How to make dandelion and nettle salad

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Using wild herbs as ingredients for salad is a popular practice among both novice cooks and culinary geniuses. But not everyone knows how to properly and deliciously prepare a green dish.

We offer a salad recipe that contains several wild plants that we are not used to seeing on the table, but the dish only benefits from this.

For the salad you will need:

• dandelion leaves (5-7 pieces);
• nettle leaves (3-5 pieces);
• garlic feathers (3 pieces);
• green onion feathers (3 pieces);
• pea leaves;
• radish sprouts (tops);
• parsley;
• dill;
• young blackcurrant leaves (2 pcs.);
• vegetable oil;
• lemon juice;
• balsamic vinegar.

Someone may think that dandelion leaves are not tasty and putting them in a salad is pointless. But the secret is that you need to pick them from young plants that have not yet bloomed or even. if they have bloomed from the middle. Such leaves are less bitter. In addition, you need to cook them properly.

Preparing the salad

First, you need to collect all the greens, sort them out, and get rid of the hard stems. We cut off the leaves themselves – both in peas, radishes, and currants; we forget about the roots, pods, and berries.

We process the nettle: it needs to be scalded, and then dipped in cold water. Be sure to squeeze out excess moisture. Before cutting, dandelion shoots need to be dipped in slightly salted water for 30 minutes. This will remove their bitterness. But very young leaves can be left unsoaked at all. Try it for taste, they are slightly bitter, reminiscent of the popular arugula today.

All the greens are chopped into a deep bowl. Small leaves can be left as is, without even cutting them into a salad.

The salad dressing is made from two tablespoons of oil, a teaspoon of vinegar, and salt to taste. You can also add pepper, a little sugar, and spices, which will add sophistication to the dish. The finished salad can be decorated with lemon slices, mint leaves, and any other fresh herbs you have in the garden, such as spinach, basil, or cilantro.

Salad Variations

The recipe for this dish can be changed. For example, in one of its variations, plantain and sorrel are combined with nettle and dandelion, and boiled eggs, radish root and dandelion flowers are also added to the salad.

Dandelion and nettle greens also go well with fresh carrots. The same vegetable oil with lemon juice is used for dressing.

Another type of salad with cucumber, parsley with dill and green onions

You can choose any recipe of your choice, taking dandelion and nettle as a basis, and experiment in the kitchen! The presented green salad in any variation is very relevant in May-early June, when you can already find all the mentioned plants in your garden and in the surrounding area.

Seasonal greens in their fresh form contain a wealth of vitamins and useful elements. And everyone can prepare these delicious salads, and without special material costs.