Lebanese Collard Stalk Dip
Hadia Zebib Khanafer grew up in Beirut, Lebanon, in a family where food was the source of togetherness. She lived in Congo, central sub-Saharan Africa, for over thirty years.
Collard greens are a staple in Middle Eastern cooking, especially in Lebanon, where they’re often used interchangeably with grape leaves. Collard greens stuffed with a mix of rice, meat, and warm spices and cooked slowly to achieve a tender texture are known locally as silik mahshi in Arabic. Fortunately, there’s also a tasty vegan version that’s just as good!
Don’t toss those tough stalks that are a challenge to roll! In a display of culinary resourcefulness, they can be transformed into a flavorful dip known as mutabal silik, which translates to collard dip. Mutabal silik is a beloved Lebanese dip that will win over even the most ardent collard skeptics.
This dip fits right into the tradition of using lemon, garlic, and tahini as a base for many Middle Eastern dips, including hummus, baba ghanoush, beetroot dip, and white bean dip. Specifically, collard dip contains six ingredients: cooked collard stems, lemon juice, tahini, salt, garlic, and olive oil. It’s simple to prepare and is great as a light meal or a side dish. Serve with warm pita or as part of an appetizer spread of small plates.
Ingredients
- 450 grams (1 pound) collard stalks, roughly chopped
- 2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) sugar
- 1 large garlic clove, crushed
- 71 ml (1/3 cup) tahini
- 59 ml (1/4 cup) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 5 ml (1 teaspoon) salt, or to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
Storage:
The dip can be covered and refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Hadia Zebib Khanafer
Hadia Zebib is a cook, baker and author. Growing up, she never cared for cooking, though she loved watching her mom and granny cook. Having a family altered her perspective and reshuffled her priorities. As cooking became a necessary daily routine, she started collecting recipes and inventing dishes. She became utterly obsessed with cooking and in time the kitchen became a place of happiness and her meditation room. She acquired a reputation for being a good cook after entertaining dinner guests, and her husband encouraged her, telling her that she should write a cookbook. She started her food blog, Hadia’s Lebanese Cuisine. Over time, millions of people have visited her site in search of Lebanese and Middle Eastern recipes.
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