This recipe for edible flower salad features rose petals and chive petals, but really there are so many edible summer flowers that can be used. I love serving my flower salads with a light vinaigrette to as to not mask the delicate flavours of the flowers.
Floriphagia is the consumption of flowers as food. There are so many edible flours out there, and while the documented nutrition information is limited to ‘high source of vitamin C’ and ‘good source of antioxidants’, some may say that the benefits come from the energetics of eating flowers. I am sharing one of my favourite ways to eat flowers – a simple salad. A light vinaigrette helps to bring the salad together, without taking away from the delicateness of the flowers.
Making This Edible Flower Salad
- Edible Flowers
- Nutritional Value
- Salad Ingredients
- Instructions
- More Recipes
What Are Some Common Edible Flowers?
Here are some of my favourite common edible flowers:
- Dandelions (I’ve shared the health benefits of dandelions in my post Dandelion Root Benefits)
- Clover flowers
- Chive flowers
- Lavender
- Rose petals
- Calendula
- Pea flowers
- Squash flowers
- Violets
- Nasturtiums
- Daisy
Nutritional Value of Edible Flowers
Flowers can provide biologically active substances including vitamin A, C, B-vitamins such as riboflavin and niacin, as well as minerals such as calcium, phosphorous, iron and potassium (1). They also contain additional antioxidants (see What Are Antioxidants Good For)
Salad Ingredients
Choose your favourite summer produce to compliment the edible flowers. I love adding shaved carrot for the vibrant orange. Here are some suggested salad ingredients
- Kale or baby spinach
- Carrot, grated or shaved
- Cucumber, halved and sliced (optional)
- Peppers, deseeded and sliced (optional)
- Red onion, thinly sliced
A light vinaigrette pairs nicely with this salad. I’ve shared some of my top tips on how to build a salad dressing here The Ultimate Guide On How To Make Salad Dressing. For a simple vinaigrette all you need is:
- Vinegar, such as white wine vinegar
- Honey or maple syrup
- Extra-virgin olive oil, or another light oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
When selecting flowers to consume choose the best look petals and pick as close to when you plan to eat them as possible. Make sure your roses are from an organic, non-sprayed garden and when harvesting other edible flowers make sure they are from a non-spayed lawn and ideally away from major roadways.
To prepare the salad simply cut and wash your vegetables, and add petals from your desired flowers.
More Harvest Inspired Recipes
- Elderflower Cordial Popsicles with Lemon and Mint
- Lebanese Wild Fennel Pesto
- Dandelion Root Latte with Turmeric and Ginger
- 4 cups kale or baby spinach chopped
- 1/4 red onion thinly sliced
- 1 medium carrot grated
- 2 organic rose petals
- 2 chive flower petals
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey* raw
- 1/4 cup olive oil extra virgin
- sea salt
- pepper ground
- Wash and de-stem the kale if using, tear or cut into bite-sized pieces. Add to a bowl along with the grated carrot and sliced red onion.
- Prepare the flower petals by gently wiping the petals. I refer to not wash my rose petals as to not wash off any of the natural oils. Pluck the petals from the stem and add them to the salad.
- In separate bowl, mix together the white wine vinegar and honey. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Dress the salad with the vinaigrette. Enjoy!
Did you make this Edible Flower Salad? Please let me know how it turned out for you! Share it on Pinterest and leave a comment below. I would love it if you shared a picture of your recreation on Instagram so I can take a look, and be sure to tag me @theconsciousdietitian.
Edible Flower Salad with Rose Petals, Chive Flowers and a Light Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For The Vinaigrette
Instructions
Notes
Nutrition
References
1) Nutritional Content, Functional Properties and Conservation of Edible Flowers. Review. 2013.
Rachel Dickens is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator. She graduated with her Masters in Nutrition and Dietetics in 2010 from Griffith University and is currently a PhD student at UBC. She strives to provide evidence-based nutrition information with a focus on Indigenous Food Sovereignty while sharing diabetes-friendly recipes and tips for diabetes prevention.
This is absolutely fabulous! So vibrant! A perfect summer salad, for sure.
Thanks Stephanie! Another way to enjoy the roses this summer :)
This is so gorgeous. The dressing sounds divine.
Thanks Quincy! It’s nice and light which goes well with flowers :)