If you haven’t tried collard greens as a wrap, this is my encouragement to do so!  Collard greens are softer and milder than kale or cabbage, but just as nutritious and make a perfect vessel for all sorts of fillings.  Whatever you would wrap in a tortilla or lavash, you can put in a collard leaf.  This is not really a recipe as much as a technique so you can increase or decrease the quantities accordingly.  I always love a spread, dressing, sauce or something juicy to go IN the wrap or be available for dipping.  See some suggestions below and you do you!

Why You’ll Love These Collard Wraps with Peanut Sauce

• A fun take on a basic wrap
• Very nutritious – these dark leafy collard greens are a great source of fiber and other micronutrients
• Quick and easy
• Super customizable and can be used as a technique for all wraps 

Ingredients

• Collard leaves – you can eat these raw or blanch them depending on your preference. Raw is more crunchy, but blanching can be easier on digestion.
• Nut butter – peanut butter (crunchy is fun), or roasted cashew or almond butter
• Oil – EVOO or a runny tahini
• Rice vinegar – unseasoned
• Sweetener – maple syrup, honey, or agave
• Shoyu – you can use shoyu, tamari, or coconut aminos
• Ginger – ground ginger easily dissolves in the sauce
• Spice – sriracha or something spicy to taste
• Fillings: I like something creamy such as mashed avocado, hummus/bean dip, refried beans, chickpea “tuna,” or baba ganoush. Figure 2-4 Tablespoons per leaf. Then I like crunchy, juicy veggies that are thinly sliced, shredded, or grated such as carrots, cucumber, cabbage, beets. But you can use leftover roasted vegetables from last night. Anything goes. Figure another ½ cup of veggies. You can also add in fermented foods like sauerkraut or kimchi; salsa; or any other condiment you love. Add in additional crunch like hemp seeds or toasted sunflower seeds. Or go in other directions like burrito filling, falafel filling, Greek salad ingredients, Thai noodle salad ingredients, as examples.

How to Make Collard Wraps with Peanut Sauce

1. Position the leaf with the vein facing up. Cut the bottom of the stem where it meets the leaf. Using a sharp knife, shave the vein so that it’s the same thickness as the leaf. Flip the leaf over, the vein should be vertical. You can use it raw like this OR blanch first. If you don’t digest raw veggies well, then blanch it. It is easier to roll when it has been blanched. Bring a shallow saucepan of water to a boil and add one leaf at a time for 30 seconds or until bright green. Allow to dry and cool on a paper towel or kitchen towel. If doing this well in advance, shock in a bowl of ice water.  But dry very well before filling.
2. Place the collard leaf on a cutting board with the vein positioned vertically. Spread the creamy ingredient in the center, leaving at least a 1-inch border all around. Pile on the veggies and everything else.
3. Pull the bottom, where the vein was cut up, to the middle. Pull the sides towards the middle and roll the leaf and filling towards the top part of the leaf. You’re basically making a burrito but with a collard leaf instead of a tortilla. You can slice it crosswise before serving or eat this way.

Tips

• The bigger the leaves, the easier to work with.
• I personally prefer raw collard leaves, but if you don’t digest them easily, blanch them.
• If blanching, shock in an ice bath and make sure the greens are completely dry before making the wraps
• For more flavor, add the sauce in the wrap and use extra sauce on the side to dip
• Look for a good combination of flavors and textures in the wrap (i.e. something crunchy, creamy, sweet, spicy, etc.) and add protein to make it a meal

Substitutions

• Collard greens – bread, tortillas, lavash, hamburger and hot dog buns
• Peanut sauce – see below for suggestions for other dressings, sauces, dips, etc: 
  • Any salad dressing like Ranch, Caesar, balsamic vinaigrette, lemon-tahini
  • Romesco or my Red Pepper Pesto from QTQ or Hummus (I would spread these IN the collard wrap)
  • Any mayo-based dressing like a Sriracha Aioli or Harissa Aioli
  • The Aji Verde Sauce from Kitchen Matters
  • Yogurt-based sauce like Tzatziki
  • Treat it like a burrito with salsa and guacamole
  • Any nut butter-based sauce

Other recipes you may like:

Sunrise Nori Wraps with Spicy Tahini Drizzle 

Healthy and Delicious Summer Rolls

Moo Shu Vegetable Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce

Thanksgiving Leftovers Reuben Wrap

If you give these Collard Wraps with Peanut Sauce a try, snap a pic and tag @pamelasalzman so I can see your beautiful creations. I also really appreciate readers taking the time to leave a rating and review! Subscribe for free to my site for the latest recipes,  updates and things I’m loving lately.  If you enjoy this recipe, check out my online class here!  I teach a new class every month, which you watch on your own time.  Give me an hour a month, and I’ll make you a better, healthier cook!