This Buttered Spring Greens is simply flavoured with butter and garlic. It’s an easy side dish that pairs perfectly with any meal.
If you’re looking for a cheap veggie side dish that’s perfect for spring, you’ll love this garlic butter spring greens recipe. It’s made with just a few simple ingredients—spring greens, garlic cloves, and butter—and the recipe is ready in 20 minutes or less. For making a Christmas side dish, try buttered savoy cabbage recipe.
Now, when I say spring greens, I’m talking about the specific variety of cabbage—not a mix of seasonal greens vegetables or salad leaves. I know it can get confusing because I’ve used the term both ways myself when searching for a recipe on google!
Jump to:
- What is Spring Greens?
- Why This Recipe is So Good
- Ingredients
- Substitutions
- How to Wash Spring Greens
- How to Cut and Prep Spring Greens
- How to Make Easy Buttered Spring Greens?Step by Step
- How to Serve Buttered Spring Greens
- Sandhya's Top Tips
- Storage and Leftovers
- Recipe FAQ's
- More Easy Cabbage Recipes
- Buttered Spring Greens Recipe
What is Spring Greens?
Spring greens, also known as spring cabbage, are a type of leafy cabbage grown in the UK. They are the first cabbages of the year available in early spring - kind of like kale’s cousin. They don’t form a tight head like other cabbages (white cabbage or savoy cabbage). The leaves are loose, dark green, and tender. Their flavour is mild and slightly earthy, making them great for quick cooking. They’re also the closest UK match to collard greens, which are popular in the southern United States.
Why This Recipe is So Good
- You have half a head of British spring cabbage in the fridge and need a quick vegetable dish that cooks in 10 minutes
- Only 5 ingredients, including water and salt
- Enjoy as a side dish. I use the leftovers sometimes to make baked bubble and squeak cakes , Indian aloo tikki or add it to air fryer roasted carrot soup.
- Dietary needs: Vegetarian (and easily made vegan by using dairy free butter)
Ingredients
(Detailed measurements and ingredients can be found in the recipe card below.)
- Spring Greens: I use British spring cabbage, that is easily available in farmers market or super stores like Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons or Waitrose near you. They are sometimes labelled as Greens or Spring Greens.
- Unsalted butter: I add salt for cooking to cabbage, so prefer to use unsalted butter.
- Sea salt, table salt or kosher salt: use what you have at hand.
- Garlic cloves: Adds fantastic flavours to this English classic side dish. Not a fan of it, leave it out.
- Boiling Water: From the kettle. Add just enough to cook the cabbage, after which we drain.
Substitutions
Spring Greens: Use green cabbage or red cabbage as an alternative. In the winter, savoy cabbage is a great substitute.
How to Wash Spring Greens
First, remove any damaged or wilted outer leaves. Since spring greens have open, loose leaves (unlike tightly packed cabbages), give them a good rinse under cold running water to remove any dirt or grit. If the leaves are especially muddy, soak them in a bowl of water for a few minutes and then rinse.
How to Cut and Prep Spring Greens
Step 1. Trim off the thick stalk at the bottom and discard any really tough or damaged leaves
Step 2. Stack a few leaves together, roll them up, and slice into strips about 1–1.5 inches wide. You can also chop them into smaller pieces if you prefer.
How to Make Easy Buttered Spring Greens?Step by Step
Step 3. Bring a kettle of water to the boil. Add the chopped greens, salt, and boiling water to a large saucepan.
Step 4. Cook for 3–4 minutes with the lid on, just until they’re bright green and tender. Drain well.
Step 5. In a separate pan, melt butter and sauté minced garlic for 1–2 minutes on medium-low heat until fragrant.
PS:You don't want the garlic to burn.
Step 6. Pour the garlic butter over the drained spring greens and toss to coat. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if you like.
Optionally, add a little extra butter on top just before serving - its delicious!
How to Serve Buttered Spring Greens
I love serving with potato dishes like crispy potato rosti cakes, garlic mashed potatoes, or roast potatoes.
They are also delicious to serve with air fryer cauliflower mac and cheese and air fryer bubbles and squeaks. Together they balances the flavours perfectly. You can also use any leftover buttered spring cabbage is used to make air fryer courgette soup or bubbles and squeaks too.
Sandhya's Top Tips
- Don’t overcook the greens – They cook quickly, so just boil them until they’re crisp-tender. They’ll continue to steam a little even after draining, so keep that in mind to avoid soggy greens.
- Remove the thick stalks (or use them!) – I’ve included steps to remove and discard the tough stalks, but they’re totally edible. If you’d like to use them, slice them thin and either boil them 10 minutes before the leaves or sauté them in butter for a different bite.
- Drain well after boiling – Let the cooked greens sit for a couple of minutes to steam dry. You want the butter to coat the leaves—not get diluted into a watery sauce. A little moisture is fine; it helps the butter cling better.
- Watch the garlic! – Garlic burns fast, so keep the heat low to medium when sautéing. You want it soft and fragrant, not brown and bitter.
- Use garlic herb butter if you have it – No need to make fresh garlic butter every time. Just melt the flavoured butter over the drained greens—it saves time and washing up too!
- Serve straight away – Buttered spring greens are best freshly made. I don’t recommend making them in advance for the next day. If you're prepping for a holiday meal, cut the greens ahead of time, but cook them 15 minutes before serving.
- Serving tip – Around 900g of spring greens will serve 4-6 people as a side dish. Adjust quantities as needed based on how many you're feeding.
Storage and Leftovers
- In the fridge: Store any leftover spring greens in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days.
- Reheating: You can reheat them in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through, or pop them in the microwave for 1–2 minutes. They can be a little softer when reheated, so I usually repurpose leftovers into something new—like air fryer bubble and squeak cakes, or add them to the blender while making roasted courgette soup.
- Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing them—spring greens have a high water content, so they tend to go mushy after defrosting.
Recipe FAQ's
The best way to cook spring greens is to blanch them in boiling water for a few minutes until they’re just crisp tender, then drain and toss them with garlic butter.
I don’t recommend freezing since cabbage has a high water content and can lose its texture.
Boil spring greens for 4 to 5 minutes, depending on how tender you like it. I do it for 4 minutes for a crisper texture. Drain well and serve immediately with garlic and butter.
More Easy Cabbage Recipes
Ingredients
- 900 g spring greens 2 lb
- 40 g butter 3 tbsp
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Water as needed
Instructions
- Start by removing any damaged or wilted outer leaves from the spring greens. Wash thoroughly in cold water to remove any dirt or grit. If the leaves are especially muddy, soak them in a bowl of water for a few minutes and then rinse.900 g spring greens
- Using a large knife, slice off the stalk and discard any dark green leaves.
- Make a V-shaped cut to remove the thick stalk from the cabbage. Pile the leaves together and slice into strips about 1–1.5 inches wide.You can also chop them into smaller pieces if you prefer.
- Place the sliced cabbage in a large pot, add salt, and pour boiling water from the kettle over it. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes, until the cabbage is tender. Drain the water and return the cabbage to the pot.Water as needed, 1 teaspoon salt
- In a small pan, heat the butter over medium-low heat and add the minced garlic. Cook until fragrant, but be careful not to burn the garlic.40 g butter, 4 cloves garlic
- Pour the garlic butter over the drained spring cabbage, toss well, and serve immediately. If desired, add an extra dollop of butter for extra richness.
Notes
Tips for Making Perfect Buttered Spring Greens
- Don’t overcook the greens – They cook quickly, so just boil them until they’re crisp-tender. They’ll continue to steam a little even after draining, so keep that in mind to avoid soggy greens.
- Cut the leaves evenly – I like to stack a few leaves, roll them up, and slice into thick ribbons. This helps them cook evenly and gives a nice texture.
- Remove the thick stalks (or use them!) – I’ve included steps to remove and discard the tough stalks, but they’re totally edible. If you’d like to use them, slice them thin and either boil them 10 minutes before the leaves or sauté them in butter for a different bite.
- Drain well after boiling – Let the cooked greens sit for a couple of minutes to steam dry. You want the butter to coat the leaves—not get diluted into a watery sauce. A little moisture is fine; it helps the butter cling better.
- Watch the garlic! – Garlic burns fast, so keep the heat low to medium when sautéing. You want it soft and fragrant, not brown and bitter.
- Use garlic herb butter if you have it – No need to make fresh garlic butter every time. Just melt the flavoured butter over the drained greens—it saves time and washing up too! (My favourite shortcut!)
- Serve straight away – Buttered spring greens are best freshly made. I don’t recommend making them in advance for the next day. If you're prepping for the next day, cut the greens ahead of time, store them in air tight container in the fridge. But cook them 15 minutes before serving.
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