Recipe Dandelion leaf salad

DIna00

DIna00

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Has anyone ever picked their own dandelion leaves for salad? I was introduced to this by a Greek friend of mine. She said you can literally pick dandelion leaves from the ground and eat them. I have only tried them raw and they were so bitter. But I have yet to try them steamed.

This recipe for the Greek dish called Horta sounds interesting:

young dandelion leaves
onion
black olives
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
Salt to taste

Steam the dandelion leaves and onion. Add olives and top with the oil and vinegar or juice.
Season with salt.
 
I have heard of dandelion wine, but never knew you could eat the leaves. The Greek recipe seems really simple and since the leaves are completely free, I may give it a try.
 
You can eat the leaves but as you said they are very bitter. It is more normal to deprive the leaves of light whilst they are growing, similar to forcing rhubarb, which lessens the bitterness. Also the younger the leaf, as with all wild leaves, the less bitter it will be.
You can also eat the flowers and the root.

The quintessential garden and lawn weed, dandelions have a bad reputation among those who want grass that looks as uniform as a golf course, but every part of this common edible weed is tasty both raw and cooked, from the roots to the blossoms. Dandelion leaves can be harvested at any point in the growing season, and while the smaller leaves are considered to be less bitter and more palatable raw, the bigger leaves can be eaten as well, especially as an addition to a green salad. If raw dandelion leaves don't appeal to you, they can also be steamed or added to a stir-fry or soup, which can make them taste less bitter. The flowers are sweet and crunchy, and can be eaten raw, or breaded and fried, or even used to make dandelion wine. The root of the dandelion can be dried and roasted and used as a coffee substitute, or added to any recipe that calls for root vegetables.
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I have eaten young dandelion leaves raw as well as more mature ones sauted. They get bitter when they are bigger and need to be cooked to get rid of the bitter taste. I love that dandelion is basically free if you can find a safe, not sprayed, place to pick them, and they are said to be super, super nutritious.
 
Dandelions are very common where I live. I have tried eating the flower but don't recommend it unless you want yellow teeth. The fresh young dandelion leaves are best when they are mixed with leaves from other edible wild plants in a salad. I have not yet tried them steamed but I think they could be good if steamed with young nettle leaves.
 
the flowers make for a lovely cordial so I understand, but you need a lot of flower heads to make them. If i am back on my feet in time this year, I might try making some. I did elderflower and honeysuckle cordials last year which were also exceptionally nice.
 
Well i've drank the dandelion leaves and roots brewed but have never ate a dandelion leaf salad; even though the dandelion held many medicinal benefits i don't see myself consuming it if it is bitter; doesn't sound appealing at all.
 
I have thought about purchasing seed for culinary dandelion as that is supposed to be better than whatever you find in the wild. Also, because I live in the city, you never know what a wild plant has been exposed to, from car exhaust to dog urine to who knows what. I've purchased dandelion tea before (good for female issues), but I've not had it in salad that I can remember.
 
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