Dandelion Pesto Recipe for Foraged Health
NOTE: This article is about my best recipe for foraged dandelion greens gourmet pesto. Yes, survival food and foraged edibles can be gourmet…and easy too. Identifying dandelion is easy once you know what to look for! Read on for identification tips and the recipe!
Are you a hater of dandelions?
So many people in these modern days are! It’s sad and surprising that such a beautiful and useful plant is looked down upon as a noxious weed, a pest in the stuffy golf-courses and pristine lawns of suburban homeowners. It’s an embattled weed all over the United States.
Luckily, awareness is growing in favor of this powerful plant medicine that grows willingly and so lovingly in our yards and gardens, providing it’s mineral-rich leaves and inulin-rich roots. The flowers are high in allantoin, which is cell-regenerative too. It’s an amazing plant!
Dandelion has so many incredible health uses and benefits. I’ve written about how to forage, properly identify, and the benefits & uses of dandelion in this article. I hope you’ll check it out for more information on this oft-maligned herbal ally of ours—especially because there are some dandelion lookalikes, such as sow thistle, to be aware of.
Survival food and foraged wild edibles do not have to taste bad! No-sir-ee!
Herbs such as lambsquarters, wild fennel, juniper berries, and rose hips have more than just medicinal uses! They can be made into some healthy, delicious, and even gourmet foods to nourish and support our bodies!
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is no exception!
You need to watch out for a few things in order to properly identify it, but once you know exactly what to look for, you’ll find you have a wild harvest delicious feast in front of you!
With no further ado, here’s one of my favorite dandelion recipes I’d like to share with you! I know once you try this, you’ll be making this delicious, easy herbal pesto with these lovely spring greens every year!
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How to make a spring greens foraged pesto with dandelion leaves. You’ll love this fresh spring version of pesto that’s healthy and filled with nutrition—vitamins and minerals. This recipe requires no special skills, is easy, delicious, and healthy. It’s a great way to get greens into your family’s food and start foraging for wild edibles at the same time! #foraging #wildedibles #herbs #pesto #dandelion #springgreens #herbal #recipe #dandelion #healingharvesthomestead
Dandelion Leaf Herbal Pesto Recipe
Pesto is one of my favorite condiments and sauces. I love it as a dip, I love it on my noodles, I love it on my eggs….heck, I love it just by itself!
Luckily, it’s healthy and good for you!
This recipe uses the leaves of new spring dandelions. You’ll want to make this in spring through early summer because once the hot summer temperatures come, the greens turn very bitter. So, now is the time to get your pesto made! You can even freeze it for later use too.
If you don’t have dandelion greens handy, other spring greens such as cleavers, creasy greens, chickweed, etc. can be used also!
This is quite a specimen of a dandelion group of plants!
Ingredients for Dandelion Leaf Pesto
1/2 cup hard cheese such as parmesan or asiago
1/2 cup favorite nuts (walnuts, pine, mixed nuts, cashews…whatever suits your fancy)
2 or 3 cloves garlic
1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil
3 cups or large handfuls of dandelion leaves (you can also use chickweed, leeks, chives, cleavers too)
A bit of salt to taste
Pepper if you like
As you can see, there is a LOT of room for some flexibility in this recipe!
Several hand fulls of dandelion leaves.
Directions for Making Dandelion Leaf Pesto
Step 1)
Place all of your ingredients into a food processor except for the olive oil.
Step 2)
Puree until all is somewhat chopped and mixed.
Step 3)
Drizzle your olive oil in until it’s the consistency you like. Some people love lots of olive oil, and others not so much. You get to pick!
Step 4)
Remove into a clean glass jar. It’s ready to enjoy!
That’s it!
Here’s the leaves in my old food processor, which still works like a charm after 30 years!
How to Eat Your Wild Foraged Homemade Pesto
I love my pesto on crackers!
You can serve it up as a topping on eggs.
It’s great stirred into soups and stews!
You can substitute it for pizza sauce and make one of those gourmet fancy pizzas instead!
Add it to your morning eggs and toast.
Bake it into your homemade bread!
Use it as an addition to salad dressings or make salad dressing with it.
It’s a great side next to your meat dishes, like roast.
Serve it up as a fancy dip at your next party
Add it to your spaghetti sauce or use it instead of your spaghetti sauce
As a topping on quiche!
As you can see, there are so many options for this lovely condiment! AND, it’s good for you!
Yummy on a cracker!
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Final Thoughts on Spring Greens and Dandelion Leaf Pesto
I’ll be honest: I wasn’t sure about this when I started. I knew dandelion greens were delicious and healthy in salad, but would they really make a great pesto? After all, they don’t taste much like basil!
I’m so glad I tried this out!
I’m actually ashamed to confess: Mr. V. and I ate the whole batch in two days.
I know. I know! That’s a lot of pesto!
Oh, well, at least I know I got the benefits of knowing what’s in it. No chemicals in my food over here. Nope. This recipe is one way you can be sure you’re eating clean.
Also, when you find out just how good dandelion is for you, I’m sure the momentary gluttony can be excused.
Right?
I do hope you’ll try this tasty pesto this spring. And if you want to freeze some up for later, I say go for it! I have a friend who likes to use ice cube containers to freeze hers, and that’s what I’m going to try when I make this again….tomorrow. Only I’m going to have to make a triple batch!
Do you make your own pesto? If you have other ideas for how to use it, let us know in the comments!
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Hugs, Health, and Self-Reliance,
Heidi
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Mmmmm…… Dandelion spring greens pesto.
I seriously can’t believe how great this dandelion pesto turned out!
Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor. In no manner, stated or implied, is any content here or elsewhere, meant or implied to treat, cure, diagnose, or prevent any disease or illness. Please be sure to seek medical attention before using herbs and essential oils.
Dandelions are a weed for some…but for me, they’re a delicious springtime treat! Here’s a recipe for dandelion pesto that’s out of this world! If you have lots of dandelions growing this spring, gather up some of the greens and make this easy, healthy, and incredible homemade pesto! #dandelion #recipes #foraging #survivalfood #edibleplants #wildplants #pesto #dips #condiment #healingharvesthomestead