Chickweed is one of those herbs you may find hiding in your flower bed or growing along the edge of your house. It always shows up for me in the most unexpected places! If you find it in your neck of the woods, here are a few useful, delicious ways to add it to your diet!
Chickweed is great for external needs, such as rashes, acne, boils, itching, eczema, and more! Internally, chickweed is rich in vitamin C and in minerals, especially magnesium, calcium, and potassium. Chickweed is a contact healer, strengthens the bowels and stomach, dissolves plaque in blood vessels, dissolves fatty substances, is a good blood purifier, and has an anti-cancer agent. [1]
3 Simple Ways To Add Chickweed To Your Diet
1. A Salad
A salad is a very simple way to add chickweed to the diet. Our woods here are loaded with thousands of chickweed plants. We harvest a handful of chickweed plants {stems, leaves and flowers} and toss them with our regular salad.
2. Chickweed Smoothie
There are several different ways to make a yummy smoothie. Here’s one option:
Ingredients
- 2 cups of water
- 2 or 3 tablespoons of orange juice concentrate
- 2 bananas
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- Handful of chickweed
Blend well and enjoy!
3. Chickweed Pesto
We think this pesto is really yummy!
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh chickweed
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3-4 oz. parmesan cheese
- 3-4 oz. almonds
Put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Serve with chips or crackers.
Do you have a favorite way to incorporate chickweed into your diet? Which recipe would you like to try?
RESOURCES
- Keith, Velma J., and Monteen Gordon. The How to Herb Book: Lets Remedy the Situation. Mayfield Pub., 1986.
I don’t really use chickweed in recipes but these turned out amazing! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂