Heat a large metal or cast-iron (my preferred) skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add coconut oil and garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant and very slightly golden brown.
Add collard greens and a pinch each salt and pepper and stir. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally until bright green in color and slightly soft.
Add coconut bacon, vegetable broth (start with lesser end of range- 3 Tbsp or 45 ml as original recipe is written), a bit more salt and pepper, coconut sugar (start with lesser end of range- 1 tsp as original recipe is written), and red pepper flake. Stir, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Continue cooking to desired tenderness. I like mine with a little crunch left, so I leave the vegetable broth at 3-4 Tbsp (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size), but you could continue adding vegetable broth (up to 6 Tbsp // amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) and simmer up to 15 minutes for more tender collards.
Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more coconut sugar for sweetness / flavor balance, salt and pepper for overall flavor, red pepper flake for heat, or more coconut bacon for smokiness and crunch.
Serve immediately with additional coconut bacon and a squeeze of lemon juice (optional). Best when fresh, though leftovers keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or a skillet over medium heat until warmed through.
Notes
*If you can't find collard greens, curly kale will work in this recipe as well. Just reduce cooking time by a few minutes, as it typically requires less time to become tender. *Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with coconut bacon.