An earthy salad made with fresh kale and dandelion greens tossed with roasted chickpeas, leeks, and fennel, then served with a creamy oil and vinegar-based herb dressing. This delicious seasonal salad recipe is inspired by the salad from Stardew Valley. Also including instructions on how to grow your own edible safe dandelion greens at home!
This salad is healthy, nutritious, and delicious! The dressing is the secret, as is your treatment of the dandelion greens. It’s pretty easy to whip this salad up quick, and it’s best enjoyed in spring or fall.
Customizations
I highly recommend adding your own special customizations to this salad. Have fun with it! Here’s just a few suggestions:
- Panfry the leeks and fennel instead of roasting them.
- Roast the chickpeas by themselves to make them super crispy and crunchy.
- Add dried fruit, like cranberries, raisins, or apricots.
- Add fresh fruit, like diced mango, apple slices, or seasonal strawberries or raspberries.
- Add some cheese! Crumbled feta, creamy goat cheese or grated asiago would all be amazing choices.
- Add some nuts. You can’t go wrong with throwing in a few unsalted pistachios, honey roasted peanuts, or even caramelized pecans!
Dandelions: What’s In A Weed?
Dandelion greens are the harvested leaves of dandelion plants. While often thought of as a simple weed, dandelions are actually largely edible and quite healthy – when not sprayed with weed killer, peed upon by passing canines, or infused with roadside smog and garbage.
I perceive the general human treatment of dandelions to be of a similar manner to the treatment of pigeons: something seen as a blemish to get rid of. It’s very sad.
Pigeons have been relatively domesticated for the last 5000 years and only recently outlived their supposed usefulness as human technology advanced in the last century or so, leaving them now to be considered little more than pesky street birds. It’s quite sad since pigeons have the capacity to be loyal, compassionate and loving, and they are actually quite smart. Now that their species has outlived their perceived general usefulness, they have largely been left to a future riddled with disease and malnourishment – but I digress. Anyways, it’s a pity about pigeons and it is also a pity about dandelions.
Dandelions are also often seen these days as an annoyance, and are even banned in some places due to their ability to thrive almost anywhere – but this wasn’t always the case.
Dandelion greens have a history of being consumed for various potential health benefits, ranging from allegedly helping reduce water retention, supposedly supporting digestion, and even potentially regulating blood sugar. As a dark leafy green, there is no argument that they certainly do contain their fair share of vitamins and minerals – as do other leafy dark greens like kale and spinach.
Dandelion greens have a slightly bitter flavour, the amount of bitterness depending on the age of the leaves and the growing conditions of the plant in question. Younger dandelion leaves generally have a milder taste, while older dandelions are more bitter.
These greens can be used in everything from salads to sautés, soups, and smoothies. Combining them with other ingredients in a dish helps to balance out their bitter flavour and make them a leafy green you may actually quite enjoy the taste of!
A Word Of Caution On Dandelion Consumption
Do keep in mind that dandelions come from a similar ilk as ragweed and marigolds, so if you have allergies to those plants, you might also possess a dandelion allergy. Also they can have various unfavourable effects for people with certain medical conditions, but that’s a question for your doctor.
Where To Get Dandelion Greens
You can find dandelions growing just about anywhere – lawns, gardens, the roadside, and open fields. If you’re foraging for dandelion greens, make sure to pick them from areas that you are totally sure are free from pesticides and other contaminants (dog piss, weed killer, garbage dumping, etc.). Alternatively as a safer option, you can cultivate your own dandelions in your garden.
This is what I generally recommend – grow the dandelions yourself. It’s the only way you can truly know they are safe to eat, apart from maybe buying them from a store.
If you’re very lucky, your local farmers’ market or specialty grocery store might sell dandelions.
You might want to call ahead though, because even specialty stores usually have to order dandelion greens in, and it might be a couple days before you can pick them up. They likely won’t have them available on the fly all the time, but then again, you never know. Just phone and ask.
In terms of price, a big bunch of dandelion greens at the store is usually comparable in cost to a good quality bunch of kale.
Eating Dandelion Greens
Before consuming dandelion greens, whether they are store bought, foraged, home grown or otherwise, it’s a good idea to rinse them thoroughly to remove any dirt or insects.
Also, try eating a washed leaf to test its bitterness level. Don’t skip this step.
What If Your Dandelion Greens Are Super Bitter?
It happens – but what can you do? A few things, actually.
- Wash the dandelion greens, then massage them with oil and vinegar (or oil and lemon juice). Let them sit this way for about 15 minutes before throwing them in your salad.
- You can also massage the leaves with salt, let them sit for 15 minutes, then rinse the leaves off again. Too bad they can’t return the favour (wouldn’t we all like a salt massage).
- You can also add other flavours to your salad or dish in question to balance out the bitterness of the dandelions – dried fruit, fresh fruit, cheeses, flavourful dressings and fresh herbs can all help dilute the bitterness of dandelion greens.
- Worst case scenario, blanche the leaves in boiling water for a minute, then plunge them in ice water for 1 minute. It’s not the ideal treatment if you’re using them in a salad, but if you’re putting them in a quiche or something, this is a good option.
Dandelion Salad in Stardew Valley
You can make this healthy garden salad in an upgraded farmhouse kitchen or using the cookout kit in Stardew Valley. Simply combine a dandelion, a leek, and some vinegar! I have to say, as a realistic salad a few more ingredients are definitely needed.
Salad in Stardew Valley: Dandelion + Leek + Vinegar
Leah loves this salad, so between dandelion salad and some old pieces of driftwood, you should be all set for making friends with Leah, should you wish to do so. As per usual, Leo, Krobus and Willy despise this salad.
You can also use this salad to make a green shirt on Emily’s sewing machine – just in case you want to show everyone in Pelican Town you’re feeling a bit green.
Dandelion Fennel Salad
This tasty dandelion salad with roasted vegetables is ready to eat in just 1 hour. This recipe serves at least 4 people.
Ingredients
Salad
- 4 cups kale or lettuce, chopped
- 2 cups dandelion greens
- 1 cup fennel, chopped
- 1 ½ cups chickpeas
- 2 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Dressing
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp smooth Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 cups fresh herbs – dill, tarragon, chives, parsley, cilantro, mint, etc.
Customizations
Try adding your own special customizations to this salad. Here’s just a few suggestions:
- Dried fruit, like cranberries, raisins, or apricots.
- Fresh fruit, like diced mango, apple slices, strawberries or raspberries.
- Cheeses, like crumbled feta, creamy goat cheese or grated asiago.
- Pickled vegetables – like these pickled red onions!
- Nuts, like unsalted pistachios, roasted peanuts, or caramelized pecans.
Tools
- salad bowl
- salad spinner (optional)
- roasting pan
- oven mitts
- food processor, immersion blender, or mortar and pestle
- mixing bowl
- mixing spoons
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- knife
- cutting board
- garlic press
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
- Rinse and dry the chickpeas, and chop the fennel. Transfer them to a roasting pan and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
- Bake the chickpeas and fennel for 45 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking time.
- While the chickpeas and fennel are roasting, prepare the rest of the salad. Wash and shred the kale, wash the dandelion greens, then the greens to a large salad bowl.
- Add all the dressing ingredients to a food processor or blender, then blend until smooth.
- Once roasted to your liking, remove the roasted chickpeas and fennel from the oven and add them to the salad.
- Drizzle the salad with the dressing then toss well to evenly coat the vegetables and greens. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve right away and enjoy.
How To Grow Dandelions At Home
Dandelions are pretty adaptable plants. They can grow in a wide range of garden zones. You can probably think of one you’ve seen growing in your local area, right? If that was a yes, then you can definitely grow dandelions. They are quite a hardy plant (like most weeds!) and can tolerate both cool and warm temperatures. Dandelions prefer well-draining soil that’s slightly acidic, and they love sunlight.
If you want to collect seeds for future planting, allow some of the dandelion flowers to go to seed. The familiar white, fluffy seed heads will form.
Once they mature, simply collect the seeds for storage. Use small, dry, airtight containers or envelopes to store the dandelion seeds. Small resealable bags or glass jars also work well.
If you don’t want to get your dandelion seeds from a local plant gone to seed in the park, dandelion seeds can also usually be found at garden centres, nurseries, and online seed sellers. Italian Dandelion is particularly tasty if you can get it.
Sow the seeds directly into the soil, either in early spring or early fall. Plant the seeds about 1/4 to 1/2 inch (6 to 12 mm) deep in the soil, and space the seeds about 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) apart to give them room to grow. Dandelion seeds will typically germinate within a week or so, depending on soil and the weather.
They prefer soil that is consistently moist but not waterlogged. They don’t fare too badly in drought either, since their roots can grow quite deep. Also, if you don’t want them taking over your whole garden, just grow them in a flower pot or flower box with nutrient-rich soil. Just be sure to nip the flowers before they go to seed – or they might spread across your garden like a weed!
Dandelion greens taste best when harvested in the spring or fall, although you can of course also collect them during the summer. When they are still young and tender they will have a less bitter taste. It’s a good practice to leave some of the leaves on the plant when harvesting, to keep your dandelions healthy and growing.
So, did you make this dandelion fennel salad? Let me know!
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