Plunge the leaves into a big bowl of cold water and swish, let the sand sink, then lift them out rather than draining through it.

For longer storage, blanch the leaves for two minutes, shock them in ice water, squeeze dry, then freeze for up to ten months.

Quick facts

Where to find mustard greens: Mustard greens are usually found in the produce section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

In Chinese

芥菜

British (UK) term

Mustard greens

en français

feuilles de moutarde

en español

hojas de mostaza

Recipes using mustard greens

There are 24 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 24 recipes