10 Ways To Eat More Dandelion Greens (Especially If You’re Tired Of Kale)

Over here at MBG, we are really into eating with the seasons. Despite being a sustainable choice, it keeps cooking exciting (you have to somehow figure out how to eat that fall rutabaga and those spring nettles), and vegetables just taste better when they’re at their peak.

Kale is great, but it’s a cold-weather crop we’ve been eating all winter. Enter the dandelion green.

Part of the bitter green family with a slew of health benefits, dandelion is touted in natural medicine. Though it’s not as mainstream as kale or collards, we find it to be just as versatile. Below, we lend 10 unique ways to start eating dandelion greens this season.

FYI, the recipes here purposefully casual, giving you the gist of how to use dandelion greens for each preparation listed. And for any of the recipes where the greens are cooked, you can soak them in salted water for 10 minutes before cooking to remove some of the bitterness if desired.

Get yourself some dandelion greens and give them a good rough chop. Cook your quinoa pasta. Heat some olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the garlic cloves and anchovy, breaking up the filets with the back of a wooden spoon, and cook until soft and fragrant (about a minute). When the pasta is ready, add it to the sauté pan with the greens over medium heat. Toss to coat and slightly wilt the greens. Season with salt, parmesan, parsley, etc., as desired.

Grab a can of cannellini beans, half a bunch of dandelion greens, handful of parsley and basil, a lemon, a heaping tablespoon of tahini, couple garlic cloves, a pinch of cumin, and some olive oil. Place the beans, greens, lemon juice, garlic, tahini paste and cumin in a food processor. Start pulsing and slowly drizzle in olive oil until smooth but still a bit chunky. Season with salt and pepper to your liking.

You’ll need some dandelion greens, frozen or fresh mixed berries, coconut water, chia seeds and some yogurt. Blend until smooth.

Grab a bunch of dandelion greens, lemon and olive oil. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add greens. Boil for 6-10 minutes until cooked. Drain well. Plate and dress with salt, lemon and olive oil as desired.

You’ll need some broth, some greens, mushrooms and or tofu to your liking. Heat your bone broth or stock on the stove. Once the broth is at a low simmer, add the greens, mushrooms and tofu. Simmer for a few minutes until mushrooms are soft and greens are wilted. We love to whisk in a tablespoon of white miso in the vegetable broth for a richer flavor.

Get a bunch of dandelion greens, a couple pinches of dried red pepper and slice a couple cloves of garlic. Heat some olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat, add the garlic cloves and red pepper and cook until soft and fragrant (about a minute). Add the greens and toss to mix with the oil, garlic and pepper. Sauté until wilted, about 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

You’ll need a bunch of raw dandelion greens, roughly chopped, some red onion, very thinly sliced, a pear thinly sliced and some crushed walnuts. For the dressing, you’ll need the juices of an orange and a lemon, some olive oil and salt and pepper, which you’ll whisk together and sweeten with some raw honey if desired. Throw the salad ingredients together and dress. (If you have some goat or blue cheese and are into this kind of thing, go ahead and add it — the creaminess and the flavors will work well here).

Get yourself some cubes of roasted butternut squash, cooked quinoa, a ripe avocado, some dandelion greens and coconut oil. Add a small amount of coconut oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add greens. Cook for about a minute until just barely wilted. Place the squash, quinoa and sliced avocado on top of the wilted greens. Top with your dressing of choice.

Grab some brown rice, dandelion greens, cooked chickpeas, (untoasted) sesame oil or coconut oil and tamari. Cook the brown rice according to package instructions. Whether you’re using a rice cooker or boiling stovetop, add the dandelion greens to the rice about 5 minutes before the rice is done. Plate and add chickpeas, oil and tamari to your liking (if you have some scallions, chop these up and add them in also).

Get some dandelion greens, coconut oil and sea salt. Heat to oven to 350ºF. Place the greens on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer and drizzle with a small amount of coconut oil and sea salt. Bake for about 8-10 minutes until crispy.