Spring is the air and dandelion greens are plentiful. Dandelion greens are AMAZING for detoxing and beautifying your body from the inside out. Most people think dandelion is just a weed that grows beautiful yellow and white flowers but they actually are one of the most healing greens you can buy. Dandelion is proven to reduce swelling, bloating and stimulate the digestive system to release toxins. You can say bye bye to water retention after travel, a heavily salted meal or eating too much.
This is my juice ingredient choice after a long trip away from home to reset my body. I’ve been drinking it all week after all the delights I experienced last week in California – I’ll be posting reviews of all of those eats and more Expo West highlights soon. Until then – Here’s the recipe I’ve been drinking. Warning – I think this juice recipe tastes great, but it may be a bit hard core if you are new to juicing. If you need a little sweetness you can add 1 green pear or 1 green apple.
- 1 bunch of dandelion greens
- ½ bunch celery
- ½ bunch cilantro
- 1 cucumber with ends removed
- 1 lemon with peel removed
- 2 inches of fresh ginger root
- Wash all vegetables thoroughly and place into a large bowl
- Juice each vegetable in this order – dandelion, cilantro, celery, ginger, cucumber, lemon
- Stir mixture before serving
- Clean juicer immediately
Off to watch the rest of the St. Patty’s Day Parade and turn the town green, dandelion green…
Food Babe
As an Irish girl I am avoiding all pubs today and heading to my fave veg restaurant for some wheatgrass and green juice! I don’t need one day to celebrate and drink – that’s our Irish right whenever we please 😉 (Plus I’m more of a champagne girl than a beer girl!)
You tell em’ sister! I’m not a beer drinker either…I love champagne too!
Do you recommend any champagne that is made with organically grown grapes or bio? (forgot the term). I love champagne and it tends to be my one indulgence over vacations. I hate to give it up.
I’ve never tried dandelion greens because I heard they were so bitter. However, you have motivated me to give them a chance. By the way, the lemon water and cayenne is having an amazing effect on my and my husband’s body. I feel 100% better than I did one week ago and we both have lost weight and and that terrible belly bloat. I’ve also lost my craving for sweet things.
By themselves, they are really bitter… I tried to eat them alone as a simple salad once – don’t do that. LOL.
The additional celery and cucumber help mellow them out quite a bit… I love that the lemon water is working for you! Yeah!!!!
Actually, dandelion green salad is excellent when prepared with equally powerful flavours….namely, LOTS of lemon juice, olive oil, finely diced onions, chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper….and make sure your dandelion greens are chopped into pieces no bigger than an inch…deeelicious!
It does sound good!
Oops…forgot the diced cucumbers!
Dandelion wine is wonderfull also, my Grandmother taught me to make and like it 😀
About the dandelion…. you mainly want to use the greens in the spring time. Harvest them while they are young (and smallish) this way they will not be as bitter and hard to take. They pack a punch with vitamins…
Dandelion greens are best when covered while being grown. Once their leaves darken they are bitter. We put tarps over ours, and they grow nearly one quarter as bitter. The good thing about dandelions is they grown pretty much anywhere, even in a basement.
After a quick perusal of the festival fare, we headed instead to Harvest Moon Grille after the parade. I loved the sign they had out front…’Eat local to stay green all year long’. Loved it!
Smart choice considering all the funnel cake and hot dogs I saw! I love that sign – it’s so true! See you on Thursday – can’t wait for pizza pizza pizza!
Wow. That was intense. I just received a juicer that can juice greens and this was the first recipe I tried. Thank you!
LOL – was this your first juice too? Yes, it’s intense! Dandelions are soooo amazing for you. Have you tried any of my other recipes? I think I am going to get some tomorrow, yeah!
Hi Food Babe,
First let me tell you how much I admire what you’re doing to educate others on healthy living. I recently discovered a health market close to our house (I’m in Orlando where chain restaurants abound and healthy living is the minority). I also had my first ‘juice’ a few days ago and really liked it. I’m now interested in purchasing a juicer but am lost on which product is best. I’ve heard Vitamix is the best but is not really a ‘true juicer’ whatever that means. Which do you suggest?
Mirelle – Thanks for your sweet comments and congrats on trying your first juice. I am going to be traveling down to Orlando for a wedding in Sept…do you mind sharing where you went?
A vitamix is just a high speed blender – it doesn’t juice the same way a standard juicer would. In my perfect world – I’d have both, a juicer and a vitamix for smoothies.
Check out this post for my recommendations of juicers – https://foodbabe.com/2011/10/23/day-2-all-about-juicers-recap/
Good Luck!
Hi,
The health market is called Hoover’s. They are actually in Apopka which is NW of Orlando. I’m sure compared to the plethora of health markets you have and speak of in North Carolina, this won’t be an equal comparison!
Van I,
I don’t have the financial resources to invest in a good juicer. I did however, compromise and purchase an immersion blender hoping that would still blend the veggies enough to be a juice. I haven’t been brave enough to try it yet though. Do you think this will work until I can afford a “real” juicer?
Hi there- it may be a weird question but do you just go right outside & pick the dandelions?
Can this recipe be used in a blender? If so, is there anything that needs to be added to help with blending? Thanks!
Great idea! So any suggestions where I might be able to get dandelion greens that are safe to eat? As in pesticide-free?
To those asking about where to find dandelion greens that are safe to eat… I get organic dandelion at Whole Foods.
Is there a reason you cut the ends off of your cucumbers before juicing? I’ve never done that and wondering what I’m missing.
Thanks!
I’ve always been in the habit of cutting off stems and such… no real reason to do it for organic vegetables I suppose.
My mom would cut off the ends of the cucumber and then take the ends and rub them on the opposite end that they were cut off. She said it helps to take some of the bitterness out of the cucumber. I am not sure if it works or not, I always do it just because that is what she told me to do.
Hey Maggie that’s funny about the ends of the cucumber. My mother used to do the same thing and told me the exact same thing about taking the bitterness from the cucumber. I found out later that it’s not true. It’s an old wives tale.
What is the water with lemon and cayenne pepper for? I usually just have water with lemon and not too sure why i do that.
First of all, lovee the new layout! Can’t wait to see what’s next! Random juicer question- I’ve been trying to find a relatively inexpensive one, but the ones you’ve posted are a bit pricey for me. I follow your posts, and I’m already so behind because I still don’t have a juicer yet :/ Do you know anything about Nutribullet? I would like to know if it was good for greens/veggies? If you know, I’d appreciate it so much! Look forward to hearing from you!
Just responding to the question about the Nutribullet. I’ve been using it for 3 weeks now and it’s the best kitchen product purchase I’ve made because it pulverizes greens to a fine juice while KEEPING all of the fiber. It also liquifies nuts and seeds (walnuts, chia, flax, etc) and there’s no messy juicer cleanup – just a rinsing of the cup that you make it in when you’re done drinking. I use kale, Swiss chard, and other bitter greens and any kind of fruit and nut around to make amazing stuff that makes my body feel so much healthier!
Thank you so much MaddyQ! I was really curious about it. I keep seeing mixed reviews and I really needed a trustworthy answer. I think I’m going to get it next week! Hooray 🙂
Ive been using my for several weeks and love my Nutribullet also. Nothings left but juice.
I have wondered the same thing about the Nutribullet. I wonder how long it will last with daily use though. Three weeks is not long enough to know how it will take the beating.
My friend has the Nutri-Bullet, but recently bought a Ninja blender, which she claims is cheaper than the Nutri-Bullet, and does a far better job of juicing. Just a tip – maybe check out the Ninja before you buy the Nutri-Bullet…
I have the original bullet blender, and have used it daily for smoothies and so much more, and it is STILL going! ( about 4 years old). A couple of the tabs for the locking mech, broke off, but if you hold it just right, it will still blend. I bought another set, just to have more of the large cups (NOT the ones with the handles) and for another base, when (IF!) this one ever finally bites the “bullet”…lol!
I love my magic bullet!
And for those posting that juicing is less effort for your body than blending for digestion with the fiber, I say: the fiber is broken down into teeny tiny pieces, so it really shouldn’t matter that much!
I used to juice, but got tired of wasting all the juice left in, and can’t afford a really good masticating one, which is (cheap): $300.00 to (NOT cheap): over $1,000.00!!!
I’ll blend any day.
http://www.youtube.com/user/rawfoods
I’m going to try that. I’ve heard that before about dandelions. Great diuretic. My boyfriend and I just started juicing and we just through everything into that machine. It’s awesome. Going to try your recipe. To Ruthie, we bought our juicer at Walmart it’s a GE was only $50. It’s great. What’s the lemon and cayenne thing?
Sounds interesting…by the way I tried the lemon juice & cayenne pepper, I sooo wanted to make it my go-to drink but my taste buds & stomach apparently didn’t get the memo. One sip made me gag, second sip made me nauseous, third GULP (trying to forge through) made me actually barf =( Wish I could’ve stuck with it especially after seeing posts of others’ success w/it.
Been there. The cayenne pepper is too overpowering for me and triggered a total gag reflex! I can do the warm lemon water though so I guess that’s better than nothing.
This is something I would love to try but I am a little scared because I have never “juiced’ 🙂 before. Do you think too many of the vitamins would be destroyed if I made these and froze them in batches for a quick grab-n-go?
Can you drink these juices while breast feeding? I would love to try it but I’m commented to feeding my baby for a year…9 more months to go!
Sara – you’d better check with your pediatrician.
Wow! This stuff is intense unless I added to much ginger. It felt like I took a shot of tequila and went straight for the lime. This is my first time trying it and its good so far. I’m trying to get use to it and drink it slow.
Hi Yamel, if you are new to juicing, it might be a little strong. You might want to try this one https://foodbabe.com/2011/10/22/kickin-kale-juice/
It is a little milder and you can even add a little more fruit at first and less kale and ginger until you get used to it. Gradually add it back in. Hope this helps!
I had to add a bit of water to dilute the taste and it was easier to drink. I just tried the kale juice and it is delicious. I did use a little less of the ginger. Thank you so much. I love the recipes.
Vani, I am off to purchase the super detox juice ingredients. I don’t juice, but do vitamix:) any revisions? like adding water, other liquid, etc,, that you can suggest?
Did you try it? Probably needed to add a little water?
Do you know happen to know if FDA Organic is free from poisonous ingredients?
Organic has less harmful ingredients and we think it is far superior to conventional in many ways. But organic products can contain some bad ingredients. https://foodbabe.com/2012/05/24/full-list-of-non-organic-ingredients-allowed-in-organic-food/#more-7028
With a slow juicer (Omega vrt 350) stored in a wine bottle with the Rabbit air pumping system, how long do tiy think the nutrients will last?
thanks,
New Follower
Vin
Wow. Great idea. I would think this would help significantly since exposure to oxygen is what causes degradation, but would be very interested in an educated response.
Older post, I know. But looking for good tasting juice recipes. For the detox juice recipe above, can I replace the dandelion with beet tops for the same effect? I am allergic to dandelion. What would be a good replacement? Thanks so much
Hi Kathy – sure any greens really will work – kale, spinach, chard, mustard greens, etc.
Good luck!
I was curious what your feeling are about the nuclear scare(s) after the disaster in Japan. I’ve done a lot of reading but I’m not 100% about any of the data. There seems to be some stories of contamination making landfall, affecting produce (especially of the leafy green variety), milk and tap water alongside the obvious seafood contamination.
Have any your readers mentioned anything concrete? If so, care to share? And if not, do you have access to the kind of equipment required to do some proper testing??
I know this reader would be very, very interested and I’m sure I wouldn’t be alone.
Cheers!
I have never juiced and am considering it. I am concerned about the fiber loss when only the juice is extracted, as I am a diabetic. I have heard that you can take the pulp (fiber) from the juicer and bake it to make “chips”. Have you tried, or heard of this?
Hi Linda – I haven’t tried it yet but I have heard of it. You can find some great recipes on-line. You can also use it in veggie burgers, vegetable broth, soups or compost it! Good luck.
Hi XoXo,
We have no dandelion growing here in Dhaka but we have bitter gourd and other vegetables. But many vegetables contain chemical insecticides and sprays as they are harvested before the residual effects have gone. For detoxfying ones body waht green juice we should be taking all year round? When is the best time of drinking green drinks in a day. Doest it have any side effects? What combination of vegetables can be used to make green drinks? Please suggest. Regards.
Mahfuz
There is some great juicing info in this post. https://foodbabe.com/2013/08/05/juicing-mistakes/
HI! What’s the lemon pepper juice thing? What are the amounts in the recipe?
Love this page! THANKS
What’s the reason for juicing vegetables in a certain order?
Those don’t look like dandelion greens to me. Aren’t they beet greens? Btw I blend beet greens. I like them.
I was thinking the same thing.
Hello food babe I would like to know about pest management on organic produce. How is it protected if no pesticides are used?
At our farm in Wisconsin, we use natural things for pest control, such as…cayenne pepper, marigolds, night tobacco, neem oil and free range chickens. You may need to burn some nasty diseased plants or till in the fall to disturb stubborn pest hideouts. Burning has other positive attributes. For the fruit trees we hang bottles of a concoction that was handed down from generations…it’s a solution of equal vinegar and sugar (we use 1 cup each), put in a used bottle, mix then throw in the peeling of one banana…then hang in tree leaving the cap off, bugs are attracted to the smell but can’t figure out how to get out of the bottle.
It’s also important to have good nutrition for the soil. Check out azomite. It’s amazing that when you have a good circle of life going on above and below the ground how things take care of themselves.
Would blending dandelion greens as part of a smoothie have the same benefits?
I juice, eat great, and exercise. I also struggle with leaky gut and kidney stones. The stones are formed with oxalic acid. Greens. What is your thought on the juicing of greens. I am sure there are some that are less toxic to this situation than others. Any thought appreciated.
Sue, for kidney stones, look into…Gallbladder & Kidney cleanse..Its a capsule & it works. Mine lasted a mere month, the docs wanted to do surgery right away, i said no! I did my research, came up w/ this & teas..(look up alternatives for gallbladder & liver), & bought this. That was about 6 yrs. ago..never had another episode~! good luck!
Hello,
Are the leafs you are holding in the picture above from Beets? I always wondered if those leafs could be juiced or have any beneficial nutrients.
Can this be a smoothie instead of a juice? I don’t have a juicer yet and have been making smoothies from many of your recipes. I have not yet tried to do a smoothie with dandelion greens yet. Thanks!
What about nutra- bullet? It doesn’t juice, pulverizes. Can I still get the same benefit?
You can make a nice healthy dressing with Vegenaise & apple cider vinegar for the dandelion salad. The company also uses solar power to run its’ facilities!
hi i am totally obsessed with ur blogs, i share with all my girlfriends we love u food babe!! Anyway lol random question is the nutri-bullet similar to a juicer or is it just a blender??
Recipe for the lemon an cayenne drink pls
Is there anyway to post the nutrition facts for this juice? I would like to know the amount of macro nutrients in this if possible please! Thanks!
I always thought as a vegetarian I was eating healthy…after reading many of your posts, I feel I have been clueless! I want to change how I eat and start my toddler on a path to a healthy life! Are all your juice recipes safe for breast feeding? I assume they are, but just want to check. Thanks for opening my eyes.
Several have asked for the recipe for the lemon and cayenne drink with no responses and the rationale for its’ use. I would like to know as well. Could someone please respond? Also, someone asked if you could use dandelion greens out of your own yard. This was not addressed either. ?????
BTW….new to this and FOOD BABE…you are a hit everywhere! WTG!
https://foodbabe.com/2011/12/27/habits-for-the-new-year-and-beyond-1-drink-lemon-water/.
For all you asking about the lemon and pepper drink. Just go to search, put in lemon and pepper…….the first item is the article you want.
I know it’s an old post but I’m really curious about using a vitamix instead of a juicer. I’ve noticed other people have asked that same question but there has been no response in regards to that question. I don’t own a juicer but would love to consume this. Thanks
I have a juicer and a vitamix.
The juicer spins a grate that effectively separates vegetable matter from the liquid. The liquid is collected in a reservoir and pours into your collector. The pulp is flung against the sides of the juicer in another container. You get the vitamins and minerals in the juice of whatever item you’re using. Things like Kale or Parsley or Dandelion Greens don’t contain much juice at all, while things like Cucumbers or Lemons or Celery contain quite a bit of liquid.
A vitamix isn’t a juicer but a blender – an industrial strength blender. It has blades that at high speeds are incredibly fast. It will turn all your ingredients into liquid, but, you have to add some liquid to cause all this to begin. Otherwise the blades will just spin. So add coconut water or almond milk or water. A vitamix keeps the pulp and fiber as well. So you get more calories, you get the fiber, and it’s more of a traditional “meal.” Also, if you have a lot of very sugary ingredients that you want to use, a vitamix is better because the fiber is important to balance the blood sugar spike you could get. (I don’t know the science on this, but I’ve read that’s important for diabetics.) So for example if you juiced apples and oranges and strawberries, you’d get an incredibly sugary drink, but in a vitamix their bulk would be present.
Oh, also… I wrote all that to write this… what I would do is juice the cuke, celery and lemon. Then pour that liquid into the Vitamix, and then add the dandelion greens, cilantro, and less of the ginger.
This way you get all of the potential value of the less “juicey” items because they remain wholly in the drink.
Be sure to shave the “bark” off the ginger before you use it.
BTW… I don’t peel the lemon, just dump it in there rind and all. It’s INTENSE but really good for you.
Foodbabe commented on the vitamix vs. juicer debate towards the beginning of the comments. I only own a blender as well, and have been doing searches to understand the difference and you just need to strain the pulp out if you don’t use an actual juicer. If you look at this article she wrote, it also explains the difference between juicing and smoothies…https://foodbabe.com/2013/08/05/juicing-mistakes/#more-14161…lots of search engines out there, Foodbabe and staff are busy saving the world, give them a break!
😀 right on
What is the significance with the order in which you juice the veggies?
Thank you for helping all us become more aware of what we put in our bodies. Pretty scary!!!
Do you have an opinion on the Nutribullet? Also, Can you replace the dandelion greens with anything else that is similar in nutritional value? I’m new at all this, but am trying to do better.
My grandma used to harvest dandelion roots dry them, grind them up and made it to coffee. I guess it has similar effects. Also the flowers can be use to make honey. Won’t taste the difference.
We grew up eating dandelion salad (probably a middle eastern thing). It was a summer staple.
One-2bunches chopped dandelion, chopped onion, lemon juice a little salt and olive oil! U can also sprinkle some sumac if u like. The sourness tones the bitterness down. delish
Vani, when you go to Orlando – bring an empty suitcase! Near the airport is the only good lululemon outlet in the US. By the way, the greens pictured in your post are not dandelion greens (solid green), they are Swiss chard (aka the rhubarb greens), which are very bad for those with kidney stones.
IMHO, investing in a good juicer is worth it. I say that because I am still using the Green Power juicer I bought in 1996. If you use a cold press juicer, then the heat does not kill the enzymes. What that really means to you is juicing once a week instead of daily. Much time is saved on prep and clean up. I store my juice in Weck 1/2 liter bottles. I mix the pulp with soaked flax seeds and make raw crackers in my dehydrator.
Vani, you lead a life I admire. Keep going!! Also, can you remind your foodbabe peeps to always soak their nuts? (it would make me really, really happy)
Respectfully,
Carrie
Love love love dandelion greens! I couldn’t wait for them to come back into season to add to my daily juice. I am a hardcore juicer but have a sweet tooth so always add an apple a day 🙂
I actually starting drinking dandelion tea about a month ago when I heard about it. It is horribly bitter for my taste, so I add lemon juice and honey to it. While I’m not noticing more poops or anything (I heard it’s a liver detox, and I always figure a liver detox = pooping, lol), but I did notice my PMS symptoms were practically non-existent 2 weeks ago. I didn’t bloat as usual, I didn’t have as much constipation as usual, my cramps were even half as bad as usual. Could be the dandelion tea, right? I have also been switching it up, drinking a mixed detox tea, ginger tea, and peppermint tea. I prob only drink the dandelion 2x a week.
What a coincidence…….I just made a juice yesterday with the same ingredients…..although I added 3 carrots and an apple as well. I have to say it was not my favourite. I wasn’t sure if it was the mix of cilantro with the ginger or the dandelions but something just wasn’t great. I drank all of it anyways. Glad to know it was worth the bitter taste.
Keep up the great work.
This sounds great, but can I use my Nutribullet? I don’t have a juicer