Greek Horta Recipe

4.75 from 4 votes

Greek Horta are mixed leafy greens that get sauteed with onions, garlic, tomato, plenty of extra virgin olive oil, and flavored with dill and lemon.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: Greek

Keyword: greens, gut-healing foods, healthy

Servings:

Calories: 836kcal

Ingredients

500 grams (17.6 ounce) mixed greens (spinach, collard, amaranth, dandelion, common sowthistle)
12 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
40 grams (½ medium-sized) red onion
30 grams (1 small) green onion minced
1 garlic clove chopped
180 grams ( 1 large ) ripe tomato grated on hand-grated skin discarded
2 ½ tablespoons dill minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice fresh
½ lemon zest
OPTIONAL: feta cheese

Instructions

Prepare The Horta:

If using wild greens (amaranth, dandelion, common sowthistle) you will need to blanch them first.
Add plenty of water to a large cooking pot and bring to a boil. Fill a large bowl with cold water and toss in some ice cubes.
After washing the greens thoroughly (see note 1) add them to the hot boiling water. Cook for 3 minutes and then transfer to the bowl with the cold water. Once cooled transfer to a strainer and let them drain. Once drain chop into smaller parts.
The spinach and collard greens don't need to be blanched. Chunky chop them cutting the stems a bit more finely.
Separate the green parts from the white parts of the green onion. Finely chop both but keep them separately.

Cook The Horta:

Heat 8 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a saute pan. Add the red onion and cook over low heat until caramelized.
Add the white parts of the green onion and the garlic. Cook for a minute. Then add the spinach and collard greens in batches. Raise heat to high and saute until greens are wilted.
Stir in the blanched greens as well. Cook for a minute and add the grated tomato and green parts of the green onions. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil turn the heat to low and cover the pan. Cook for about 8 minutes or until the stems of the greens are tender enough. If necessary add a splash of water.
Add the dill, lemon juice, and zest and cook for 1-2 minutes more.
Serve warm with bread for dipping.

Notes

Note 1: Wash and keep cultivated and wild greens separately. To do this soak in plenty of water for a couple of minutes so any unwanted guests get removed. For wild greens repeat this process 1-2 times more depending on how much dirt they have. Drain in a strainer.

Nutrition