What better way to embrace the coming of spring than with vibrant foraged dandelion greens? This lush dandelion salad is doused in a generous Dijon vinaigrette, making it the perfect nest for a handful of gently-boiled eggs and fresh flowers. Happy spring y’all!
Dandelion… or pissenlit?
Several years back, when I was still a newcomer to the US, someone said to me, “Oh yeah, dandelion is a French word — you should know.” Well, not really. Because that’s not what we call the plant back home. At least, “dandelion” is not its most common name. And that’s what often happens when words merge into another language. They’re adopted and in the process preserve a fragment of the parent language even while the parent continues to evolve. Et voilà, you end up with two different designations for the same thing.
So yes, the word dandelion came to English by way of the French phrase dent de lion, or lion’s tooth, which refers to its leaves’ jagged edges. But today in France, the plant goes by pissenlit. This common name, from pisse au lit, pee in bed, points to the diuretic properties of the plant.
Thankfully, French people don’t overthink the meaning behind it, and pissenlit is just a name for the resilient plant that graces grasslands and damaged areas with its radiant yellow blooms.
A family affair
I can’t think of a time when dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) weren’t around. I mean, not just out in the world, but in the kitchen too. Take my paternal grandpa. He’s quite crafty and has often brewed cherry stem tea for us with the stems saved from his backyard tree. Among these other habits, he also fermented dandelion flowers in his basement to produce a clear wine. “Take a bottle for your friends,” he’d say with a grin, “but don’t tell them who it’s from or the authorities will come for me.”
As for dandelion greens, it was my mom who’d make salads once in a while with greens she’d picked. She’d come home on her vintage bike, her panniers full of things she’d traded with friends or gleaned around town. Sometimes it was ramps from the forest or elderflowers from a park; other times, it was dandelions from an abandoned lot. And in doing so, she paved the way for my own foraging practice.
Forever a forager
Dandelions grow in many places and don’t have toxic lookalikes, which makes them one of the best plants to forage. There’s Cat’s Ear that looks similar, but it’s edible too.
So, get out there, because if there’s any bit of greenery near you, there’s a good chance you’ll find dandelions. Remember, morning picking means tenderer greens. After a rain is great too. And only pick what you need, making sure to leave enough so the plants can grow back — and so you can return for more.
Sure, you can find dandelion greens at most grocery stores nowadays, but picking them yourself is more fun and will guarantee freshness. Dandelions wither fast once plucked because they’re so thin and can’t hold much water. I often pick a large handful at a time and refrigerate what I don’t use right away in an airtight container. They keep well for about 5 days that way.
As for the flowers, which are edible too, simply shake them free of critters and store in the fridge for about a day. Washing or storing them too long will result in closed-up buttons rather than pretty blooms.
A lush salad to bring more dandelion into your life
This recipe’s adapted from a book called Les bonnes recettes de nos grands-meres, Our Grandmothers’ Great Recipes. It was, indeed, given to me by my grandmother who must have found it an excellent way to “teach me” without having to actually teach me…
The original did include chervil, one of the classic French herbs reminiscent of parsley but more mellow. While I love it, I’ve found it’s hard to come by on this side of the Atlantic. Even savvy gardeners rarely grow it. So parsley and chives will do us just fine. Together, they bring extra freshness to this already lush dandelion salad.
The rest unfolds from the simple desire to eat freshly-foraged dandelions. Some butter lettuce (or romaine) mellows the flavors and adds crunch to balance the bitter edge and denser texture of dandelion greens.
And boiled egg bites give this salad a Niçoise vibe that’s seriously addicting. As an aside, I can’t stress enough that you seek eggs from pasture-raised hens, possibly at your local farmers market, if you want eggs that pack a punch. Hens are meant to roam around and eat grubs. That’s the only lifestyle that’ll make their eggs a fine food.
While the original recipe went for nasturtium, the bright orange summer flowers, I opted for dandelion flowers and tiny daisies, which are easy enough to forage alongside the greens. I also included rosemary blossoms for their stunning hue, but they can be too strong for fine palates. Throw in some pansies and violets for extra panache. I mean, does anything say spring better than flowers?
Bon appétit!
>> Looking for more salad recipes? Try my Baby Gems with Sherry Vinaigrette.
>>Need more flowers in your life? Check out my easy Nasturtium butter & Egg Cups.
What is your favorite way to eat dandelions? And what are your favorite edible flowers? Let me know in the comments below.
Lush Dandelion salad with eggs and mustard vinaigrette – Salade de pissenlit aux œufs durs et moutarde
Ingredients
- 2 pasture-raised eggs – see note
- 1/2 head butter lettuce, Boston lettuce, or romaine
- 1 handful young dandelion leaves (30g) – optionally, sub with half arugula
- 4 sprigs fresh curly parsley – sub with half chervil if available
- 8 sprigs chives
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar – or other, see note
- 1 tsp dijon mustard – preferably coarse grain
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp fine salt – or to taste
- edible flowers to decorate – dandelion, daisy, violet, pansy, or rosemary
- firm cheese shavings – optional
Instructions
- Boil the eggs: Take the eggs out of the fridge before heating the water, or they might crack from temperature shock. Bring a small pot of water to a boil, lower the eggs in the water, and put the lid back on. When the water returns to a boil, count 10 minutes. Lift the eggs out and transfer to a bowl of cold water. Tap them gently to crack the shells and let them cool. When cool enough to handle, shell them. Leave them to continue cooling in the water.
- Mix the vinaigrette by adding the vinegar and salt to a small bowl, whisk in the mustard, then the olive oil. Taste for salt and adjust if needed.Mince the herbs and add them to the vinaigrette to tenderize them.
- Wash the dandelions in cool water then let them drain.
- Wash and dry the lettuce if needed. Tear the larger leaves into bite-sized pieces. Chop the dandelion (and arugula if using) in 1/2 inch pieces as they can be hard to chew. Arrange the greens in a salad bowl or on a plate.Drizzle the vinaigrette evenly over the greens and mix gently.
- Quarter the cooled eggs, cleaning the blade after each cut. Top the salad with the quartered boiled eggs and fresh edible flowers to your liking.Optionally, top with some firm cheese shavings. Enjoy right away.
Notes
- The fresher the egg, the harder it is to shell.
- I used a blueberry infused vinegar made by macerating (frozen) blueberries in white wine vinegar at room temperature for a week. It adds nice color without adding much extra flavor. Feel free to swap with any vinegar you like: red wine, apple cider, champagne, etc.
- Dandelion is not recommended for those who are allergic to asters.
- Dandelions contain oxalic acid and since we’re eating them raw, I’d recommend eating them with calcium-rich foods like cheese (or oil-packed anchovies, if you eat fish).