Red clover is considered a weed in the garden and in fact you should think twice before sowing meadow clover in the garden. But it can be worthwhile for lovers of natural cuisine, because red clover is edible and goes well with many vegetarian dishes.
Can you eat red clover and what can it be used for?
Red clover is edible and is suitable as an ingredient for a wide variety of dishes such as soups, salads, rice or as a decoration on vegetable and cheese platters. It should be consumed raw if possible to preserve its he althy ingredients.
Red clover goes well with these dishes
You should eat red clover raw if possible, because then the he althy ingredients are largely retained. The wild herb is particularly popular in vegetarian and vegan cuisine. It is used for:
- Soup
- Salad
- Rice
- Decoration
If you don't have red clover in your garden, collect it from organically managed meadows or along field edges where there aren't too many dogs running along them.
How to use red clover for food
Red clover has a mild taste. You can enjoy leaves and flowers in all dishes to which you also add cress. Use the flowers for soups and as a topping for bread. They are simply sprinkled on top. Use leaves and flowers in salads.
Are you bored with plain rice? Pick a few of the red clover flowers, pluck out the individual flowers and mix them into the finished rice.
The flowers look very pretty as an edible decoration on vegetable and cheese platters.
Red clover as sprouts
Red clover sprouts contain a lot of protein, minerals and trace elements. For sowing, use a germinator that you can set up in the kitchen.
After sowing, it takes about a week until you can harvest and eat the sprouts. Red clover sprouts are used in the same way as cress sprouts. However, they are much milder in taste.
Preparing red clover for eating
Shake red clover well after collecting. The flowers are visited by many insects, including bees and bumblebees.
If possible, rinse the flowers and leaves very briefly under cold water before adding them to food.
If you cannot use the collected red clover straight away, hang it upside down in a warm, dry place in a bouquet to preserve it for several months.
Tip
Red clover has a digestive effect. You should not consume too large quantities of it at once. For most dishes, a small bouquet or a few flowers are enough.
