Use this as a model, a master recipe, rather than dogma. See the notes above for all sorts of variations.
Recipe by Hank Shaw on May 12, 2025
Prep time: PT30M
Cook time: PT10M
Total time: PT40M
Rating
4.86 stars (7 reviews)
Keywords
dandelion greens
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion
3 cloves garlic, (slivered)
1 to 3 small chiles, such as Thai ((or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes))
1 pound dandelion greens, (washed)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice, to taste
Categories
Appetizer
Side Dish
Cuisine
Italian
Steps
Wash the dandelion greens and set them in a large bowl of ice water. Let them sit at least 15 minutes before proceeding. Move them to a colander to drain.
Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook the onions until they're soft, but not browned. Add the garlic and chile and cook another minute.
Move the dandelion greens to the pan, where they will pop and spatter a bit. Stir-fry them until they all wilt, then sprinkle salt over everything. Cook another minute or three -- the older the greens are, the longer you will need to cook them -- then turn off the heat and add the black pepper, a little nice olive oil, and some lemon juice. Serve at once.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 125 kcal
Carbohydrates: 13 g
Protein: 3 g
Fat: 8 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Sodium: 88 mg
Sugar: 2 g
Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
Reviews
Susanna Griffith on 2025-05-19 (5 stars): I used radish greens, rather mature, cooked them a bit longer to soften the bitter. Loved this recipe!
Ellen Becker on 2025-05-14 (5 stars): delicious 1
David Sweedler on 2025-05-12 (5 stars): Yes to gathering dandelion greens in season. But give yourself the time to clean them meticulously as the ones I gather are rich in insects and dirt, and a bit like leeks, that dirt gets embedded deeply between the rosette. I start with a rough cleaning in a bucket of cold water outside to avoid clogging the sink. Then separate the rosettes for further cleaning inside.
Anither important use for dandelions and other edible fresh herbs is the famous greek pita pies made with cornmeal and sour Greek cheese like mizithra or romano when the Greek grocer is not at hand.
Kate on 2025-05-12 (5 stars): This similar to what my mom did every spring. The difference was 1) she blanched them where they grew by putting a clay flower pot over them and 2) she fried several slices of bacon and used the grease to fry the onion and pepper; then crumbled the back into the grease and added vinegar to make a dressing for the greens. Sometimes she added sliced mushrooms to the mix. It looks like our yard was growing flower pots in the spring.
Dorian on 2025-05-12 (5 stars): Beautiful, easy and delicious. I go through a ton of what I call "yard greens" every spring and this is a nice addition to the roster of recipes. Thanks Hank!
Debbi on 2025-05-12 (4 stars): I learned that when I cook garlic mustard and it was too bitter I put in a larger proportion of a sweeter green like spinach. Love your recipes.
Alf Berg on 2025-05-12 (5 stars): Been making this for years.
Great as a sub also.
