This is a traditional Greek dish known as Horta Vrasta, which translates to boiled greens. This dish is simple, healthy, and quite delicious. In Greece, it’s usually made with wild greens, but any kind of leafy greens will work just fine.
Ingredients
- 1 kg of mixed greens (like dandelion, nipplewort, red campion leaves, garlic mustard etc.)
- Salt, to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
- 2-3 lemons, juiced
Instructions
- First, thoroughly wash the greens in plenty of water to remove any dirt. It might be necessary to rinse them a few times.
- Trim the ends of the greens and discard any yellowed or damaged leaves.
- In a large pot, bring water to a boil. The water should be enough to cover the greens. Add a generous pinch of salt.
- Add the greens to the boiling water. They may look like a lot at first, but they will quickly wilt and reduce in volume.
- Let the greens simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked greens to a colander. Let them drain and cool for a few minutes.
- When they are cool enough to handle, squeeze the greens gently to remove any excess water.
- Transfer the drained greens to a serving platter.
- Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with some salt, if needed. Squeeze the juice of one or two lemons over the greens, depending on how much tang you prefer.
- Serve the Horta Vrasta warm or at room temperature.
Typically serves 4-6 people as a side dish. If you’re serving it as a main course for a lighter meal, it might serve fewer people, perhaps 2-3.
It’s often accompanied by a slice of feta cheese and some fresh, crusty bread.