Dandelion salad: benefits and harms

Dandelion salad is a delicious, healthy dish that is affordable and easy to prepare. In the cuisines of many nations, the product takes pride of place, has a long tradition and many options. The specific composition of dandelion requires a special approach in cooking, but with the right approach, it guarantees an original, memorable taste to the salad.

What is useful salad with dandelion leaves

Considered a weed, it has many advantages, and its vitamin composition can compete with most salad vegetables. A familiar flower, common in city flower beds, in forests, appearing again and again even on arable land, is not perceived as a food product and rarely gets into salads. But its value has been proven by many years of use in traditional medicine and scientifically proven.

Bitterness is given to dandelion leaves by special substances – glycosides. Two types of taraxacin (bitter and waxy) give the plant a specific taste that scares off lovers of fresh herbs, but does not pose any threat to human health. It is these compounds that distinguish dandelion as a unique medicinal plant.

Taraxacins, entering the human body, cause the liver to produce substances that can restore cartilage tissue and renew synovial fluid. Thus, dandelion is the only edible herb that directly affects joint health.

Any dandelion salad recipes have benefits and harms, according to the complex chemical composition of the medicinal herb. The undoubted value of such dishes is in their rich vitamin and mineral composition. The foliage of the plant accumulates ascorbic acid, vitamins A, E, K, protein, polyunsaturated fats, light carbohydrates, antioxidants, phosphorus, and iron. Dandelion roots are rich in iodine and inulin.

The pigments that give the grass its rich green color are phyto-enzymes that can act in the body like its own hormones. Thanks to their action, many processes in the body are normalized, fatigue is reduced, cardiac activity is regulated, the blood count is restored, and the activity of the gastrointestinal tract and liver is regulated.

Medicinal properties of dandelion leaves:

• choleretic;
• diaphoretic and diuretic;
• analgesic, anti-inflammatory;
• antiviral, bactericidal, anthelmintic;
• anti-sclerotic, nootropic;
• immunostimulating.

Herb salad increases milk production, therefore it is indicated for nutrition during lactation. For an infant, such a mother’s diet does not carry an allergic danger, but strengthens the immune system, regulates digestion, and makes sleep calm.

The presence of taraxic acid in dandelion makes it possible to classify salads from the plant as a means of preventing oncology. The substance, entering the body, inhibits the growth of malignant and benign formations. The ability of dandelion to lower blood glucose levels allows the use of salads in the diet for diabetes.

Benefits of dandelion salad for weight loss

The calorie content of the green part of the dandelion does not exceed 38 kcal per 100 g of leaf mass. Properly prepared and seasoned plant salads not only do not threaten to put on excess weight, but stimulate the body to process accumulated fats.

The effect of losing weight with the regular use of dandelion leaves in salads is achieved due to the following properties of the herb:

• stimulation of the intestines, elimination of constipation, stagnation of waste masses;
• reduction of slagging, purification from toxins;
• normalization of metabolic processes, acceleration of metabolism;
• increased urine output, which relieves swelling, promotes rapid cleansing;
• stimulating the secretion of the stomach and gallbladder, which improves the digestion of food.

Against the background of a decrease in sugar levels and the breakdown of “bad” cholesterol, excess weight loss occurs more easily, which is effective even for diabetics.

How to make dandelion salad

The best specimens for salad are dandelion leaves, collected before flowering, taken from the center of the rosette. Ideally, if small green plates do not need to be cut and processed. The medicinal herb used in cooking has a specific taste, which, nevertheless, goes well with other products.

Dandelion Salad Recipe Rules:

1. Leaves, flowers, roots of the plant are used for cooking. Peeled roots for salads are fried or pickled, flowers and the green part are prepared in the same way.
2. Dandelion goes well with other salad greens: mint, nettle, parsley, dill, basil. It well dilutes compound dishes from any vegetables, it is especially expressive against the background of the neutral taste of cucumbers, zucchini.
3. The versatility of the plant allows you to introduce it into sweet, salty, spicy mixtures. Dandelion goes well with fruits, cottage cheese, salted and unleavened cheese, boiled or smoked meat.
4. Salad dressings perform different functions: lemon juice additionally neutralizes bitterness, sour cream or yogurt make the taste softer, mustard oil gives sharpness and piquancy, dressings with honey are original, and can also enhance the beneficial effect of dandelions on blood composition.

Sunflower, pumpkin, olive, linseed or sesame oils in the composition not only give different delicate shades to the taste, but also improve the absorption of nutrients. To obtain a balanced taste, it is recommended to infuse the salad before serving for at least 30 minutes.

How to prepare dandelion leaves for salad

An important condition for the usefulness of any salad is the quality of the products. In order not to bring harm to the body instead of benefit, dandelions must be properly collected in a suitable place, as well as properly processed before cooking.

Rules for collecting and preparing dandelions for salad:

1. The leaves should be green, evenly colored, without spots or color blotches. Spoiled raw materials can cause indigestion, vomiting, diarrhea.
2. The least bitterness in May leaves. Young greens may not require additional processing at all.
3. Summer dandelions are just as good as spring dandelions, but you need to get rid of the bitter taste.
4. Only salads made from dandelions collected far from roads and enterprises will benefit.

After collecting the leaves, they are sorted out, washed with cold running water, left to dry in the air. Soft, young plates, without pronounced venation, can not be cut, not soaked, so as not to lose a small amount of piquant bitterness.

Large, mature leaves before use should be held in this solution: 2 tbsp. l. table salt per 1 liter of cold water. Soaking time varies from 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the degree of maturity of the leaves. Salt removes bitterness and dissolves them in water. Prepared greens can be cut for salad.

Chinese Dandelion Salad with Sesame

The dish turns out to be light and healthy, it can be consumed by diabetics, included in diets for weight loss. Chinese dandelion salad has a bright taste and is especially good with sweet and spicy sauces. Adding plant roots to the recipe makes the composition even richer in nutrients, although only green parts of the plant can be used.

Ingredients:

• dandelion leaf – 100 g;
• dandelion root – 50 g;
• green or chives – 50 g;
• sweet pepper – 1 pcs .;
• vegetable oil (preferably olive);
• sesame – 30 years

Salt is almost never found in original Chinese salads. Its role is played by soy sauce, which gives any dish a national flavor. To obtain a universal salad dressing, mix in equal parts vegetable oil (sesame oil is appropriate in this case), soy sauce, wine vinegar, mustard with whole grains.

Preparation:

1. Prepared dandelion leaves are coarsely chopped or torn by hand.
2. If it is decided to use the root, it is pre-soaked along with the greens.
3. The root is washed, peeled, cut into strips, lightly fried in olive oil.
4. Cut the onion, cut the bell pepper into strips.
5. Combine all ingredients in one salad bowl.
6. Drizzle with dressing, sprinkle with sesame seeds thickly.

The dish is ready to serve immediately after preparation. The proposed dressing is suitable for any salads. Its composition is adjusted to taste by changing the proportions of the ingredients. If desired, honey is added to soften the taste or chili pepper for spiciness. The mixture prepared in advance can be stored in the refrigerator and used as needed.

Chinese Dandelion Salad with Peanuts

The Chinese flavor is given to the salad by dressing with soy sauce, to which an original ingredient is added to add spice – Chinese pepper paste with peanuts and sesame seeds. If desired, this mixture can be replaced with the universal sauce described in the previous recipe.

Composition:

• dandelion leaves – a small bunch (up to 150 g);
• arugula – in equal proportion with dandelion greens;
• young cucumber (with tender skin, undeveloped seeds) – 1 pc.;
• peanuts (whole or chopped) – 2 tbsp. l.

Preparation:

1. The cucumber is cut into strips without removing the peel.
2. Washed, dried arugula is cut into large pieces.
3. Dandelion leaves are cut lengthwise into long pieces or torn by hand. Young sprouts are added whole.
4. Peanuts are dried in a pan until a nutty flavor appears.
5. Green ingredients are combined in one bowl, poured with spicy-sweet dressing and generously sprinkled with nuts.

The recipe for Chinese dandelion salad with peanuts becomes the basis for other dishes when you add or replace certain ingredients in it. Replacing the sauce also drastically changes the taste of the dish. Often, with peanut intolerance, it is replaced with pine nuts, which does not change the method of preparation, and is also considered a variant of the classic recipe.

Dandelion and walnut salad

Another way to combine the sharp taste of spring greens with sweet notes and nuts. Seasoning a salad with local ingredients with Chinese sauces, you always get a fresh, bright taste.

Composition:

• soaked dandelion leaves – 150 g;
• medium apple of sweet varieties – 1 pc.;
• walnuts, peeled – 50 g;
• sesame – to taste.

For dressing, take in equal proportions (1 tablespoon each) the following ingredients: liquid honey, lemon juice, soy sauce, vegetable oil. All components are mixed until smooth.

Salad preparation:

1. Sliced ​​dandelion leaves, thin slices of apple are put in a deep bowl.
2. Sprinkle the mixture with lemon juice to preserve the color of the fruit pulp.
3. Pour over the sauce, lightly mix for uniform impregnation.

Sprinkle chopped nuts on each serving separately before serving. It is permissible to introduce various spices into the composition of the sauce to obtain unexpected flavor combinations: turmeric, coriander, ginger. In this recipe, it is recommended to avoid only hot pepper or mustard.

Dandelion salad with bacon

The dish is considered a classic example of French cuisine. The original salad recipe contains smoked bacon, but it can be successfully replaced with fried. In this case, the pieces from the pan are laid out on a napkin to remove excess fat, and dandelion root, fried after the meat, can be added to the composition.

Ingredients:

• bacon – 300 g;
• dandelion greens – 200 g;
• garlic – 1 large tooth;
• unrefined oil – 3 tbsp. l.;
• vinegar (preferably balsamic) – 1 tbsp. l.

Method of preparation:

1. Prepared dandelion greens are coarsely torn and placed on the bottom of a salad bowl.
2. The meat product is cut into strips or thin strips.
3. Smoked bacon is dried in a hot dry frying pan. Raw meat is fried until tender.
4. Cooled bacon is placed on top of dandelion leaves.

The sauce is mixed in a separate bowl of vinegar, oil, minced garlic into a pulp. Drizzle dressing over salad and serve without stirring. The dish can be sprinkled with white breadcrumbs, nuts or seeds.

Dandelion salad: a recipe with cottage cheese and fruit

An unexpected combination of products gives a bright, tasty result. This salad is a great way to offer dandelions to kids. For the recipe, you need a few blooming flowers.

Ingredients:

• peaches – 3 pcs. or dense apricots – 5 pcs.;
• cherry (fresh or frozen) – 200 g;
• raspberries, currants and other berries -50 g;
• low-fat crumbly cottage cheese – 250 g;
• dandelion greens – 200 g.

For the sauce, mix 1 tbsp. l. refined oil, honey, citrus juice (lemon, lime, orange). The berries are rubbed and combined with the resulting mass.

Preparation:

1. Washed, dried peaches and cherries are freed from stones, cut arbitrarily.
2. The curd mass is mixed with fruit, adding petals torn from one of the dandelion flowers.
3. The soaked leaves are laid out on a dish as a whole. The curd mass is placed on top.
4. The dish is poured abundantly with berry sauce and decorated with the remaining flowers.

Fruits can be replaced with apples, soft pear varieties, canned pineapples. As a watering, you can use any favorite syrup.

Dandelion, Cabbage and Egg Salad

The composition of the salad is more classic and familiar. As a dressing, use a few tablespoons of sour cream or unleavened yogurt, if you want to get an absolutely dietary product.

Ingredients:

• dandelion leaves – 100 g;
• fresh cucumber – 1 pcs .;
• white or Beijing cabbage – 300 g;
• eggs boiled – 2 pcs .;
• onion (small) – 1 pc.

Method of preparation:

1. Shred the cabbage finely. Cut the soaked dandelion greens lengthwise into strips. Cucumber cut into thin sticks.
2. Onion cut into half rings, marinate with vinegar.
3. Put vegetables and leaves in a salad bowl, season with sour cream, salt, mix.
4. Top with pickled onions, boiled egg slices.

You can exclude onions from the recipe or season the salad with vegetable oil and crushed garlic.

Dandelion and cucumber salad recipe

Another easy, dietary recipe with an exceptionally low calorie content. For salad, choose young cucumbers, from which you do not need to cut the peel.

Composition:

• dandelion (leaves) – 200 g;
• medium-sized cucumbers – 2 pcs.;
• green onions – a small bunch;
• celery – to taste;
• spice.

Salad preparation does not take much time. Cucumbers and greens are cut arbitrarily. Leaves are torn by hand into small fragments. Mix the salad, water it with a small amount of any vegetable oil. Celery is added as desired, peeling the top layer and cutting the vegetable into strips.

Recipe for Dandelion Leaf Salad with Carrots and Lemon Juice

A bright healthy salad is obtained by adding fresh carrots. Its sweetish taste perfectly sets off the piquant bitterness of dandelion. An even more appetizing look is obtained by adding yellow petals of one flower to the salad.

Ingredients:

• dandelion (leaves) – 100 g;
• carrots – 1 pcs .;
• juice from ½ lemon;
• unrefined oil – 1 tsp.

Preparation:

1. Raw carrots are rubbed on a grater with large holes. Dandelion greens are chopped randomly.
2. Pour the salad with lemon juice, vegetable oil, salt and pepper to taste.
3. Stir and let stand for about 20 minutes.

You can serve this salad right away. But the dish can stand perfectly in the refrigerator for about a day, gaining flavor.

Healthy dandelion salad with nettle

The exceptional usefulness of dandelion can be supplemented by taking another vitamin plant, nettle, as the basis of the salad. Young grass tops are less stinging but still need pre-treatment.

To get rid of stinging hairs on leaves and stems, it is not necessary to blanch the nettle, it is enough to pour boiling water over it, placing it in a colander. This reduces the pungency, while retaining more nutrients.

Vitamin Salad Ingredients:

• dandelion leaves – 300 g;
• nettle tops – 300 g;
• green onions and garlic feathers – 50 g each;
• fresh cucumber – 1 pcs.;
• boiled egg – 1 pc .;
• sour cream – 2 tbsp. l

Preparation:

1. Scalded nettles and soaked dandelion leaves are finely chopped.
2. The egg is finely chopped, the cucumber is cut into cubes.
3. Green onions and garlic are finely chopped with a knife.
4. All ingredients are mixed in one bowl, salted, seasoned with sour cream.

Nettle and dandelion salad recipe is useful to include in the diet of people who are weakened after serious illnesses or have been on a strict diet for a long time.

Salad of dandelion leaves, sorrel and plantain

A very healthy vitamin dish can be prepared from the first spring greens, using fresh leaves of such crops in equal proportions:

• nettle;
• sorrel;
• dandelion;
• plantain;
• to dull.

Any available greens are added to the salad: onion, dill, parsley, cilantro, basil. For 0,5 kg of green mass, take 2 boiled eggs and 30 ml of any vegetable oil.

Preparation:

1. Dandelions are soaked, nettles are scalded, all other greens are washed well enough under running water.
2. Leaves and aromatic herbs are finely chopped with a knife or passed through a meat grinder.
3. Eggs are boiled for 10 minutes, cooled, peeled, cut into slices.
4. The green mass is salted, seasoned with oil, mixed and laid out on a plate for serving.
5. The dish is served by laying egg slices on the salad, decorating with dandelion flowers.

In addition to the vitaminizing effect and the ability to stimulate the immune system, spring herbs have a positive effect on the functioning of the stomach and help cleanse the body.

Dandelion Salad with Cheese and Egg

Vitamin dishes with dandelions have many options. Hearty, delicious salad is obtained according to the recipe with cheese, apple and egg. As a dressing, use 2-3 tablespoons of sour cream.

Ingredients:

• boiled chicken eggs – 2 pcs. (or 4 quail);
• large dandelion leaves – 200 g;
• hard cheese – from 50 to 100 g;
• sweet apple – 1 pc.;
• sesame seeds – 3 tbsp. l.

Preparation:

1. Dandelion greens are prepared as standard and finely chopped.
2. Boiled eggs are finely chopped, the cheese is ground on a coarse grater.
3. The peel is peeled from the apple, the core is taken out, the pulp is cut into cubes.
4. Sesame seeds are heated in a pan until a creamy shade appears.
5. All ingredients are poured into a deep bowl, poured with sour cream, mixed.

The finished salad is served, spread out in portioned dishes, generously sprinkled with sesame seeds. Salt should be used with caution. If the hard cheese is salty varieties, it may be enough for a balanced taste.

Korean Dandelion Salad

The Korean version of dandelion salad is prepared like carrot cha with vinegar added.

Ingredients:

• young dandelion leaves – ½ kg;
• raw carrots – about 200 g;
• sweet thin-walled pepper – 1 pc.;
• rice vinegar – 6 tbsp. l. or regular table – 3 tbsp. l.;
• vegetable oil – 6 tbsp. l .;
• soy sauce – 3 st. l .;
• Garlic – 2 cloves;
• red pepper (hot) – ½ tsp;
• ground paprika – 1 tbsp. L.;
• sesame seeds – 3 tbsp. l .;
• salt – ½ tsp.

Preparation:

1. Carrots and sweet peppers cut into thin strips are mixed with soaked dandelion leaves.
2. Garlic is crushed into gruel, chopped onion greens are added, paprika, red pepper, sesame seeds are poured into the mixture.
3. Add soy sauce, vinegar, vegetable oil to the salad dressing, mix thoroughly.
4. In a large bowl, a salad mixture of leaves, carrots with fragrant dressing is mixed and kneaded.
5. After closing the container with a lid, leave the mixture in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours.

The marinated salad is served sprinkled with sesame seeds. The appetizer does not lose its properties for up to 5 days. The most balanced taste is observed after 2 days of infusion. Salad is stored in the refrigerator, placed in a food container with a tight lid.

Limitations and contraindications

Despite the usefulness of fresh dandelion leaves and salads based on them, there are several strict medical contraindications to such dishes:

• the presence of stones in the gallbladder, due to the risk of blockage of the ducts;
• gastritis, peptic ulcer of the stomach or duodenum against the background of high acidity;
• allergy to carotenes, individual intolerance to dandelions or any products in the composition of the salad.

Dandelion salad prepared in Chinese or Korean style with a lot of spices, vinegar, hot spices is not recommended for any disorders in the gastrointestinal tract and hypertension. With such violations, recipes with gentle ingredients, a minimum of salt, and no spicy additives are used.

Conclusion

Dandelion salad can be considered not only a vitamin dish, but also a medicine. However, even such a useful product can harm the body if raw materials are collected in contaminated places or used stale. All the benefits of salads, soups, sauces from dandelion leaves and roots can be obtained on the first day after harvest.