From root to flower, dandelion is a highly nutritious plant containing many vitamins, minerals and fiber. The flowers of the plant are edible, medicinally effective and have many uses! The plant is used in recipes for drinks, sweets, baked goods, savory dishes, beauty products and home remedies. Here we have put together some useful dandelion recipes for you, but first we will explain in more detail what the plant is useful for.
There are endless creative and delicious ways to use this versatile plant! If you harvest the roots in the spring, keep in mind that they are less medicinally effective than in the fall. Still, they can be sweeter and more nutritious and contain high levels of inulin.
Dandelion is full of powerful antioxidants, and we know that antioxidants are crucial forMaintaining health of the bodyare. The plant is often used in traditional medicine to treat constipation and improve digestive health. It can reduce inflammation thanks to certain compounds such as polyphenols. Chicory and chlorogenic acid are two bioactive compounds in this plant that may help lower blood sugar levels. Some research suggests that the plant has antimicrobial and antiviral properties that may support the body's ability to fight infections.
Try the dandelion root coffee
Have you tried dandelion root coffee with chicory root and cinnamon? A main advantage of this coffee over regular coffee is,that it is caffeine free. Dandelion root and chicory root should be cut into small pieces and dried before roasting. Roasting does not require much effort and time. However, you can buy already roasted dandelion root.
Ingredients:
30g dried dandelion root pieces/2 tablespoons roasted dandelion root
1 teaspoon roasted chicory root
1 teaspoon cinnamon shavings
0.5 liters of water
- Simply spread the root pieces in a single layer on a baking tray and roast them in the oven at 180°C for about 10-20 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Place the roasted roots, cinnamon shavings and water in a pot and bring to a boil.
- Let it boil for 5-10 minutes, then drain the root pieces through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Season with cream and/or sweetener if desired. Enjoy!
Dandelion Recipes: Lemon Cake
Ingredients:
250 g Flour
100g sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
230g unsalted, very cold butter, cut into small cubes
For the filling:
300g sugar
30 g Flour
4 Owner
Zest of four lemons
Lemon juice from 4 lemons
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
100 g freshly picked dandelion flowers
Powdered sugar for dusting
For the shortcrust pastry:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a large pan with butter or cooking spray.
- Mix flour, sugar and salt.
- Using a pastry cutter, work in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse flour.
- Using the bottom of a drinking glass or measuring cup sprayed with cooking spray, press evenly into the mold.
- Bake for 20 minutes until the dough starts to brown slightly around the edges.
- Allow to cool at least until the pan can be easily handled with your bare hands, about 15 minutes.
For the filling:
- Mix sugar and flour together.
- Then add the eggs, zest and juice and stir until well combined.
- Pour over the crust and bake for 20-25 minutes until the filling is mostly set. A tiny bit of wobble in the middle is okay.
- Let cool in the fridge for a few hours, then sprinkle with powdered sugar and dandelion flowers.
- Using a bench scraper or a sharp knife sprayed with cooking spray, cut into squares.
Fresh spring soup with greens
6 servings
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
600 g chicken broth
1 package frozen cheese tortellini
400 g chopped dandelion greens
5g chopped fresh basil leaves
20 g grated Parmesan cheese
- Heat oil in a pot over medium-high heat.
- Add onions, carrots, garlic, kosher salt, and pepper and cook until tender and crisp, about 5 minutes.
- Add broth and greens and bring to a boil.Add tortelliniand cook until the tortellini is al dente and the greens are tender, 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in cheese and fresh basil.
Dandelion recipes: spring salad with strawberries
4 servings
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, sliced
10 ripe strawberries, sliced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 bunch of dandelion herb
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper, to taste
- Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the sliced onions and a good pinch of salt.
- Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft, lightly browned, and reduced to about 1/3 of their raw volume. You may need to reduce the heat gradually as the onions will shrink. This process takes about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, toss the strawberry slices with 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar.
- Wash the dandelion greens, changing water several times and dry them thoroughly. Cut into bite-sized pieces if desired.
- When the onions are almost cooked, add the remaining 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar to the pan and cook until the vinegar coats the onions, about a minute.
- Remove the onions from the heat and stir in the Dijon mustard.
- In a salad bowl, toss the greens, onions, and strawberries with their juices, scraping the onion pan with a rubber spatula to incorporate all the oil and vinegar into the salad.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to combine.
