Eat Lamb's Quarters

Chenopodium album, also known as lamb’s quarters, goosefoot and pigweed, is a type of flowering herbaceous plant that is commonly found in warm, temperate areas. Though it’s sometimes mistakenly identified as a weed, lamb’s quarters have historically been harvested for food due to their availability and versatility. With the right preparation and a little creativity, both the leaves and seeds of the plant can be introduced to a host of your favorite recipes—the key is to draw on your knowledge of closely-related items like spinach and quinoa when experimenting with exciting new flavor combinations.

Steps

Eating the Greens

1. Put them in a salad. The delicate crunch of the leaves make it a perfect addition to salads filled with fresh, organic ingredients. Pile just-picked lamb’s quarters with sliced bell peppers, grape tomatoes, broccoli florets and other healthy veggies, or keep it simple with a handful of pine nuts, some crumbled feta cheese and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
   • The flavor of the raw greens is subtle enough to make it suitable for sweeter salad varieties as well, with ingredients like strawberries, mandarin oranges, cottage cheese and candied nuts.
   • Slice the leaves into thin strips using a mandoline or herb scissors and incorporate them into a colorful slaw.
2. Boil or steam the leaves. Blanch the greens in a pot of boiling water for 2-3 minutes to soften them, then drain the excess water, season with salt, butter and cracked pepper and serve. Alternately, lamb’s quarters can be steamed to make them more tender. When cooked, the starchy leaves should relax while retaining a bit of their firmness and crunch.
   • You can also sauté lamb’s quarters with oil and minced aromatics after lightly heating them to infuse even more flavor.
   • Be careful not to overcook the greens, as this can make them limp and soggy. A couple of minutes should do the trick.
3. Add them to a soup. Tear the leaves into bite-sized morsels and stir them into a hearty broth. Feel free to incorporate a few of your other favorite ingredients, like roasted corn, wild rice or fresh herbs. Lamb’s quarters pairs especially well with rich cream and cheese-based soups, so it can even be used to fill out a chowder.
   • Try simmering a traditional offering like minestrone or posole using lamb’s quarters as a special ingredient.
   • Soups and stews are a good way to put stored lamb’s quarters to use during the cold winter months when the plant tends to die off.
4. Blend them into a smoothie. Combine fresh, rinsed lamb’s quarters leaves with fruits and veggies like kale, avocado, cucumber and kiwi to mix up a nourishing and all-natural green concoction. Enjoy a smoothie for breakfast, after tough workout, as a meal replacement or anytime you need an extra boost of clean energy.
   • For a smoother, sweeter flavor, include a few slices of banana or a scoop of matcha powder.
   • Raw lamb’s quarters are naturally high in essential nutrients like calcium, magnesium and vitamin C.
5. Use them in place of spinach. Since lamb’s quarters is so much like spinach in terms of flavor and texture, the leaves of the plant make it a fine substitute in recipes like omelettes, quiche and pasta.
   • Plan on adding a couple extra minutes to the cook time for older plants, which may have a slightly tougher consistency.
   • Make lamb’s quarters a part of a traditional spinach and artichoke dip the next time you host a get together or throw a Superbowl party.

Eating the Seeds

1. Roast lamb’s quarters seeds. After bringing home and washing a haul of lamb’s quarters seeds, spread them out on a baking pan and drizzle them with olive oil. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 350°F (176°C), or until they just begin to brown. Afterwards, they’ll have a delightful crunch and smoky, savory undertones.
   • Season roasted seeds with seasoned salt, garlic powder or dried coriander for a bolder flavor.
   • Snack on the seeds by themselves, or use them to top salads, oatmeal or yogurt.
2. Cook the grain like rice. When stripped of their chaff, lamb’s quarters seeds yield a grain very similar to quinoa. Place the naked grains in a rice cooker or saucepan with a 2:1 ratio of water and cook them until they’re plump and fluffy. The result will be a soft, earthy hot cereal that is just as delicious with butter, honey and cinnamon as it is with onion and a dash of curry powder.
   • Try lamb’s quarters grains as an alternative to ordinary quinoa or couscous.
   • Spice the grain appropriately and swap it out for rice in vegetarian burritos, stir fries or gumbo.
3. Grind the seeds into a flour. Funnel a few handfuls of whole seeds (cleaned and rinsed) into a food processor of coffee grinder. Pulse the seeds into a coarse meal, or blend them longer to produce a fine flour. You can then use the flour to bake bread or bind heavy ingredients in other recipes.
   • The flour made from lamb’s quarters seeds is naturally gluten free. This makes it a cheaper option than many of the prepackaged gluten-free flours you’ll find at health food stores.

Using and Storing Lamb's Quarters Properly

1. Use only wild-picked greens. In general, it’s safest to harvest lamb’s quarters in secluded, out of the way areas. Plants that have been treated with pesticides or smothered with fertilizers may contains traces of toxic chemicals that can be harmful if ingested.
   • Stay away from plants on or near commercial or residential properties, including yards, gardens and roadsides.
2. Rinse the leaves thoroughly before cooking with them. Place the leaves in a colander and run them under a stream of cool water, tossing them by hand occasionally. For a more thorough cleaning, let the lamb’s quarters soak in a shallow bowl of water for several minutes. Swish the leaves around to loosen any remaining dirt and debris.
   • The leaves of young lamb’s quarters are coated in a fine powder-like substance which wards off insects and allows the plant to retain water. It’s important that you completely wash away this powder before eating the leaves.
   • If you plan on cooking with the greens right away, press them between layers of folded paper towels to absorb excess moisture.
3. Store lamb’s quarters in the refrigerator. Lamb’s quarters can be preserved like other similar greens. The best way to do this is to wrap a bundle of rinsed leaves in a damp paper towel, then insert the bundle into a plastic bag and stick it in your refrigerator’s crisper drawer. The less time the leaves spend exposed to air, the longer they will last.
   • When stored properly, fresh lamb’s quarters leaves should last 3-5 days before they begin to wilt.
   • Preserve cooked leaves by transferring them to an airtight Tupperware container and refrigerating them. Try to use up the leftover greens in 2-3 days.

Tips

• Look for lamb’s quarters leaves at health food stores and farmer’s markets specializing in fresh local produce.
• If you’re harvesting lamb’s quarters yourself, be sure to bring along a bag, basket or bucket to collect the leaves in.
• You typically won’t have to venture far to find usable lamb’s quarters—there’s a good chance you may even have some growing on your own property.
• Lamb’s quarters leaves tend to shrink quite a bit when cooked, so stock up if you intend to serve large amounts.

Warnings

• Avoid seeking out wild lamb’s quarters on private property, or anywhere else that you’re not supposed to be.
• Before you eat anything that grows in the ground, make sure you have no doubt about what it is. It can help to familiarize yourself with the physical characteristics of the plant before setting out on a foraging expedition.

Sources and Citations

See also

• Make Vanilla Sugar
• Make Oregano Olive Oil
• Make Italian Seasoned Chicken
• Chop Basil Leaves
• Eat Wood Sorrel
• Eat Chicory
• Use Ginseng Root
• Eat Purslane
• Eat Kudzu
• Eat Heartsease

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