as an herbalist, i believe fully that medicine is something you should eat as well as take. prevention of illness can go a long way if you make it a habit to dine on nature’s bounty.

there are so many ‘weeds’ that grow commonly throughout the united states and even the world that are very nutritious and healthful. they include burdock root, dandelions (everything but the stem), violets, chickweed, plantain and red clover.

dandelions are one of the world’s most nutritious plants! 1 cup of dandelion leaves contains 1 1 / 2 times the recommended USDA daily requirements for vitamin A alone! It also contains vitamins B-1, B-2, B-5, B-6, B-12, C, E, P, and D plus biotin, inositol, iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc.

i won’t go into all the uses of dandelion, but i will tell you it is an excellent diuretic that does not deplete the body of potassium. so, anyone that needs to flush out their the liver and/or kidneys will benefit from drinking dandelion root tea and eating their greens.

this recipe is one i found online several years ago and then tweaked for myself. it is delicious and could have so many variations. the possibilities are endless.

cream of dandelion soup

4 cups chopped dandelion leaves
2 cups dandelion flower petals
2 cups dandelion buds
1 Tbsp butter or olive oil
1 /4 cup chopped wild leeks (or onions)
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups water
2 cups half-n-half or heavy cream
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp Butter
2 tbsp flour

Boil dandelion leaves in water. Strain and add more water. Boil again.

While boiling, sauté wild leeks/onions and garlic in butter until tender.

In a soup/stock pot, add 4 cups water, dandelion leaves, flower petals and buds, salt and sautéed onions and garlic.

Simmer 45 minutes. Add cream and heat until simmering.

While simmering, melt 2 tbsp butter and sprinkle in salt, mixing thoroughly until bubbly.

Add 1 /2 cup soup broth to mixture and whisk. When thickened, add to soup base.

Garnish with more dandelion petals. Serve with dandelion salad and some thick crusty bread.