Boiled Vlita - Amaranth Greens Salad

Boiled or cooked greens are a staple of the Greek cuisine. Sometimes we use store-bought greens like amaranth greens or vlita as we call them in Greek, and other times we use wild greens that people collect from foraging. Amaranth greens (vlita) are one of the most popular Greek salads as they are easy to find in Greek farmer markets and you can also grow them yourself if you have a big planter and amaranth seeds.

Outside of Greece, you might find it more difficult to find amaranth greens in stores. I always have luck when I visit international shops and local Indian or Chinese stores as they also use amaranth greens in their cuisine. Another name that you might find them as is callaloo greens or jamaican greens.

In this recipe, I’m sharing with you the way my mom makes Greek boiled vlita. She likes to use some vegetables along with the greens to add more flavor and goodness to the dish. If you are looking for more green salad recipes, then you should have a look at my chards & potatoes salad recipe or my lemony sauteed kale recipe. So let’s get started!

Why you should try my recipe

• Quick and easy, ready in less than 30 minutes.
• Perfect for a light lunch or dinner.
• Just a handful of simple ingredients that you have in your kitchen.
• Full of nutrients and antioxidants.
• Great as a side dish with fish or meat.

Ingredients & How-to

The ingredients we are going to need to prepare the Greek amaranth greens salad are amaranth greens, potatoes, zucchini, lemon, olive oil and salt. There are two varieties of vlita (amaranth greens), one with bright green leaves and one with green and purple leaves, like the ones I’m using here. You could use either for making boiled vlita.

For full quantities check the recipe card down below.

01. I start with preparing the greens. If the amaranth greens that you bought are more mature, they usually come with hard stems at one end. I like to remove the hard stems as they are still chewy after boiling. Then I cut the remaining bit into 2-3 pieces, about 4 inches (10cm) each roughly.

02. As I cut the amaranth green leaves, I put them all in a big bowl and leave the hard stems on the side to discard them later on. When I finish with all the cutting, I fill the bowl with water to the top and put a couple of tablespoons of vinegar. That’s optional, but it helps with cleaning the greens from any little bugs.

03. I leave the amaranth greens in the water for 10 minutes to cleanse and then drain and set them aside. If there is a lot of dirt in the water, then you might need to repeat washing with water a couple more times until it is clear.

04. Moving to the stove, I fill a pot with water and bring it to a boil. I add the cut zucchini and potatoes and leave them to cook for about 10 minutes. It takes a bit longer for the vegetables to cook so I just want to give them some extra time before adding the greens to the pot.

05. Then, I add the amaranth greens to the pot and leave them to cook for 20 more minutes or until the stems are tender. We don’t want to overboil them as the leaves will melt and all the nutrients will be gone in the water. When all are cooked, you could simply drain them and add them to a bowl ready for seasoning or put them in a bowl with cold water to preserve the green color for a couple of minutes before draining them.

06. Now for the seasoning, I drizzle the amaranth greens and veggies with olive oil generously and the juice of one or two lemons. I add a little bit of salt and mix everything well. Ready to serve!

Tips

• Don’t overboil the greens as they will melt and lose all nutrients.
• You could leave out the vegetables but they add more flavor and taste to the salad.
• Some other vegetables you could add are green beans, half an onion, and a tomato.

Serving suggestions

We serve these boiled vlita greens as a side dish with our main or as a salad. You could add some protein like baked meatballs (biftekia), grilled fish or baked salmon in foil for a full meal.

Storage

You could store any remaining of the vlita salad in the fridge for up to 4 days. You don’t need to warm it up before serving as it can be enjoyed cold or at room temperature, I actually prefer it cold on the next day.

FAQ

• Can I use frozen amaranth greens for the salad? No, frozen amaranth greens will not work for the greens salad, only fresh ones. Frozen greens work best in stews and pie fillings.