How to Use Microgreens
Microgreens can be used in salads, shakes, cold and warm dishes and enjoyed by themselves.Microgreens can bring a surprising amount of flavor, texture, and color to dishes.Are you looking to step up your culinary game at home with fresh, nutritious microgreens? If you just grew your first tray or needed some new microgreen recipe ideas to share with your customers, we've got you covered with some great recipe ideas.
Here are a few of the ways we like to enjoy our freshly grown microgreens:
1. VeggieBowls withMicrogreens
These curly pea tendrils added to this vegan bbq bowl add both flavor and protein.
Layer the cooked rice, beans, corn, fresh avocado, and bbq tempeh.
Top with a light bbq sauce and vegan sour cream.
Mixing the fresh greens with warm cooked vegetables, beans, and rice creates a texturally, exciting, playful dish.
2. Microgreens as a Side Dish
A simple beet salad made with broccoli microgreens, roasted beets, sea salt, pepper, and a light squeeze of lemon juice served as a side-dish to beet-loaf and mashed potatoes.
Microgreens can serve as a flavorful side of greens to compliment any dish the same way one would use kale or spinach.
3. Avocado Toast with Microgreens
Avocado toast topped with fresh tomatoes, a balsamic glaze, and broccoli microgreens.
Or try the avocado toast with sunflower sprouts, pumpkin seeds, and goat cheese for a savory flavor.
Tip: For a "spicy" avocado toast, try topping with wasabi, arugula, or radish microgreens.
4. Adding Microgreens to Pasta Dishes
Garnish pasta dishes, like this linguine with hummus cream sauce with sautéed mushrooms and tomatoes.
You can also add fresh microgreens to soups and sauces. Adding microgreens to carb-heavy meals helps to balance the dish while adding loads of nutritional value.
(Check out:What can Microgreens do for your Health?)
5. Fresh Microgreens Salad
With so many microgreens varieties to choose from, the salad possibilities are endless. Using several different microgreen varieties in one salad adds dimension and the opportunity to layer flavors.
Add grated ginger, sliced purple cabbage, onion slices, radish, lemon zest, fresh olive oil, sea salt, and ground pepper to finish.
Tip: Drizzle a bowl with salad dressing or oil and toss the salad for better coverage
Microgreens Varieties for Salad
- broccoli
- kale
- lettuce
- purple kohlrabi
- red acre cabbage
- chia
- basil
- spinach
- pea shoots
For more spice- try adding rambo radish, arugula, curled cress, or Asian mustards.
Easy Salad Dressing
- 1/2 olive or avocado oil
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp coarse ground black pepper
6. Topping Sandwiches with Microgreens
Microgreens take sandwiches to "deli" quality right in your own kitchen. The fresh greens provide the perfect crunch. Use microgreens in place or in addition to lettuce on a sandwich.
Add spicier microgreens such as leek or radish for added kick!
7. Adding Microgreens to Fruit Smoothies
Microgreens add loads of vitamins and are a great way to add fiber to your morning smoothie. Blend a cup of fresh fruit, microgreens, water/yogurt/or milk, chia seeds, and honey.
Tip: Freeze leftover microgreens from harvested trays to add to smoothies.
Best Microgreens for Smoothies
- Kale
- Spinach
- Purple Kohlrabi
- Broccoli
- Pea Shoots
- Beet
8. Making Fresh Pesto from Microgreens
Micro Arugula, Basil, Radish and many other varieties can be made into amazing pesto. This is also a great way to use up an unsold tray or can be used as an added-value product for your microgreens business.
Simple Arugula Microgreen Pesto
- 2cup arugula micros
- 3Tbsppine nuts
- 4 peeledcloves garlic
- 1/2tspsea salt
- 4Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- 2-3Tbspextra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- 4-6Tbspwateror as needed for consistency
Combine and blend in food processor, stores for up to a week in refrigerator, or frozen for about a six months.
9. Juicing Microgreens
Make fresh juice from microgreens. Pea shoots, broccoli, wheatgrass, and kale microgreens are commonly juiced. Add lemon to your fresh juice for added enjoyment.
Tip: If you don't own a juicer, blend greens with water in a high powered blender. Strain juice through a cheesecloth.
10. Stir-fry Dishes with Microgreens
Microgreens can be sauteed or added fresh to stir fry and asian noodle dishes. There are some really great Asian green varieties of microgreens that are sure to elevate your stir fry.
Popular Asian Microgreen Varieties
- Daikon Radish
- Purple Shiso
- Mizuna
- Wasabi
- Tatsoi
- Shungiku
- Mitsuba
- Pak Choy
Want to learn more about growing microgreens? Check outLEARN HOW TO GROW MICROGREENS AT HOME: A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE.
Photo Credit:@culinarybiography
