5 Tart Rhubarb Recipes That’ll Add A Splash Of Pink To Any Dinner Table

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You know that pink celery-like vegetable that you always see near the kale section? That’s rhubarb. You may have seen the tart and fruity vegetable before, either in pie form or crumble form, but the thick stalks can be used for so much more than sugary desserts. Even though rhubarb is technically a vegetable, it’s mostly eaten as a fruit. It’ll add a rosy tint to anything you’re cooking up. Here are some easy rhubarb recipes to try out the next time you walk past the pink stalks in the grocery store.

1. Rhubarb Salsa

With its naturally tart flavor, rhubarb makes an awesome addition to salsa. Try this tangy rhubarb salsa with red onion, fresh rhubarb, peppers, jalapeño, tomatoes, lime juice, brown sugar and fresh black pepper. You could also the extra sweet route and make a strawberry rhubarb salsa with a little bit of lime zest, shallot, serrano chili and sea salt. Change things up from the same old tomato salsa and whip out the tortilla chips and crostini for dipping.

2. Strawberry And Rhubarb Mimosa

Since strawberry and rhubarb are a dream team, shake up a strawberry-rhubarb mimosa with any leftover rhubarb you have. You’ll have the ultimate sweet and sour cocktail on your hands with a mixture of sugar, water, strawberries, freshly chopped ginger, lime juice and chilled Prosecco. Garnish these babies off with fresh strawberry and mint.

You won’t have to worry about the drink being too sweet since rhubarb brings the tartness to the table. If you want to get really fancy, make some mimosa floats and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to each glass.

Unsplash/Brooke Lark

3. Rhubarb Muffins

Since rhubarb is awesome for baking, give rhubarb muffins a shot. They won’t be nearly as sweet as a rhubarb crisp or a strawberry rhubarb pie, but they’ll be perfect for breakfast with a little schmear of butter.

Try these rhubarb muffins with buttermilk. Your total time in the kitchen will be about 45 minutes and you’ll have a dozen muffins to eat throughout the week or a freshly baked treat for an office party.  Some other flavors that work well with rhubarb are orange, pear, coconut, almond, strawberry, ginger and lemon. Add some lemon zest and cut up strawberries to this muffin batter for a little extra fruitiness and tang.

4. Barbecue With Rhubarb Sauce

Marinades don’t always need to be savory. You can use tangy rhubarb as a sauce for your barbecue. You won’t regret it, trust us. This recipe for rhubarbecue has a sauce that’s all kinds of tangy and sweet. When strawberries, frozen rhubarb, red wine vinegar, bourbon, honey, Worcestershire and red pepper flakes come together, you know something good is about to happen. Use this rhubarb sauce for your ribs, pork, chicken, jackfruit, tofu or anything kind of protein or veggie in between. The pink vegetable tastes even better when it’s slow-roasted and caramelized.

Unsplash/Freestocks

5. Pickled Rhubarb

Forget cucumbers, pickled rhubarb stalks can be your new favorite sandwich topper. Try this pickling recipe with apple cider vinegar, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, cloves and star anise. Once you bring the pickling liquid to a boil, cover the jars of rhubarb with the liquid, tighten the lids and let it do its thing for about 48 hours. You’ll have two pints worth of rhubarb pickles that you can use for salads, sandwiches, tacos or Bloody Marys.

After playing around with a few of these recipes, chances are you’ll love rhubarb. It’s an easy secret weapon to have in your veggie drawer and it’s an ingredient that both savory and sweet lovers can compromise on. 

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