Southern Potlikker Soup

Potlikker is the delicious, highly concentrated, vitamin-filled soup that develops as sturdy, leafy greens simmer in well-seasoned cooking liquid. Or, as one connoisseur put it, “Potlikker is the residue that remains from the commingling, heating, and evaporation - anyway, it is in the bottom of the pot.” (source: ourstate.com)

This Potlikker Soup is nutritious and delicious, as this one time Yankee gal was soon to discover. I was very fortunate to be able to use some local heirloom collards from the Bradford family, which are naturally sweet and tender, so much so I have used them raw in my Bradford Collard Slaw and Bradford Collard Salad w/ Peanut Vinaigrette.

You can use any collard greens you can find. It's best if you find them at a local farm or farmers market, since those will be the freshest, but grocery store collards will work.

Be sure to serve this Southern Potlikker Soup with some nice cornbread to sop up all the liquid. It's so darn delicious you won't want to miss a single drop!

RECIPE
Ingredients
4 cups fresh collard greens
4 slices bacon, cut into 1" pieces
1 cup cooked cubed ham pieces
1 medium onion, diced
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 tbsp minced garlic from a jar)
2 cups chicken bone broth
6 cups water
salt and pepper to taste

Method
Cut bacon into pieces and cook in a large sauce pan until crisp; remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Drain all but 1 tbls. of bacon grease and add onions and carrots. Saute until vegetables become tender, about 5 minutes, scraping up all the brown bits from the bacon. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

Pour in chicken bone broth and cook until it has reduced some, approx. 30 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Trim stems and roll collard greens into a cigar shape and slice into thin ribbons. Add collard greens, cubed ham pieces, and 6 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook until greens are tender, about 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Serve hot topped with reserved crumbled bacon and a side of cornbread.

Yield: 4 servings

Enjoy,
Mary

© Cooking with Mary and Friends. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Cooking with Mary and Friends with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Cheesy Bacon Jalapeno Cornbread

Updated December 2019

Cornbread is just one of those things you can add almost anything to and it comes out delicious. All by itself, with cheese, corn, jalapeno pepper slices, bacon, you name it. I love it plain, with butter, but also love to "spice it up" from time to time. 

This Cheesy Bacon Jalapeno Cornbread is awesome served with a nice bowl of chili or those New Year's peas.

RECIPE
Ingredients
1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup cornmeal (I use yellow cornmeal)
1/4 cup oil
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced
3 strips of bacon, cooked and diced

Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Pour batter into cast iron pan, or square 9 x 9-inch baking dish, sprayed with baking spray.

Bake in preheated oven 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Brush top with melted butter. Cut and serve immediately with more butter.

Enjoy,
Mary

© Cooking with Mary and Friends. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Cooking with Mary and Friends with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.