sweet miscellany

Lovely summer amaranth greens are paired with shallots, chili pepper, and crushed peanuts for a simple stir-fry. This vegan and gluten free side dish recipe comes together quickly and is ready in under 15 minutes!

In case I haven’t mentioned it on here lately, summer in Houston is incredibly hot, humid, and long! Our summer produce often looks a little different than northern climates as it has to be adapted to growing in these conditions. The variety of leafy greens looks particularly different down here in the summer. Rather than kale or spinach, we turn to things like sweet potato greens, roselle greens, and amaranth greens. Each of these varieties actually yields a secondary crop as well: sweet potatoes, roselle hibiscus, and amaranth grain!

I started growing summer greens in my garden last year to experiment and became quickly smitten. Amaranth became a particular favorite because it produces lovely, mild-flavored leaves and in the fall, the most gorgeous magenta flower spikes! You can see them in this video if you like. Since this is the second year I’ve grown amaranth in my garden, I wanted to share my simple go-to amaranth greens recipe when I’m not feeling particularly creative at meal time. If you find yourself with some amaranth greens, I highly recommend giving it a try!

What are Amaranth Greens?

If you’re familiar with the amaranth grain, the greens are simply the leaves of the same plant. Amaranth is a common weed and is often referred to as “pigweed” when growing in the wild. Depending on the particular variety, the leaves and flowers of amaranth can vary in color from light green to maroon. The variety I grow and that you can see in the photos is called “Mayo Indian”. It has green leaves with pinkish veins and stems. In my opinion, amaranth greens are best enjoyed cooked. You can prepare them just as you would spinach or kale.

Where do I get Amaranth Greens?

In southern climates, they are common at farmers markets and farm stands. You can also find them at some Asian and Indian supermarkets. It’s also incredibly easy to grow them in your garden, especially if you’re in a warmer climate so I highly recommend giving them a go!

What do I need for this recipe?

You’ll need amaranth greens but if you can’t find them, you can use any mild-tasting option like sweet potato greens, Egyptian spinach, cowpea greens, or even regular spinach or kale. You’ll also need one or two mild chili peppers for a little spice but you can just as easily use a pinch of red chili flakes if you like. To round out the flavors you’ll also need coconut oil (or olive oil), a shallot, crushed peanuts, and tamari or soy sauce.

If you’d like to explore another amaranth recipe, try this soy-glazed eggplant with amaranth greens!

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