Greens are abundant this season! Here’s one of my favorite recipes for greens, specifically collards.
I once stopped at the Atlanta Airport after a week of travelling and not eating enough vegetables. One of the restaurants in the airport was serving traditional southern food - I got a plate of rice, beans, and collards that was definitely the delicious medicine I needed. This soup is a tribute to that nourishing experience, and a love note to the nutrition trifecta of beans, rice, and greens. I hope you like it!

2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bunch collards, thinly sliced and chopped into bite sized pieces
2 cups chicken stock (feel free to add more fore a soupier soup)
1 quart tomatoes, chopped (preferable homemade and homegrown)
1 can small white beans
1 tablespoon Red Hot, Tabasco, or other vinegary hot sauce, or to taste

Serve over white rice.

Heat olive oil in large soup pot.
Sautee carrots, onions, and garlic until tender. Season with salt and pepper.
Add remaining ingredients and simmer until collards are tender.
Season with salt and pepper as needed.
Serve over white rice with a bottle of hot sauce handy.

Options:
- Cook bacon in the pan first, then reserve bacon to garnish soup and cook veggies in some of the bacon fat.
- Add smoked ham hocks to the pot in step 3.