Start by pulling and tearing greens away from stems. Take a hand full of greens, roll them up and cut the rolls horizontally into small pieces. We personally remove the stems but this is a personal decision.
Next, add greens to empty clean sink and wash them removing all grit, sand and debris thoroughly with cold water until water becomes clear.
Cook bacon, using preferred method. (If cooking in the oven, save 1 TBS of grease before it solidifies.) When bacon is cool enough to touch, crumble.
To a large stock/soup pot, add bacon grease, crumbled bacon and greens. Over medium-high heat, cook for a few minutes until greens begin to wilt.
Cover with 4 cups of chicken broth. You need just enough liquid to barely cover the greens. If you need more liquid, use water. Add along the rest of the ingredients to the pot and cook on low while covered for at least 2 hours or until completely tender. Most water should have evaporated by this point just having enough to barely cover the greens (which will have also reduced).