Microgreens Are Rockstars In The Kitchen And Good For You Too

@angelavegan55

Microgreens sound a little complex, but essentially they’re tiny, edible greens that are grown from the seeds of certain veggies and herbs. They’re bigger than sprouts, smaller than baby greens and harvested about 14 days after germination. At around one-to-three inches long, microgreens are used to enhance and garnish all kinds of dishes from soups to salads to sandwiches.

The most popular varieties of microgreens are peas, mustard, arugula, kale, endive, radish greens, lettuce, beet greens, watercress and basil. These greens can range in flavor from sweet to spicy, and they come in all different colors and textures. The flavors of these tiny greens are amplified. A bite of arugula microgreens could be bursting with peppery flavor and pea microgreens could have the freshest pea flavor you’ve ever tasted.

A post shared by Noosa Microgreens (@noosamicrogreens) on Oct 1, 2017 at 9:36pm PDT

In addition to soups, salads and sandwiches, you can use these antioxidant-rich tiny plants in smoothies or juices right before blending or as a topping on your flatbread or pizza, like this peach ricotta pizza with spicy microgreens. Garnish any kind of egg dish, omelet or quiche. You can also use microgreens on top of a taco or burger like this juicy salmon burger with cucumber, tzatziki sauce and spring onion and radish microgreens.

A post shared by @eatsandbeatsdc on Sep 30, 2017 at 4:24pm PDT

You’ll find microgreens at grocery stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, but you can also easily grow your own both indoors and outdoors. All you need is a pre-packaged seed mix and you can pick and choose exactly which microgreens you want to grow.

A post shared by Weed’s Greens (@weedsgreens) on Oct 2, 2017 at 5:37am PDT

For their size, microgreens pack a hefty amount of nutrients. Even though they’re tiny, they have about 40 times more of certain vitamins than their fully-mature counterparts.

Microgreens are a prime example of “less is more.” They pack in so much intensity because they’re harvested way earlier than mature plants and they have all of the antioxidants and nutrients needed for the full-grown version.

If you’re looking to pack a large amount of flavor into a smaller portion or as a garnish, these tiny plants are your rockstars.

A post shared by Angie (@angelavegan55) on Oct 2, 2017 at 11:30am PDT