Watch out kale and arugula there is a new super leafy green in town. In today’s post I’m going to show you How To Make Superfood Vegan Dandelion Leaf Pesto.
When you see dandelions appear on your lawn, do you smile? I do! Most of us would never consider cooking up weeds from our lawn or garden, so the idea of eating dandelion greens may seem strange. Though considered by many to be a weed, technically, dandelion is an herb that has been revered since earlier times.
Dandelion Love
Almost all the parts of the plant; leaves, flower tops, and roots found use as culinary greens or as a curative remedy for certain medical ailments.In fact, every part of the plant is edible. They are not only safe to eat, but are packed with calcium and vitamin A, iron, are a good source of prebiotics and other health promoting nutrients. After reading this post you will think twice about cooking with this ubiquitous yellow flower.
How Do Dandelions Taste?
Dandelion greens are nutty, earthy and quite bitter in taste. They are known for their sharp flavor, much similar to that of radicchio. The bitterness can be intense. If it is bothersome, gently blanching the leaves can reduce it.
Our Bodies & Bitterness
This recipe offers a lot of nutrition with a mild to sever bitter flavour. Now, if you’re not into bitter flavours then I’ve added a note in the recipe to offset that. When your body detects bitterness, it uses it to breakdown fats into a variety of digestive enzymes.
Save Our Bees
As many of you know I am in love with bumblebees. Sadly, more than 1000 million pounds of herbicides are used on lawns, most specifically against dandelions, each year. Many of these chemicals either have not been tested for safety or have been shown to have a strong correlation with cancer. Not only are these chemicals harmful to us humans they affect the whole ecosystem, harming beneficial insects like the precious bee. My hope is the more people who love Dandelions as well as its food and medicine, the fewer people will want to poison it. With that said, only forage the flowers that you need for your recipe and leave the rest of our flying friends!
Harvesting Tips
When harvesting wild dandelion, be sure it’s from an area that’s pesticide-free. Harvest only young leaves as older ones are less palatable. Many of us can easily recognize dandelions. If you’re new to harvesting and are not absolutely certain that what you are picking – don’t! Wait and ask a friend or there are many good plant identifying apps out there. If you’re not up for foraging leaves look for them in the grocery store or local market.
More Recipes To Try
If you love this Superfood Vegan Dandelion Leaf Pesto as much as I do you are going to want to try my other pesto and dandelion recipes such as:
Dandelion Vegan Shortbread Cookies
Sharing Is Caring!
Make this Superfood Vegan Dandelion Leaf Pesto and take a photo of it. Share it with me at @SusanCooksVegan. I’ll feature your beautiful creation on my Instagram and Facebook stories.
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Thanks for the love, my friends!
Susan xox
Superfood Vegan Dandelion Leaf Pesto
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Category: Sauce, Pasta
- Method: Blend
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 4 cups of fresh dandelion leaves or a mix 2 cups dandelion 2 cups greens (basil, spinach, kale, parsley, arugula)
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1/3 cup nutritional yeast
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½ cup nuts (pine, cashew, almond, walnut)
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2 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
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2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
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1 tsp lemon zest
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4 tbsp olive oil plus more if needed for desired consistency
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½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Process in short pulses, scraping down the sides as needed, until smooth. If the pesto is too thick add more olive oil as needed 1 tbsp at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
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Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Will keep for 6-7 days or freeze up to 2 months.
- For less bitterness: Use ½ the number of dandelion leaves and ½ the number of other greens such as basil, spinach, kale, parsley, arugula, carrot top or radish tops.
