Egg Salad Collard Green Wraps - Light Vegetarian Lunch Recipe (2024)

These collard green wraps are a fantastic way to serve lightened-up curry egg salad. Packed full of veggies and great for meal prepping.

Ever since the rise of paleo, low carb and keto diets, collard green wraps have become increasingly popular. Even if you don't follow any of these diets, but are trying to up your vegetable game, this is a fantastic way to sneak in some extra nutrient-packed dark leafy greens. (Try my Warm Kale Salad and 15-Minute Wonton Soup for other options.)

Cooked collard greens have been a long-time staple of southern cuisine, typically cooked with ham hocks. But now cooks are become more creative with these healthy cruciferous veggies, sautéing them with sesame oil in an Asian-inspired side dish (use them instead of cabbage in this easy stir-fry) and swapping in the large leaves for tortillas in more traditional wrap sandwiches.

But what's the best way to make collard green wraps and why, from a health standpoint, do we want to be eating them? We’ll chat about that more in a minute.

For the egg salad filling, I lightened things up by swapping Greek yogurt for the traditional mayonnaise binder and packing it with celery and green onions. Plus, the flavor is bumped up with curry powder, a favorite egg salad addition ever since I was a kid!

What you need for this collard green wraps recipe:

These are the main components of this recipe (affiliate links included):

• Collard greens: Can be found in the produce section of most well-stocked grocery stores. Look for large, unwilted leaves.
• Eggs: Hard-boiled eggs can be made on the stovetop, but my favorite method of cooking them is in the Instant Pot. The shells peel off in one piece almost every single time! To hard-boil eggs in the Instant Pot, place the eggs on the trivet and add 1 cup of water. Cook for 5 minutes at HIGH pressure and use natural release for 5 minutes. Immediately plunge the eggs into ice water to stop them from cooking further.
• Yogurt: I like to swap out the traditional dollop of mayo with nonfat plain Greek yogurt.
• Curry powder: Always a great way to season egg salad!
• Vegetables for the egg salad: Add diced celery and thinly sliced green onion.
• Vegetables for the wraps: Use grated carrot, shredded red cabbage and strips of red bell pepper.

How do you make collard green wraps?

• To make collard leaves pliable enough to wrap around the filling, first trim the stem of each leaf. To do this, flip the leaf over and use a sharp knife to carefully trim away the thickest part of the stem, working from top to bottom. (See photo above.)
• There are a few different ways to prepare collard leaves to be used as wraps:
• The first option is to use the raw leaves. Perfectly crunchy, but still easily rollable.
• If you prefer for the leaves to be slightly more tender, soak them in hot water for about 1 minute. Dry thoroughly before adding the fillings.
• Alternatively, bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Working with one leaf at a time, hold the leaf with tongs and carefully dip it into the boiling water for 30 seconds. Pat dry on paper towels.
• Line up the filling down the center of the leaf (lengthwise), leaving about an inch at each end.
• Tuck in the ends, then roll each leaf tightly around the filling. Cut the collard wraps in half, then serve.

What are the benefits of collard greens?

• Like most dark leafy greens, collard greens are rich in fiber and antioxidants.
• They are packed with both Vitamin K and calcium. Conveniently, Vitamin K increases calcium absorption. They are also rich in iron, and Vitamins A and C.
• Some studies, such as this one in the JSRM Cardiovascular Disease journal, show that collard greens have cholesterol-lowering potential.

Other filling options for collard green wraps:

Almost any of your favorite sandwich fillings can be used. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Turkey, cheese, broccoli sprouts, cucumber and tomato with Dijon mustard.
• Hummus, roasted peppers, artichoke hearts or hearts of palm, feta cheese (leave out for vegan) and sliced Kalamata olives.
• Roasted vegetables, such as sweet potato, red onion and carrots, with an easy peanut sauce.
• For a vegan collard green wrap recipe, try baked tofu with hummus dressing, tahini sauce or peanut sauce, plus vegetables such as sauteed mushrooms, zucchini and/or onions.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can these be made ahead of time?

These wraps can be made a day ahead, which makes them a great option for your work lunchbox. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container (like this one – afilliate). Store in the refrigerator.

I can’t fit in all of the filling. What went wrong?

Be sure to use large collard green leaves so they easily wrap around the filling. Choose leaves that are fresh (not wilted), without any brown edges.

Other recipes with dark, leafy greens:

Printable Recipe

This post was first published on April 3, 2018 and updated on May 4, 2021.

Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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