There are some edible weeds that not everyone knows. Most of them grow a lot in your garden as one of the most daily vegetables. You often pick them up and throw them away to make clean your garden, it is really a waste. And in the post today, we want to share 9 edible weeds that can be added extra into many delicious dishes such as salad, soup, stir-fry, steam, sauteed, even can be eaten raw. Check them out with us.
Dandelion, purslane, clover, lamb’s quarters, and more, all them may be quite familiar but their uses aren’t known well. They not only make your dishes tastier and beautiful dishes but also supplement many rich nutrients. Moreover, with other vegetables, you will have to buy seed, grow, and take care of them, but these edible weeds are in-contrast. They grow in nature, have strong alive, and especially don’t require much effort from gardeners. Apart from, when growing them in your garden, you don’t worry about the invasion of the lawn. Save to know their appearance in the garden, don’t forget to take them a space to grow.
#1 Dandelion
Every part of Dandelion is tasty both raw and cooked, from the roots to the blossoms. The youngest 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, steam, stir-fry or soup, which can make them taste less bitter. The flowers are sweet and crunchy and can be eaten raw. The root of the dandelion can be dried and roasted and used as a coffee substitute.
#2 Purslane
Purslane is outrageously rich in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants. It can be a great addition to a salad or stir-fry or used to thicken soups or stews. It is a succulent, with a crispy texture, and the leaves and stems can be eaten raw or cooked to add a peppery flavor to any dish.
#3 Clover
Clover is an important food for honeybees and bumblebees, and clover leaves and flowers can be used to add variety to human meals as well. Small amounts of raw clover leaves can be chopped into salads or can be sauteed and added to dishes for a green accent, and the flowers of both red and white clover can be eaten raw or cooked, or dried for tea.
#4 Lamb’s Quarters
The young shoots and leaves of Lamb’s Quarters can be eaten raw in any vegetable dish, sauteed or steamed. The seeds of the Lamb’s Quarters, which resemble quinoa, can also be harvested and eaten.
#5 Plantain
This common lawn weed is not only a great medicinal plant that can be used topically to soothe burns, stings, rashes, and wounds but is also a great edible green for the table. The young leaves of plantain can be eaten raw, steamed, boiled, or sauteed. The seeds of the plantain can be cooked like a grain or ground into a flour.
#6 Chickweed
This rather unassuming garden weed can be harvested and used for both food and medicine. The leaves, stems, and flowers can all be eaten either raw or cooked, where it adds a delicate spinach-like taste to any dish. It can also be used as a topical poultice for minor cuts, burns, or rashes, and can be made into a tea for use as a mild diuretic.
#7 Mallow
The leaves and the seed pods are both edible, either raw or cooked, and like many greens, are often more tender and palatable when smaller and less mature. The older leaves can be used like any other cooked green after steaming, boiling, or sauteing them.
#8 Wild Amaranth
The leaves of the wild amaranth are another great addition to any dish that calls for leafy greens, and while the younger leaves are softer and tastier, the older leaves can also be cooked like spinach.
#9 Curly Dock
Curly dock leaves can be eaten raw when young, or cooked when older, and added to salads or soups. The stems of the dock plant can be peeled and eaten either cooked or raw, and the mature seeds can be boiled, or eaten raw, or roasted to make a coffee substitute. Dock leaves are rather tart, and because of their high oxalic acid content, it’s often recommended to only eat them in moderation
