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    Home » Leafy Greens

    Dandelion Recipes

    About

    Dandelions are one of the most commonly eaten wild foods, but what most people don't know is that they actually taste good if you prepare them with care. If you're new to cooking with them, read my post The Forager's Guide to Dandelions.

    Tried and True

    Wild Greens with Garlic and Chili (En Padella)|Foraged Greens with Paprika: Tsigarelli | Minnestrella: Italian Stew of Many Greens 

    edible dandelions in a garden

    Edible Parts

    Four parts of the plant are used in co0king: leaves, crowns, flowers and roots.

    Leaves

    Most people know of the leaves, and they can be good harvested young, or cooked low and slow until tender as you would collard greens.

    They have a bitter flavor that intensifies with age. My favorite recipes for dandelion leaves is Dandelions with Caramelized Onions (Hindbeh).

    cooked dandelions and caramelized onions in a bowl surrounded by dandelions.

    Crowns or Hearts

    The crowns or hearts are my favorite part of the plant and must be harvested in the spring.

    cooked dandelion crowns on a bed of orange hummus with spring beauty greens They're a traditional food in a number of places and function as a small vegetable. See more on them in my post on Dandelion Crowns.

    Flowers

    The flowers are edible and can be used to make everything from wine to jelly.

    Dandelion FlowersRoots

    The roots are typically dried and used to make tea, or "dandelion coffee" you can buy them in the spice section of your local coop. Fresh roots should be dug in the spring or fall when the plant is dormant.

    Cooking

    Typically dandelion greens are blanched before cooking to calm their flavor. If you find the flavor strong and haven't liked them before, try mixing them with some other greens a make a blend.

    dandelion and wild greens pie in a crust cut into a square

    Erbazzone (Italian Wild Greens Pie) is a guaranteed hit and uses the greens in a blend.

    • Fave e Cicoria (Fava Bean Purée with Wild Chicory)
    • Preboggion: The Wild Edible Plants of Liguria
    • Erbazzone (Italian Wild Greens Pie)
    • Jamaican Callaloo with Amaranth Greens
    • Foraged Greens with Garlic and Paprika (Tsigarelli)
    • Foraging and Cooking Dandelion Hearts or Crowns
    • Lebanese Dandelions with Caramelized Onions (Hindbeh)
    • Dandelions: Harvesting, Cooking and Recipes
    • Spinaci alla Romana (Roman Greens with Raisins and Pine Nuts)
    • Minestrella: Italian Stew of Many Greens
    • Cicoria in Padella (Greens with Garlic and Chili)
    • Easy Steamed Greens
    • How to Make a Salad from Edible Wild Greens
    • Cauliflower Mushroom Pasta with White Wine Sauce
    • Dandelion Capers with Ramps and Lemon

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    Chef Alan Bergo

    HI, I'm Alan: James Beard Award-winning Chef, Author, Show Host and Forager. I've been writing about cooking wild food here for over a decade. Let me show you why foraging is the most delicious thing you'll ever do.

    More about me →

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