Author: Lily Mazzarella
I love dandelion greens! These delectable bitters are chock-full of potassium, vitamins A, C, K, folate, and choline. In herbal medicine, we use them as a classic bitter tonic to stimulate digestion and gallbladder activity, and to decongest the liver. In some people, they have a notable diuretic effect, making them useful for those who tend to get puffy with stress, inflammation, or hormonal changes. They are a perfect cleansing food.
Their bitterness can vary tremendously, so I recommend tasting a corner of a leaf before purchasing if you've never tried them, and are thinking about eating them raw. I try to eat a dandelion leaf per day in spring and early summer.
Cooking attenuates the bitterness, and preserved lemon adds a savory, rich acidity. If you're eating nightshades, I recommend adding Warm Pepper Flakes from All Star Organics Farm in Marin to this recipe. Fabulous.
RELATED → Spring Cleanse - Other Cleanse Recipes
Ingredients:
1 large bunch dandelion greens
Olive oil
1/8 Preserved lemon (see recipe here) or the peel from a ¼ lemon, rubbed with salt
Optional:
3-4 small whole garlic cloves
½ tsp warm pepper flakes
Directions:
Rinse the dandelion greens well, or soak and agitate in cold water (sometimes they are quite dirty!)
Roughly chop the greens
Mince the preserved lemon
Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan
Add garlic cloves and warm pepper flakes, if using. Stir for 1-2 minutes.
Add greens and sauté until lightly wilted. Add the minced preserved lemon and continue to sauté until the greens are fully wilted and a bright, dark green. Remove from heat and serve. Preserved lemons are quite salty—but you can add salt to taste.
For more delicious springtime recipes,
download our Happy Liver Detox Guide!