Don't fight chickweed, invite it into your kitchen. And if it isn't growing as a weed in your home, look for it. The wild weed can definitely be found somewhere nearby. Chickweed provides plenty of nutrients, accompanied by a mild taste.
How can I use chickweed in the kitchen?
Chigweed can be used in various dishes such as green smoothies, salads or pesto as it is rich in vitamins, minerals and plant proteins. When collecting, pay attention to possible confusion with the slightly poisonous field gauchheil.
Every day is a collection day
Fresh edible plants usually only delight us for a short part of the year. Chickweed is different. The wild herb even grows on cold winter days as long as the temperatures are not below zero. It overwinteres green. It shows us its small, white flowers mainly between March and October. The plant can be collected and used in dishes at any time.
The ingredients
Fresh chickweed has many he althy ingredients to offer us. Here is an excerpt from it:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin A
- Potassium
- Phosphorus
- Magnesium
- Copper
- Silica
Just 50 grams of chickweed is enough to cover the full daily requirement of vitamin C. The wild herb is also rich in plant proteins.
Healing effect
Raw chickweed also contains a substance called aucubin. This is a glycoside that has a strengthening effect on our immune system and also slows down the aging process.
Chuckweed also has healing powers for illnesses that have already occurred. In homeopathic form it helps well with rheumatism and gout. Pastor Kneipp trusted her healing powers for lung problems, mucus and hemorrhoids.
Tip
Look carefully when collecting, as there is a risk of confusion with the slightly poisonous field gauchheil.
Chigweed in green smoothies
The easiest and best way to use chickweed in your own diet is to add it to green smoothies. Since the herb is neither heated nor significantly changed in any other way, all nutrients are retained.
If the wild plant is processed immediately after collection, the loss of so-called secondary plant substances is low. These are increasingly becoming the focus of research. It could well be that they are far more important for our he alth than previously thought.
Tip
To ensure a variety of flavors in this he althy drink, the chickweed can be combined with other herbs or even fruit as desired.
Chigweed as a salad
Chickweed spreads over large areas, so when collecting, you will usually discover many plants at the same time. Although the leaves and flowers are small, the mass is enough to fill an entire basket with them. Take a pair of scissors with you so you can cut the chickweed close to the ground. After a few days or weeks you can stop by again and harvest the new growth.
Chigweed can be prepared as a salad in the same way as a garden-grown lettuce.
Tip
Collect the chickweed far away from busy roads or paths where dogs pass.
Chickenweed pesto
Here is a recipe for a green pesto with chickweed:
- 2 handful of fresh chickweed
- 2 garlic cloves
- 100 ml good olive oil
- some s alt and pepper
- 50-100 g grated Parmesan
- 50 g pine nuts
- Roast the pine nuts in a pan and let them cool.
- Wash the chickweed thoroughly, let it dry and then cut it into small pieces.
- Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until fine.
The pesto tastes good with pasta and boiled potatoes. It can be stored in the refrigerator for many days, preferably tightly closed in a jar.
