Wash hands with soap and water.
Scrub the onion and garlic with a clean vegetable brush underrunning water. Chop half the onion to use in the next step. Mince the garlic.
Thoroughly rinse the greens underrunning tap water and dry in a salad spinner or with clean paper towels. Remove the stems, and tear the leaves into small pieces. You should have 6 to 7 cups of prepared greens when you’re finished.
Heat a soup pot over medium heat and add the oil if you are using it. Add the onion and sauté for about 5minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté a minute or two more.
Add the greens about 2 cups at a time as they cook down. Once they have all been added and wilted, stir in the coconut milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and cook for 3 to4 minutes more, until it’s piping hot and steaming.
If you’d like to thicken the sauce, spoon out a tablespoon of liquid from the greens with a clean spoon and in a small cup, mix in the starch of your choice. Add the mixture back to the greens and cook until thickened.