What is it?

Microgreens have long been used in professional kitchens as an attractive garnish. These tiny fresh herb or vegetable seedlings are grown from seeds planted in soil and exposed to sunlight (as opposed to sprouts, which are not planted and grow without sunlight). They’re picked as soon as they’ve developed very small leaves off their stems, which are cut just above the soil line during harvest. Despite their tiny size, microgreens pack a more intense flavor than their mature counterparts, and recent studies show they may be more densely packed with nutrients, too.

Don’t have it?

If you can’t find microgreens, good substitutes are pea shoots or the smallest leaves from fresh herbs.

Recipes

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  Recipe

  Layered Summer Salad

  This salad-in-a-glass does two great things: The presentation makes a hearty salad much more visually appealing. Also, by using grains and beans as accents (instead of weighing down the salad…

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  Recipe

  Pizza with Lemon and Burrata

  Creamy cheese and paper-thin slices of lemon make an incredible bite of pizza; the tang of the fruit marries well with the mellow cheese. Use a large serrated bread knife…

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  Recipe

  Salmon Lox with Onion Jam and Avocado

  A traditional beet cure (also called gravlax) gives the salmon a beautiful jewel-toned gradation of color that adds a real wow factor when serving.