I am the queen of the boring salad.
Honestly, you could fall asleep eating one of my salads. Face first, right into the romaine.
I know I'd eat more salads if they were more enticing. A couple of chopped up carrots, lettuce and a dressing just isn't cutting it.
The Ingredients Are Right There in Your Garden
But now I've discovered all the ways you can use flowers in salads! The ingredients were there all along, thriving in my garden.
I remember my mom raving about the dandelion salad her mother used to make. Yet, I never tried making it. However, if I'm to eat salads more, creativity and my garden have to play an important role.
Fortunately, many flowers are edible as well as nutritious. And what could be better than a salad that not only looks pretty, but provides some vitamins and nutrients as well?
I found some excellent lists of edible flowers and I'll post those references at the end of this blog post. For now, here's a small sampling of the various flowers you can eat. I've included some nutritional information for each flower as well, but I encourage you to check out the excellent resources at the end of this post.
Another thing I didn't know about edible flowers is that many of them contain high amounts of calcium. If there's another way I can get more calcium in my diet since I have to avoid dairy, I'll be happy to try it.
A Special Shout Out to Chicory (Cichorium intybus)
I'm amazed at how nutritious the chicory plant is. You might know that it's an ingredient for coffees, but it gives us so much more. Almost every part of the chicory plant can be used. Research has shown that chicory is a good source of antioxidants and prebiotics to help support healthy digestion, blood glucose control, and immune function.
Just a few other benefits chicory is believed to provide are: supports a healthy gut microbiome, may improve blood sugar control, could support weight loss goals because it helps regulate appetite, and it provides antioxidants.
I have a tea towel featuring a recipe for chicory salad if you're interested. I haven't tried it yet, but it definitely will be a meal in the near future.
Cautionary Words About Using Flowers in Recipes
First of all, before you go foraging for flowers, it's best to raise your own so you have a good idea what you’re eating. Don't use flowers that you purchase from a florist. I don't use any chemicals in my yard, so I'm not too worried. Of course, I'll still wash them thoroughly before using them.
I found a great site at Team Flower which provides excellent instruction on how to prepare flowers for use in recipes.
Other Pretty and Tasty Ways You Can Use Flowers
Floral Spreads
Mix colorful petals into softened butter or cream cheese to create a colorful and flavorful spread for breads and crackers.
Floral Teas
Add flower petals like lavender or chamomile to honey for a sweet and flowery twist. Use the floral honey for tea or as a spread on toast.
Pretty Ice Cubes
Get out some ice cube trays, fill them with water and drop in a few petals. Such a lovely floral touch to drinks!
Decorative Touches
Use pressed petals to decorate cookies or cakes.
Flower Salts
You can find very useful tips on how to prepare flower salts on the Sustainable Holly site.
Next spring, I'll create an edible flower garden right off my patio. I'm so looking forward to some colorful and tasty salads that will make lunches and dinners a more colorful and nutritious experience.
Find More Information About Edible Flowers
Edible Flowers Guide - Thompson & Morgan website
Edible Cultivated Flowers - Eat the Weeds website
Marigold Flowers: A Potential New Superfood - Feb 2025
Where to Buy Edible Flowers: This author lists a few places where you can find quality edible flowers.
Cover photo courtesy of Yoav Farhi, Unsplash