One of the most common questions I get from people new to foraging is how to cook dandelion greens. I have a longer post on foraging, identification, and all the edible parts of the plant, as well as a few recipes but. Even so, dandelion greens are still confusing to some people, so I wanted to put together a basic, in depth tutorial on how I cook the greens that gives a dependable result anyone can make.
Wild Vs. Cultivated Dandelions
There's a big difference between wild dandelion greens and those you might find at a coop. Cultivated greens are grown in ideal conditions and the greens are able to grow to a large size before flowering. Flowering plants become tough, and the flavor becomes much stronger.
Wild dandelions are usually thinner, with a higher proportion of stem, and should be harvested before the flowers appear, and plants growing in shade will be much milder than plants growing in full sun.
Simple Braised Dandelion Greens (Step-by-Step)
While you can eat the greens raw in something like a dandelion salad, most people will enjoy them much better if they're slowly cooked until tender like you would with collard greens or other leafy cooking greens. To do that, you'll want to braise them.
Start by cutting the greens into 1 inch pieces. This makes it so the greens can fit on a spoon. Next, blanch the greens in salted water and cook for a minute. This helps ensure that the greens will be evenly tender. The salt in the water also seasons them so they taste better.
After the greens are blanched they should be squeezed dry. Next, I like to cook a little garlic and or onion in some fat (bacon fat is great) until tender. .
Then the greens are added along with some chicken stock (you can add water in a pinch).Cook the greens until they're tender and taste good to you, double check the seasoning for salt, adjust as needed and serve.
They make a good side dish for rich meals and are great garnished with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon.
Related Posts
- French Dandelion Salad with Bacon
- Horta Wild Greek Greens with Olive oil and Lemon
- Hindbeh: Dandelion Greens with Caramelized Onions
How to Cook Dandelion Greens
Equipment
- 1 2 gallon stock pot for blanching the greens
- 1 2 quart sauce pot about 8-10 inches wide
Ingredients
- 1 lb wild or cultivated dandelion greens
- Kosher salt to taste
- 1 gallon Water for blanching
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil or bacon grease
- 1 small yellow sweet onion, diced ¼ inch (3oz) optional
- 1 large clove of garlic optional
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 1 fresh lemon
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil for finishing
Instructions
- Arrange the dandelions and line them up, then cut into 1 inch pieces.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the dandelion greens for 1 minute. Roughly 2 tablespoons of salt for a gallon of water.
- Remove the greens from the pot, refresh in cold water and squeeze dry.
- Heat the cooking oil in the saucepot, add the garlic and onion and cook until translucent.
- Add the cooked dandelion greens and chicken stock, cover the pot and simmer until tender, about 15-20 minutes.
- If the pan seems wet you can continue cooking the greens until it's nearly dry, but they're good when they're a little juicy.
- Add the crushed red pepper flakes if using, double check the seasoning for salt and adjust as needed (it may not need any). Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with olive oil and serve with fresh lemon wedges.
SHiny
Hello, Very much enjoying yoru recipes for wild greens. I have a question about freezing: do these sauteed dandelion (or other wild greens like Bear Garlic) freeze well? is there a particular technique to use and how long do they keep in the freezer. thank you!
Alan Bergo
Hi Shiny. Blanch the greens by putting them in boiling salted water until just wilted, refresh in cold water, wring dry and form into a ball, then freeze in bags. I vacuum seal mine.
Shiny
thank you!