The following section includes a listing of some of the weeds that can be added to a variety of recipes for making unique culinary creations. Try growing one or more of these wild, wonderful weeds alongside the herbs and vegetables in an existing garden. Local nursery centers, the garden centers of home improvement stores, and mail order garden catalogs sell many varieties of edible weeks including dandelion and chicory.
Tips and Tricks for Using Edible Weeds
Make sure to use the young, tender leaves of any weeds that will be added to salads and other culinary creations. Older leaves tend to turn bitter, tough, and stringy.
Top Ten Edible Weeds
Burdock (Arctium lappa) - cultivated as a vegetable in Japan where it is known as gobo. The stalks are scraped and cooked like celery. The roots can be eaten raw in salads or added to stir fries.
Chickweed (Stellaria media) - chickweed can be added raw to salads or cooked as a vegetable.
Chicory (Cichorium intybus) - chicory was grown as a vegetable in Roman times. The sky blue flowers are also edible and make a terrific addition to salads.
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) - the flowers can be made into wine or jelly. The roots are sometimes used as a coffee substitute. The young leaves make a nice addition to salads.
Epazote (Chenopodium ambrosioides) - a tropical American weed commonly used in Mexican cooking to flavor corn, beans, mushrooms, seafood, fish, soups, and sauces.
Kudzu (Pueraria lobata) - AKA Japanese arrowroot. It is a prolific weed in south Florida. A starch can be made from its roots. This starch can be used to thicken sauces and gravies as you would use cornstarch. The leaves can be battered and fried.
Lamb’s quarter (Chenopodium album) - the young leaves can be added to salads.
Plantain (Plantago spp.) - the young leaves are edible if the fibrous midribs and veins are removed. The seeds are also edible.
Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) - tastes similar to spinach and the leaves and stems can be eaten raw in salads, cooked, or pickled in vinegar. Cooked purslane has a mucilaginous texture similar to okra.
Sheep’s sorrel (Rumex acetosella) - the young leaves can be added to salads, sauces, soups, and egg dishes.
Edible Weed Salad with Vinaigrette Dressing
An edible weed salad is hearty enough to be served as a substantial lunch, or light dinner, if it's accompanied by a basket full of rolls or breadsticks, and an ice cold drink. The young leaves of chicory, dandelion and sorrel can be used as a mild spring tonic. The leaves of these slightly bitter greens help to stimulate ones appetite and are an aid to getting the digestive juices flowing. The greens included in this salad are usually considered weeds by most non gardening people.
Edible Weed Salad Recipe
- 1/4 cup purslane leaves
- 1/4 cup dandelion leaves - chopped
- 1/4 cup chicory leaves - chopped
- 1/4 cup sorrel leaves - chopped
- 5 cups lettuce, choose from iceberg, romaine or leaf lettuce, torn into bite size pieces
Directions for the Edible Weed Salad
- Add all the salad ingredients to a large bowl and toss well.
- Add the dressing prior to serving.
Ingredients for the Vinaigrette Dressing
- 1 cup canola oil
- 1 tablespoon walnut oil
- ¼ cup sherry
- ½ cup champagne vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons sweet basil - minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Directions for the Vinaigrette Dressing
- Whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl.
- Use this dressing to drizzle over the Edible Weed Salad.
- This recipe makes 1 ¾ cups of dressing.
- Plain rice vinegar can be substituted for the champagne vinegar if necessary.
Edible Weed Safety Precautions
- When using any type of plant material, moderation is key. Ingesting too much of even the most benign substance can cause one to become ill.
- Never harvest weeds from the side of the road. These plants may be contaminated from vehicle exhaust fumes.
- Never harvest weeds in the wild unless absolutely certain of their identification and with the permission of the land owner.
Lynn Smythe - ABOUT THE WRITER Born and raised in Rochester, New York, freelance writer Lynn Smythe obtained her bachelor's degree in Geology from ...
