The last two weeks my fridge has been filled with greens. Greens like lettuce, pea shoots, kale, chard, and dandelion greens. It’s a great problem to have. All these greens force me to try new recipes. They’re a sign summer is here and I love that. And sure, I like the somewhat self-righteous feeling of eating my vegetables. At the same time, let’s be honest friends…there’s a limit to how much salad, sauteed greens, and green smoothies I can eat. My appetite and my palate need a change. Enter, this dandelion mojito.
I found this recipe idea from the Bitten Word. Immediately, I wanted to make something similar. I liked the idea of using the leaves of a weed to make something fun and delicious. Also, Ryan and I were having our friends Ryan and Shane over for pizza night, so I knew I’d have a captive audience who’d be open to testing a cocktail.
This was my first encounter with dandelion greens. Let me tell you they are biiiiiiiiiiiitter! Have you ever had wine with a lot of tannins; where all the moisture feels sucked out of your mouth? That’s how I felt when I munched on a raw dandelion green only that feeling lasts way longer. If any of you out there eat dandelion greens raw, please tell me more. What do you put on them? How can you stand it!?
To cut the bitter taste, I blanched the dandelion greens first. Blanching is quickly boiling the greens and then shocking them in an ice bath. This step is totally optional. If you like bitter flavors, forgo this and go straight to making simple syrup and blending the ingredients.
Some people really enjoy bitter flavors. I feel, as an adult, I’m supposed to shy away from sugary drinks but I’m not quite there yet. For me, the blanching did the trick. The greens still had their flavor, but subtle, enjoyable, and didn’t take over my mouth.
This recipe is truly a lovely summer cocktail. It has all the characteristics of a mojito (rum, lime, sugar) but with the unique twist of dandelion greens instead of mint. The slight bitter taste from the greens is grown up, refreshing and springy. The lime, rum, and sweetness doesn’t hurt either. What started as a hard to eat leaf, turned into a really easy drinking cocktail. I loved it.
The boys seemed to like it too. From time to time, Ryan, Ryan, and I talk about opening a pizza restaurant and we discussed having the dandelion mojito as a signature cocktail on our menu. So I’ll call that a win. Hope you’ll give it a try too. Either in your kitchen, or maybe in our future restaurant…
Adapted from the Bitten Word.
Messy level: The dandelion mojito is a little unusual because it’s not that clean to make. You’ll need a pot for blanching, a pot for simple syrup, and a blender to make puree, and then a sieve to separate the solids. Admittedly it’s a little bit of work. But it’s the kind of yummy cocktail you could charge $12 for… or at the very least impress some friends at a dinner part.
- 1 bunch dandelion greens (~3/4 cup thinly sliced greens)
- ¼-1/3 cup agave, more or less depending on taste
- ½ cup water
- 4 limes, plus more for garnish
- 1 liter, seltzer water
- white rum, optional
- Optional step if you want to reduce the bitterness of the greens: Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the dandelion greens and let boil for 30-45 seconds. Use tongs to remove the greens from the water. Submerge the greens into a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Dry greens as best you can.
- Remove the stems and roughly chop the greens.
- Combine agave and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Once simmering, remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. (Note: if you like sweeter drinks you can add more agave to the water, but don't go more than ½ cup)
- Blend the dandelion greens and agave syrup using an immersion blender, blender, or food processor (Note: I used an immersion blender because the amount of stuff was too little for my blender to get it)
- Pour the puree into a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl. Use the back of a spoon to press out the liquid. Dispose of the solids that don't go through the sieve. Some solids will get through, but they're tiny and it's ok.
- Juice the 4 limes into a pitcher. Through the lime rinds in after the juice. This will add more flavor.
- Pour the dandelion puree and seltzer over the limes. Taste. Adjust with added lime juice or agave if you want it more tart or more sweet.
- Add rum directly to the pitcher if you'd like. I prefer to keep it separate so it can be added to the tastes of you and your guests. I went with about ½-3/4 of a shot glass per 8 oz glass.
- Serve over ice and with a lime wedge for garnish.
