If you’re looking for a fresh, healthy, easy summer food, learning how to make Collard Wraps is a game-changer. These vibrant wraps are packed with crisp vegetables, creamy spreads, and nutrient-rich greens, making them the perfect plant-based lunch or light dinner for spring and summer.

Unlike traditional wraps made with tortillas, collard wraps use sturdy collard green leaves for a naturally gluten-free and nutrient-dense alternative. They’re easy to digest, customizable, and ideal for clean eating with seasonal ingredients.

Whether you’re new to collard greens or already love plant-based wraps, this recipe will show you exactly how to make delicious collard wraps at home.

What Are Collards?

Collards, also known as collard greens, are large leafy green vegetables that belong to the cruciferous vegetable family alongside kale, cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. They’re known for their broad, sturdy leaves and slightly earthy flavor, making them perfect for wraps, sautés, soups, and healthy side dishes.

Popular in Southern cooking as well as plant-based and wellness recipes, collard greens are incredibly nutrient-dense and packed with:

• Vitamin K
• Vitamin C
• Calcium
• Fiber
• Antioxidants

Unlike delicate lettuce leaves, collards are thick and durable, which makes them an excellent substitute for tortillas or sandwich wraps. Their strong leaves can hold plenty of fresh spring vegetables, spreads, grains, and proteins without falling apart.

Collards can be enjoyed both raw and cooked. For wraps, many people lightly steam the leaves to soften their texture and mellow their naturally earthy flavor.

During spring and summer, collard greens are a wonderful way to enjoy more fresh greens and add extra nutrition to light, seasonal meals.

Why You’ll Love Making Collard Wraps

Moving into summer, you will love these collard wraps for a fresh meal or snack.

They are also easier than they sound, and much easier than making rice paper wraps. Collard wraps are:

• Fresh and flavorful with vegetables and greens
• Vegan and gluten-free
• Easy to customize
• Packed with protein-rich spreads
• No tortilla or rice paper needed
• No measurement needed

The following recipe gives all the details on how to make your collard wraps. The best part is once you have the collard green and the base (hummus or nut cheese), you don’t need to measure or be specific about the ingredients.

Get creative and make them your own! Enjoy, x Dreena

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Collard Wraps

Collard greens are very nutrient dense, much like kale, though they don’t get the same attention! I like to use them for collard wraps, which make an amazing vegan, gluten-free, plant-powered lunch!

Course lunch, Snack

Keyword collards, greens, wraps

Servings 1 -2 people (based on size of leaves and fillings)

Ingredients

• 1-2 organic collard leaves (1-2 per person; can use more if leaves are small
• 1/3 cup thick spread or dip to hold fillings ex: hummuswhat-amole, truffle-salted nut cheese

Fillings of choice:

• raw vegetables: chopped cucumber chopped bell peppers, shredded lettuce, grated carrot, grated beet, sliced tomatoes (try to remove extra juices), minced fresh herbs (ex: basil, parsley, cilantro)
• lightly steamed/broiled vegetables such as asparagus spears, chopped green beans, broccoli florets, sliced zucchini
• roasted or cooked vegetables such as sweet potatoes, winter squash, white potatoes, beets, parsnip, cauliflower, grilled or roasted mushrooms
• Condiments/preserved foods: Things that give a pop of flavor like olives capers, sun-dried tomatoes, kimchi (if you're a fan!), pickles, hot sauce, nutritional yeast, seasonings salts, etc
• Seeds? Nuts? If you want to add some crunch try pumpkin seeds, chopped nuts, or nut-free parm
• cooked grains such as brown rice, jasmine rice, quinoa, millet, buckwheat
• Cooked beans such as lentils, chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, white beans
• cubed or sliced avocado

Instructions

• Choose your collard leaf/leaves. Select ones that are large enough to fill and roll, and also preferably without any tears or holes.
• Trim the stalk. About halfway down the leaf the stalk begins to thicken. Use a paring knife and carefully trim under that thick portion to the base, to remove all that heavy stalk. The leaf will be easier to roll – and chew!
• If you’ve steamed the leaf (see note), lightly dry it! Use a paper towel and dab off extra moisture. Otherwise, the collard will be slippery for rolling and messier to eat.
• Add your fillings! The fun part! Start with a base to "hold" the fillings – hummus, a nut cheese, thick bean dip, slather of tahini – whatever you like.As long as it's fairly thick to help hold some fillings. Then, sprinkle on your remaining fillings, judging on the size of your leaf.
• Wrap and roll! Starting at the edge, begin to roll your wrap. As you go, tuck in the sides and continue to roll. If, after rolling, you’d like more fillings, you can usually open it up and tuck in a few extra goodies.
• Slice in half and serve.

Notes

Fillings Note: Generally, I like to pair a balance of some fresh/salty/pungent/sweet flavors in a wrap. So, with a spread of hummus, I might then add the broiled zukes and chopped cukes and bell peppers (fresh), then some olives (salty/pungent), and roasted sweet spuds or avocado (sweet). You can play up whatever filling you like. Once you get started, you’ll get the idea and not need to measure or even read the recipe! Steaming

Note: Raw or steamed? I like to steam my collard briefly leaves … in my kettle! With steaming, the leaf becomes more pliable to roll, but is more delicate. I prefer the flavor with that very brief steaming. That 10-20 seconds of steam change the texture and flavor!

Kale Note: If you have very large kale leaves, you can use those too. Most kale leaves are not quite as large as collards, but you can certainly do smaller ones and fill a bunch! You can also use lettuce leaves for wraps. They aren’t nearly as sturdy, however, so fill lightly – and don’t steam the leaves.

Sushi Style: Try slicing into sushi-style rolls (this will be easier with firmer collard greens)