Radicchio
Radicchio is almost the same as escarole in terms of flavor, but it couldn’t look more different. This purple vegetable is often cut into small strips and put in salads for extra crunch and decoration, but Italian cuisine favors it cooked, rather than raw, such as in risotto or bakes. Radicchio should be used when fresh, as time increases its chewiness and bite. Plus, vegetables lose their nutrients after sitting out too long, so an older radicchio doesn’t offer as much potassium or magnesium in its leaves as a young one does.
Photo: david owen (cc)
Kale
Like cabbage, raw kale’s hard on our digestive system. Its flavors are only enhanced by steaming, sautéing, or cooking it slightly—you can even roast its leaves and make kale chips. It’s a common ingredient in winter soups and adds fun chewiness to stir-fries. Like most leafy greens, it contains vitamins A, C, and K.
Photo: sweetonveg (cc)
Dandelion Greens
These look like weeds, but throwing them away would be a waste of vitamins—they’re full of vitamin A, iron, calcium, and magnesium. They get bitter with age, so older leaves are great cooking ingredients, whereas the fresher leaves would do well simply dressed. Dandelions can become a great side dish when sautéed with olive oil, garlic, and various spices; or simply chop them up and throw them in a pot of soup. They’re often used as a salad base, provided the leaves haven’t gotten too sharp.
Photo: Satoru Kikuchi (cc)
Watercress
This is a mustard-family plant, so expect spiciness in the first bite. With watercress, a little can go a long way, which is why it’s almost never the main star of a dish. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be used in a variety of ways—throw some in a salad bowl, purée it in soup, or make a sauce with it if you really enjoy the taste. However, strong flavor’s not its only attribute. A 2007 study at the University of Ulster, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, linked daily watercress consumption with cancer prevention. This green also has calcium and vitamins A and C.
Photo: David Blaine (cc)
Luckily, fall and winter are when many leafy greens thrive, so there’s no time like the present to go to the farmers market or grocery store and start experimenting. Given their impressive nutritional profiles and variable uses, we have no excuse not to embrace leafy greens in our diets—after washing them thoroughly, of course.
