Move over Southern collard greens, there’s a new game in town and it’s cleaner, fresher, and more vibrant than you.
These refreshing collard green wraps are a nice change of pace, and the perfect low-carb way to get more greens. They’re light, easy and deliciously different with curry powder and simple things like torn eggs, homemade mayo, and chewy raisins. What really makes the flavor (and your eyes) go pop is the coriander-cilantro duo, which gives life to the whole shebang.
Mayo Made with Good Oil. Easier Than You Might Think!
If you have a hand, a whisk, and a bowl, you can whip up a quality mayo in 30 seconds flat that’s free from preservatives, additives, and inflammatory oil. This creamy mayonnaise is an emulsion of olive oil, egg yolk, and acid (loving lime here).
Of course, you can use store-bought mayo, but after spending several minutes scoffing my way through 20 labels with ingredient lists a mile long, I decided to overcome my mayonnaise woes once and for all. In true frayed apron spirit, I got to work and discovered in no time that this simple mayonnaise is no work at all.
How to Prep Collard Green Leaves for Low-Carb Wraps
When making collard green wraps, I recommend steaming the leaves in salt water for 2 reasons: color retention and flavor. Unlike raw collard greens, steamed leaves are pliable and won’t tear when rolling. To prep the leaf, you need to flatten the stem using the butt of your knife. You can see how to fold the wraps into little burritos in the short video below:
Ready to rock and roll? Here are a few easy rolling tips:
- the larger the leaf, the easier to roll
- overlap small leaves to make one big leaf
- create a double layer with torn leaves
- find the sweet spot with the amount of filling
Serve Chicken Egg Salad as lettuce cups or wrapped snugly in a collard green wrap.
Of course, the collard green wraps are one-of-a-kind and check off all the dietary boxes (paleo – aip, dairy free, gluten free, and whole30), but this curry filling is too good to stop there!
It makes a great sandwich (obviously). If you cut the chicken small enough, it even converts to a party dip for crackers. And…if you are short on time, you can easily spoon the curry filling over butter leaf lettuce for convenient taco style cups.
Recipe Additions You Could Try
As always, I encourage your creativity in the kitchen and love the thought of you trying new ingredients or spices. Here’s a little inspo from my kitchen:
- sneak in some fresh carrot for some sweet color
- swirl in some roasted cashews for crunchiness
- add a dash of smoked paprika, cayenne, or mustard powder
To Marinade or To Layer Ingredients?
In frayed apron fashion, I tested and tinkered with the cooking method. Originally, I seared the whole breast, rested, then cut it and returned it to the pan along with the spices. To save you time and increase flavor, I re-tested the recipe, this time dicing raw chicken, marinading and cooking with the spices.
Surprisingly, the flavor fell flat the second time leading me to conclude that the caramelization was lost in the marinading process. Unless you are meal prepping, this recipe will reward your cooking the chicken in layers (this version reflected in recipe):
- dry chicken + salt + pepper + olive oil for maximum browning (aka fond, the holy grail of flavor)
- layer in spices to coat cooked chicken, adding another dimension
- pour chicken and drippings into the egg salad
Super Technical Note: In case you were wondering, I don’t think the chicken has to be cooked then cut to achieve caramelization – just dry to achieve the ultimate sear. So, all things considered, I guess I saved you a step in the end (mission accomplished).
How Long for Soft Boiled Eggs
Cover the egg with water and simmer gently over medium (to medium-high) heat for 8 minutes. Run under cold water and cool completely for easy pealing. You can cook them a few minutes longer if you prefer a fully cooked yolk.
More Leafy Recipes You Might Like
Curried Chicken Egg Salad in Collard Green Wraps
Ingredients
For the Wraps
- 2 bunches organic collard greens look for large leaves (cut stem where it meets the leaf)
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 limes, juiced or 1-2 Tablespoons vinegar (champagne, apple cider, white wine)
For the Curry Chicken Egg Salad
- 3 soft-boiled eggs simmer for 8 minutes
- 2 stalks celery cut in half, then lengthwise – slice thinly
- 1/4 cup white onion small dice
- 1/4 cup cilantro finely chopped
- 1/4 cup raisins golden raisins or diced dried apricot work too
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2.38 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts* 3 breasts
- 2 cloves garlic minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
Instructions
Prepare the Collard Green Wraps and Mayonnaise
- Fill a large pot 1/3 the way up with water. Season the water with several pinches of salt. Add the collard greens, cover and simmer over medium heat for 7 minutes. Carefully remove the leaves with tongs and transfer to a large bowl to cool.
- Separate the egg yolk over a large bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly pour the olive oil into the egg in a steady stream. Stir in the lime juice and season to taste with salt.
Make the Curry Filling
- Once the soft-boiled eggs are cool, remove the shells and tear the egg over the mayonnaise bowl. To finish the filling, stir in the celery, onion, cilantro, raisins and salt.
- Pat the chicken breast dry with paper towel and cut into small 1-inch thick chunks. Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and when the oil shimmers, add the chicken. Season with salt and pepper (about 2 pinches each). Allow the surface of the chicken to brown (only stir every couple minutes).
- After 6 minutes, when the chicken is cooked, stir in the garlic, curry powder, and coriander. Cook for 30 seconds until aromatic then pour the chicken and pan juices into the egg salad. Stir to incorporate then taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
Assemble the Wraps
- Spread the collard green leaf out on a cutting board and use the butt of your knife to pound the stem gently until flat. Add a few spoonfuls of filling and fold the leaf over the filling. Tuck in the sides and then proceed to roll tightly like a burrito. Cut in half with a sharp knife and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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I’m sure this recipe tastes so good! I’ll make sure to try this someday! Thanks a lot for sharing!