Description
Greek Horta is a traditional, healthy dish featuring a mix of tender greens sautéed with olive oil, aromatic onions, garlic, fresh tomato, dill, and lemon. Perfectly balancing earthy and bright flavors, this recipe offers a delicious way to enjoy nutrient-rich wild and leafy greens, optionally paired with feta cheese for added creaminess.
Ingredients
Scale
Greens
- 500 grams (17.6 ounces) mixed greens (spinach, collard, amaranth, dandelion, common sowthistle)
Aromatics and Flavorings
- 12 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 40 grams (½ medium-sized) red onion
- 30 grams (1 small) green onion (minced, white and green parts separated)
- 1 garlic clove (chopped)
- 180 grams (1 large) ripe tomato (grated, skin discarded)
- 2 ½ tablespoons dill (minced)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ lemon zest
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Optional
- Feta cheese for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the wild greens: If using wild greens like amaranth, dandelion, or common sowthistle, start by thoroughly washing them to remove any grit or dirt. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare a large bowl with cold water and ice cubes.
- Blanch the wild greens: Add the washed wild greens to the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Then immediately transfer them to the ice water bowl to stop cooking and preserve color. Drain well and chop into smaller pieces once cooled.
- Prepare the spinach and collard greens: These greens do not require blanching. Simply chop them into chunky pieces, cutting the stems finer for easier cooking and eating.
- Chop the green onions: Separate the green parts from the white parts of the green onion, finely chopping both but keeping them separate for different stages of cooking.
- Caramelize the red onion: Heat 8 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a sauté pan over low heat. Add the red onion and cook slowly until it caramelizes and becomes sweet and soft.
- Sauté aromatics and greens: Add the white parts of the green onion and chopped garlic to the pan and cook briefly for about a minute to release flavors. Add the spinach and collard greens in batches, raise the heat to high, and sauté until the greens wilt.
- Add blanched greens and tomato: Stir in the previously blanched wild greens and cook for another minute. Then add the grated tomato and the green parts of the green onion. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Cook gently covered: Pour in the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil, reduce heat to low, cover the pan, and let cook for about 8 minutes or until the stems of the greens become tender. If the mixture seems dry, add a splash of water to keep it moist.
- Add herbs and lemon: Stir in the minced dill, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes to blend the flavors.
- Serve warm: Serve the Horta warm, traditionally alongside crusty bread for dipping. Optionally, sprinkle with feta cheese to enrich the dish with creamy saltiness.
Notes
- Thoroughly wash greens to remove any dirt or grit, especially wild greens.
- Blanching wild greens helps reduce bitterness and improves texture.
- Use fresh lemon juice and zest to brighten the overall flavor.
- Adjust salt and pepper according to taste, especially if adding salty feta cheese.
- Serve as a side dish or a light vegetarian main course.
- This dish is best enjoyed fresh but can be reheated gently on the stovetop.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Greek
Keywords: Greek Horta, wild greens, sautéed greens, healthy greens recipe, traditional Greek side dish, lemon dill greens
