This creamy wild dandelion soup is delicious and nourishing, and it tastes best in spring when dandelion greens are at their most tender.
Dandelions pop up everywhere in the spring and summer. While some people call them pesky weeds, I love to use them in recipes and remedies as they are edible and incredibly nutritious. Moreover, every part of the dandelion is edible and foraged in different seasons. While greens are best to collect in early spring when they are tender, roots in autumn.
When eating dandelions, I usually start with the greens in early spring, incorporating them into smoothies, pesto, soup, pasta dishes or salad. Next, I gather the dandelion buds and make pickled capers. Then, as the season progressed, I moved on to the flowers, making delicious dandelion fritters, honey, jelly, or dandelion cupcakes.
This hearty soup is easy to prepare and perfect for those chilly days when you want something warm, tasty, and comforting, such as nettle or rosehip soup. It is a delicious and satisfying treat with cleansing and anti-inflammatory properties.
In this recipe, I will explain how to prepare a delicious creamy dandelion soup and discuss its health benefits.
How to harvest edible dandelion greens
Identify them: Dandelions grow in abundance and are one of the easiest plants to identify, making them ideal for beginner foragers. Look for their bright yellow flowers and jagged, tooth-shaped leaves growing in a rosette close to the ground — a shape that inspired the name dandelion, from the French dent de lion (“lion’s tooth”).
Choose a clean spot: Harvest from clean, untreated lawns or natural areas away from roadsides and pesticides. Your own garden lawn is often the safest place. Forage ethically by taking only what you need and leaving plenty behind.
If foraging isn’t an option, dandelion greens can also be found at farmers’ markets, health food stores, or specialty grocery shops.
When do dandelion greens taste the best?
Timing makes all the difference when harvesting dandelion greens. The best flavor comes from leaves picked in early spring, before the plant flowers. At this stage, the leaves are young, tender, and pleasantly mild.
As the spring progresses and the plant gets more sunlight, dandelion greens grow tougher and much more bitter. For the best taste, choose the small, inner leaves from the center of the plant.
Why eat dandelion greens
Dandelion leaves are a highly nutritious food source, packed with essential vitamins such as A, B6, and C, and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, and potassium. They also support good digestion by stimulating the flow of gastric juices and increasing the excretion of bile. Additionally, they are rich in inulin, which helps beneficial bacteria in your gut thrive. Furthermore, dandelion greens exhibit a strong diuretic effect, which helps to flush out the kidneys and bladder.
Ingredients to make creamy and vegan dandelion soup
- Extra virgin olive oil. Or any other neutral oil.
- Garlic minced
- Onions finely chopped
- Dandelion greens. Preferably tender if you prefer lower the bitterness.
- Potatoes. Any, including sweet potatoes, will do.
- Vegetable stock, or you can also use clear chicken broth for nonvegetarian versions.
- Lemon juice to balance the flavor
- Sour cream
- Salt and black pepper to taste
See the recipe card for quantities.
Creamy Dandelion soup recipe
First step: Prepare dandelion leaves.
Wash the dandelion greens thoroughly and remove the tough stems. Chop the greens into small pieces.
Second step: sauté the onion and garlic.
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion
and minced garlic, and saute until the onion becomes translucent.
Third step: Add broth and cook the potatoes.
Add the cubed potatoes and vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Cover and cook the potatoes for 15 minutes, until they soften.
Fourth step: Add dandelion greens.
Add the chopped dandelion greens to the pot, and cook for another minute, stirring occasionally, until the greens wilt.
Fifth step: Blend the mixture.
Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until it’s smooth and creamy. For additional creaminess, stir with a whisk a dollop of sour cream. This will create a rich and creamy texture and mellow out the bitterness of the dandelion greens.
Sixth step: Season
Add one tablespoon of lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Serve the homemade soup hot, garnished with chopped dandelion greens, flowers, or roasted sunflower seeds..
How to serve it?
- Serve hot, drizzled with a little extra olive oil and garnished with roasted sunflower seeds.
- Add a squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of vinegar to balance the earthy bitterness.
- Top with freshly grated Parmesan, pecorino, or a spoonful of crème fraîche.
- Serve with crusty Italian bread, sourdough, or rustic rye on the side.
- For a heartier meal, add a soft-boiled egg or serve alongside roasted potatoes or root vegetables.
Substitutions
Dandelion greens
If you don’t have dandelion greens, spinach or kale are great substitutes with a similar texture and plenty of nutrients.
You can also make a nutritious soup using cauliflower and broccoli. instead.
Potatoes
Swap potatoes for other starchy veggies such as sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, or parsnips. For extra protein and fiber, red lentils work beautifully as well.
Vegetable bouillon
Vegetable bouillon can be replaced with chicken or beef stock, depending on your preference.
Lemon juice
If you’re out of lemon juice, apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar will add a similar brightness. You can also use orange juice for a gentle sweetness, as I did in this orange carrot soup.
Variations of homemade soup
Mushrooms
Add sautéed mushrooms to your delicious soup for extra depth of flavor. You can use any mushrooms you like, such as cremini, shiitake, or oyster mushrooms.
Spicy
A pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes gives this soup heat. You can also add diced jalapeno peppers for an extra kick. I like to add a cumin too.
Tomato
Add a can of diced tomatoes to your soup for a tangy and sweet flavor. You can also add fresh herbs like basil, parsley, cilantro, or oregano to complement the tomatoes.
Kale, cauliflower or broccoli
Add steamed kale, cauliflower, or broccoli to the soup to balance the bitterness.
Soups Tips and tricks
- If you’re not used to eating bitter greens, use fewer in the soup. While the greens add a pleasant and subtle bitterness to the soup, it may not appeal to everyone, especially kids. Starting with a smaller amount of dandelion greens may be a good idea.
- When you miss the young leaves and use matured dandelion leaves that are more bitter, boil them in a pot of water for around 5 minutes. This can help to reduce their bitterness and make them more palatable.
What does homemade dandelion soup taste like?
Dandelion soup has a unique, slightly bitter flavor that varies depending on the age of the greens. Many people describe it as earthy, nutty, or grassy. The addition of lemon juice or vinegar adds brightness.
How to store the hearty soup?
Let the soup cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container. I prefer using glass containers. Store in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.
You can also freeze the soup in freezer-safe containers or zip-top bags for up to 3 months.
Wild and creamy dandelion soup recipe
This creamy wild dandelion soup is delicious, nutritious, and best to eat in spring when dandelion greens are most tender.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Dandelion greens
- 1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil.
- 3 Garlic cloves minced
- 2 Onions finely chopped
- 2 medium Potatoes diced
- 2 cups Vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice to balance the flavor
- 1 tablespoon Sour cream
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash the dandelion greens thoroughly and remove the tough stems. Chop the greens into small pieces.
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic, and simmer until the onion becomes translucent.
- Add the cubed potatoes and vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Cover and cook the potatoes for 15 minutes, until they soften.
- Add the chopped dandelion greens to the pot, and cook for another minute, stirring occasionally, until the greens wilt.
- Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until it's smooth and creamy. For additional creaminess, stir with a whisk a dollop of sour cream. This will create a rich and creamy texture and mellow out the bitterness of the dandelion greens.
- Add one tablespoon of lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- Serve the homemade soup hot, garnished with additional chopped dandelion greens, flowers, or roasted sunflower seeds.
- Dandelion greens are most tender in early spring, before flowering. Harvest young inner leaves from the center of the plant, especially where they grow in abundance across untreated lawns — they’re milder and less bitter.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 319Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 732mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 7gSugar: 8gProtein: 8g
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This was such a delicious and creative soup recipe! My family really enjoyed it and I’ll make it again!
My backyard is FULL of these right now, and I had no idea that you could use them in so many edible ways! About to start in on this for dinner – it smells heavenly!
I ran out of lemon juice so I used apple cider vinegar instead and it turned out so well! My dandelion soup is so creamy, hearty and comfy! New go-to comfort food!
This soup was incredibly flavorful! It was my first time cooking with dandelion greens and I enjoyed it.