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Olive oil

Warm greens with olive oil and lemon

Boiled leafy greens dressed with extra virgin olive oil, lemon and salt: a simple side dish in which the flavour of the oil comes through clearly.

Serves
4 as a side
Preparation
10 min
Cooking or resting
12 min
Total
22 min
Course
Sides
A bowl of cooked leafy greens glossy with olive oil, with crispbread alongside.
Library photograph of cooked greens dressed with olive oil. It illustrates the dish and does not show this recipe as prepared.

Ingredients

  • 800 g leafy greens — chard, spinach, kale or a mixture
  • 1 tbsp coarse salt, for the cooking water
  • 60 ml European extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 lemon
  • Flaky salt and black pepper

Method

  1. Trim the greens. Cut thick chard or kale stalks away from the leaves and slice them finely, as they need longer to cook. Wash everything in plenty of cold water and lift it out, leaving any grit behind.
  2. Bring a large pan of water to a rapid boil and add the coarse salt.
  3. Add the stalks first and boil for 4 minutes, then add the leaves: spinach needs 1 to 2 minutes, chard 3 to 4 and kale 5 to 6. The greens are ready when the thickest stalks are tender when pierced with a knife.
  4. Drain well in a colander and press gently with the back of a spoon to remove excess water, which would dilute the dressing.
  5. Transfer the hot greens to a warm bowl. Pour over the olive oil and the juice of half the lemon, and toss gently.
  6. Taste and season with more lemon juice, flaky salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature, with the remaining lemon cut into wedges.

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