What Are Microgreens?
You may have seen these little greens—formally known as microgreens—stylishly topping your meal as garnishes or dressed in vinaigrette as a salad. But what exactly are microgreens, other than the obvious fact that they are very small in size?
Microgreens are essentially seedlings of edible vegetables and herbs, and while they’re hugely popular now, seemingly available in every café and restaurant, microgreens have actually been incorporated into the dishes of many chefs since the ‘80s.
The varieties available since their introduction has grown immensely—only arugula, basil, beets, kale, and cilantro existed. That number has grown to over 25 varieties now.
Microgreens are going in popularity and are not only used by chefs and restaurants, more and more people are using them at home! They are easy yo grow and they are becoming easier to find if you want to purchase them. The best places to buy microgreens are local farmers markets and local microgreen growers.
Are Microgreens Good For You?
Studies have shown that microgreens are loaded with nutrients, such vitamins, C, E, and K, lutein, and beta-carotene, 40 fold than the mature leaves of the same plants.
Like its full-grown counterparts, the levels of these nutrients vary across the wide array of microgreens. Of course, mature vegetables could never be replaced, providing you with the necessary fiber that your body needs, but microgreens fill in all of the other gaps in your dietary needs.
Microgreens Have A Ton Of Flavor!
Just like how they’re concentrated in nutrients, they’re also packed with intense flavors, featuring complex flavor profiles. Microgreens can also provide a nice textural contrast. Add a few microgreens to that dish, and your food can go a long way.
Take purple radish for example. These tiny microgreens are ready for harvest in as little as 6 days, and they taste just like a spicy radish!
Our favorite is arugula! It’s so small but has a huge arugula taste!
How Do You Use Microgreens At Home?
Microgreens are so easy to use! We have a tray or two on our kitchen counter all the time. When we’re ready to use them, we just clip some off and put on whatever we’re cooking! We don’t usually cook the microgreens, just put them on top of what we’re cooking. They can be added to a salad, used to top off a soup or sandwich, add some flavor to a burger, top off your morning eggs…literally almost anything!
