Fall Harvest Collard Rolls with Cranberry Tomato Sauce is a healthy recipe filled with butternut squash, pecans, and creamy almond ricotta. A vegan and gluten-free recipe that everyone will love!
Rollin' at ya today with a new recipe.
I am sorry to say that is my best attempt at a pun.
What I lack in humor I make up for in recipes. Because these Fall Harvest Collard Rolls are stuffed with all the best Fall foods (including a dollop of almond ricotta!), smothered in a sweet and savory cranberry tomato sauce, and are baked to perfection. Each bite is creamy, crunchy, tangy, sweet and savory.
I love it. I think you'll love it.
Told you. Recipes, not puns.
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These Fall Harvest Collard Rolls are like cabbage rolls, but instead of cabbage leaves, we are rolling these with collard greens. Collards are easier to roll, their prettier, and, well, in reality, my grocery store was out of cabbage. But use the collard greens! They really are better!
Let's break down the Fall Harvest piece of these collard rolls. What does "Fall Harvest" even mean?
In each and every one of these Fall Harvest Collard Rolls, we have:
- butternut squash - aka the darling of Fall. It is flavorful, it is creamy, it is slightly sweet and all around perfect
- leeks+celery - underrated veg that give this dish mounds of flavor. Soft oniony super savory flavor, flavor
- pecans - crunchy, nutty, do these actually grow in the Fall season? If I'm wrong, I don't want to be right. What would Fall be without pecans. Pecan pie? Caramel tassies? Fall Harvest Collard Rolls? I do not even know.
- Almond ricotta - some creamy goodness to coat each and every bite. Not really Fall per se, but d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s.
Then there's the cranberry tomato sauce. It's tomato sauce. It's cranberries. That sweet-savory flavor combo that everyone loves.
Now, you know what to do: make these for Thanksgiving.
The filling can be prepped. The collards can be rolled. The sauce can be simmered ahead. Then all you have to do on T-day is put these Fall Harvest Collard Rolls in the oven and let her bake. Then set it on the table and wait for the compliments to start rolling in.
Let the good times roll.
PrintFall Harvest Collard Rolls with Cranberry Tomato Sauce
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 70 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Cuisine: gluten-free, grain-free, paleo, vegan
Description
Fall Harvest Collard Rolls with Cranberry Tomato Sauce is a healthy recipe filled with butternut squash, pecans, and creamy almond ricotta. A vegan, paleo, and gluten-free Thanksgiving recipe that everyone will love!
Ingredients
For the ricotta:
- 2 cups slivered almonds (soaked in water overnight)
- 3-4 cup water
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the cranberry tomato sauce:
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil
- ½ onion (chopped)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- ⅓ cup tomato paste
- 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
- ½ cup frozen cranberries
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the rolls:
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil
- 1 leek (chopped into half moons)
- 2 stalks celery
- 12 ounces chopped butternut squash
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 collard greens
Instructions
For the Ricotta:
- Drain and rinse your soaked almonds. Add them to a food processor along with the remaining ingredients. Process until light and fluffy, adding a little more water if needed. Set side
For the tomato sauce:
- In a saucepan, add in the avocado oil and warm over medium heat. Add in the onion and sauté until softened, about 7-10 minutes. Add in the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds. Add in the remaining ingredients and stir to combine cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
For the collard rolls:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Over medium heat, warm the avocado oil in a skillet. Add in the leek, celery, and salt. Sauté until the vegetables have softened, about 7-10 minutes. Add in the butternut squash, and cook until just softened, about 10 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Stir in the pecans and remove from the heat.
- Coat the bottom of a 9x9 skillet with tomato sauce.
- Take one collard green and place it stem side up. Dollop a spoonful of the tomato sauce onto the leaf and spread it lengthwise. Add in a spoonful of the filling and a few dollops of ricotta. Fold the short edges of the collard green in (the top and bottom stem ends) and roll the collard like a burrito. Place it in the pan and repeat with the remaining greens. Top the rolls with the remaining tomato sauce and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the collard rolls have softened and the filling is warmed through. Serve.
Sarah says
Just made this and it's so delicious!! I used cashews instead of almonds and that worked fine too. Is it possible to freeze this dish?
Laurel says
Hi Sarah! I am SO GLAD you liked it! I bet cashews were fantastic! I wouldn't recommend freezing this one. Squash tends to get watery when frozen and would make the dish soggy.