mustard greens - 10 ways to use them

Mustard greens include many different varieties. The taste is similar to arugula/rocket but is often somewhat milder.
To be honest, at first I had no plans to grow mustard greens. I thought I would just stick to arugula, but then I got gifted some plants last year and they have made me love this vegetable. If you are already a fan of mustard greens, you can jump directly to ways of using. Otherwise, let me tell you why I think it has become a must-have for me.

reasons to grow mustard greens:

They are easy to grow

Mustard greens sprout quickly and willingly. They are also quite forgiving and even if they can tend to bolting (flowering), that doesn't necessarily have to be a disadvantage since there's a lot you can do wih the seeds, too.

They are hardy

All the common varieties that I have heard of tolerate both some shade and cold. This means that they can be grown both in spring and autumn and between the rows or in other places where vegetables that require a lot of light do not thrive.

They are pollinator friendly

Like all members of the brassica family, mustard greens provide plenty of both pollen and nectar for pollinating insects.

They are self seeding

I wrote about why I love self seeding plants here.

They can be used in many different ways

I'm about to tell you all about how I use mustard greens.

ways of using

leafy greens

Mustard greens are as mentioned very much like arugula/rocket and can be used in similar ways.. My favourites are:

Pizza topping

Whether it's a classic pizza or one with white sauce, it's best with a tasty topping. My absolute favorite is white sauce, mushrooms, garlic, onion, kale, potato and, after baking, lots of thyme, oregano and mustard greens and/or arugula.

Salad

Depending on how intense the mustard flavor should be, the salad can consist of just a little or only of these leaves.

Pesto

With roasted walnuts or sunflower seeds, olive oil, garlic, oregano and salt and pepper, it becomes a simple and good pesto. You can also use other nuts or seeds and add parmesan, firm goat's cheese, some lemon juice etc.

Garnish

For burgers, tacos, caprese, bruschetta, sandwiches and so much more. I would almost say that most dishes that tolerate a good deal of pepper also benefit from a portion of Asian lettuce and/or arugula.

seeds

The plants tend to flower early. While I don't think this is desirable with other leafy vegetables, it doesn't (anymore) apply to Asian lettuce. This year (2023) I could fill an entire jam jar with seeds from plants that had self-sown. They didn't even take up half a square meter in the garden.

Microgreens

In winter, it's nice to have some fresh greens from the windowsill. Sprouts and microgreens offer lots of vitamins and are easy to grow.

Spice

The seeds can be used just like mustard seeds for e.g. pickles and marinades.

Mustard

Also to make mustard, the seeds can replace mustard seeds. I mix equal parts seeds, water and apple cider vinegar and let it sit for a day. Then I grind it in a mortar (you can run it in a mixer to get a finer texture) and season with salt and brown sugar ( you can use honey instead).

Seeds

The seeds can of course be used to sow new plants, but more than that. Since you'll get so many seeds, they can easily be exchanged, given away or sold to other garden enthusiasts. (here is the link to mattilsynes rules for that (in norwegian))

Flowers

Pollinator buffet

Beneficial pollinating insects find a lot of nectar and pollen in the flowers and are therefore attracted to your garden.

Decoration

The flowers are edible and can be used for decorating food. NOTE: They also taste like mustard, although less intense, so I would advise against using them to decorate desserts.

Isn't it amazing how versatile a single vegetable can be? Have you tried mustard greens for anything other than salad? And do you have a favorite variety? Feel free to write a comment.

Happy Goating!