Southern-style turnip greens with pot liquor
Southern-style turnip greens with pot liquor is a traditional soul food dish featuring slow-simmered turnip greens, often cooked with smoked meat like ham hocks or bacon. The 'pot liquor' is the flavorful, nutrient-rich broth left after cooking, which is typically sopped up with cornbread. This dish is a staple of Southern United States cuisine, particularly in states like Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi.
🍽️ Nutrition at a glance
This dish is low in carbohydrates and fat (depending on the meat used), but provides a good source of plant-based protein. It is exceptionally high in vitamins A, C, and K, as well as minerals like calcium and iron, with a typical serving containing roughly 100-150 calories.
Nutrition breakdown
| Calories | 120 kcal |
| Protein | 8 g |
| Carbs | 6 g |
| Fat | 7 g |
| Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 1 g |
| Sodium | 480 mg |
| Vitamin A | 300% DV |
| Vitamin C | 45% DV |
| Vitamin K | 600% DV |
| Calcium | 25% DV |
| Iron | 15% DV |
| Potassium | 450 mg |
| Magnesium | 40 mg |
| Manganese | 0.8 mg |
Per 1 cup (180 g) cooked greens with some pot liquor · estimated, varies by recipe
💡 What's interesting
Culturally, the practice of drinking or sopping up the 'pot liquor' is deeply ingrained in Southern foodways, believed to contain the soul of the dish and its nutrients. Nutritionally, cooking greens in this manner helps make fat-soluble vitamins more bioavailable.
