Wild garlic (or ramsons, if we're being proper) lends itself beautifully to simple cooking. Its flavour is softer, greener and less intense than its bulbous cousin, meaning it can be used generously, folded through risottos, blitzed into pestos, or scattered liberally over toast. The key is not to overcomplicate things; this is an ingredient that does the work for you. Here, then, are seven recipes that nail exactly what spring cooking should be.
Wild Garlic Soup
Borough Market
A classic for good reason. This is spring in a bowl: vibrant green, silky, and deeply comforting without feeling heavy. The Borough Market version keeps things pleasingly straightforward, allowing the wild garlic to shine rather than disappear into a muddle of competing flavours. Best served with thick slices of bread and, ideally, a window thrown open to the first properly mild day of the year.
Cook it.
Wild Garlic Risotto
Delicious Magazine
If ever there were a dish designed for a slow spring evening, it is risotto. This one is as soothing to make as it is to eat, the gentle stirring punctuated by the fresh, grassy lift of wild garlic folded through at the last moment. The result is bright but comforting – exactly the sort of dish that bridges winter's end and spring's beginning.
Cook it.
Posh Mushrooms On Toast With Wild Garlic
BBC Food
A reminder that the simplest things are often the best. Earthy mushrooms, good bread, and a generous handful of wild garlic come together in something that feels significantly more than the sum of its parts. Ideal for a languid weekend lunch, preferably eaten in a patch of sun with nowhere urgent to be.
Cook it.
Wild Garlic Soda Bread
Riverford
Soda bread requires no yeast, no proving, and very little patience – just a good mix and into the oven it goes. The wild garlic threads through the crumb, adding both flavour and the pleasurably smug satisfaction of cooking with ingredients that are as fresh as can be. Excellent with soup, or simply torn apart while still warm.
Cook it.
Wild Garlic & Cheddar Scones
Delicious Magazine
A slightly more indulgent take on the theme. The sharpness of cheddar paired with the soft, green note of wild garlic makes for a particularly moreish combination. These are the sort of thing that disappear quickly – best made for sharing, though we wouldn't blame you for keeping one (or two) aside.
Wild Garlic & Purple Sprouting Broccoli Ragout
Riverford
A proper celebration of the season's brief overlap: wild garlic at its peak and purple sprouting broccoli just on its way out. This is simple, honest cooking at its best – a soft tangle of greens, gently garlicky and full of flavour. Serve as a side, or pile onto toast and call it lunch; either way, it feels virtuous in the most satisfying sense.
Vegan Wild Garlic Pesto
Madelein Olivia
If you make only one thing with wild garlic, pesto is a strong contender. This vegan version is fresh, punchy and endlessly useful – spooned through pasta, swirled into soups, or spread thickly on sandwiches. It also keeps well, which is reason enough to make a generous batch while the leaves are still abundant.
FAQs: Wild Garlic
What exactly is wild garlic, and when is it in season?
Wild garlic (also known as ramsons) is a leafy green plant that grows in damp woodlands across the UK. Its season is brief – typically from March to May – which is precisely what makes it feel so special.
How can you tell wild garlic apart from similar-looking plants?
The simplest test is the smell: crush a leaf between your fingers and it should release a clear, garlicky scent. If it doesn't, don't pick it – there are a few lookalikes that are best avoided.
What part of the plant can you use?
The leaves are most commonly used, but the flowers are edible too and make a pretty garnish. The stems can be used as well, though they're slightly tougher.
What does wild garlic taste like?
It's much softer and greener than regular garlic – more fresh and herbal than pungent. This means you can use it generously without overwhelming a dish.
What's the easiest way to cook with wild garlic?
If you're new to it, start simple: stir it through buttered pasta, fold it into scrambled eggs, or blitz it into a pesto. It needs very little to shine.
