🍟 Side Dishes

Vegan Imifino Wild Greens

A celebration of vibrant, earthy wild greens, prepared in the traditional Imifino style. Tender leafy vegetables (such as kale, collard greens, or locally sourced foraged greens like amaranth leaves) are expertly sautéed with sweet charred spring onions, fragrant garlic, and a hint of chilli. The greens retain their natural texture and rich, slightly bitter notes, beautifully balanced by the savoury aromatics. This dish showcases simple ingredients transformed into a deeply nourishing and flavourful side. Perfect as a healthy accompaniment to any meal, or a light main. Completely plant-based, honouring the wholesome traditions of South African cooking.

Shared by semy

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Time

30 min

Serves

Difficulty

easy

🛒 Ingredients

#Wild Greens;
500 g mixed leafy greens (e.g., kale, collard greens, spinach, or traditional imifino like amaranth leaves) — tough stems removed, coarsely chopped
2–3 spring onions or baby leeks — trimmed, halved lengthwise, and lightly charred/grilled for extra flavour (optional)
#Aromatics & Seasoning;
2 cloves garlic — thinly sliced
1 fresh green chilli — thinly sliced (adjust heat to taste).. 1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp vegetable oil,, Salt and black pepper — to taste

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1
Prepare the greens: Wash greens thoroughly. If using tough greens like kale or collards, you can blanch them quickly in boiling water for 1–2 minutes, then immediately plunge into ice water to retain colour, before draining and chopping. This helps tenderise them.
2
Sauté aromatics: Heat oil in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat. If using spring onions or baby leeks, lightly grill or char them first for a few minutes until tender and slightly browned, then set aside. Add sliced garlic and chilli to the pan, and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant — be careful not to burn the garlic.
3
Stir-fry the greens: Add the chopped greens to the hot pan in batches, if necessary, to avoid overcrowding. Stir-fry for 5–7 minutes, tossing frequently, until the greens are tender-crisp and bright green. If blanching them first, stir-fry for 3–4 minutes.
4
Finish and season: Remove greens from heat. Stir in lemon juice, salt, and black pepper to taste. Adjust seasoning as desired.
5
Serve: Arrange the sautéed Imifino wild greens on a platter. Top with the charred spring onions or baby leeks if used. Serve immediately as a nutritious side dish.