How To Grow Microgreens (And Why You Should)

Microgreens, as the name implies, are tiny greens that add color, texture and flavor to a number of foods as a garnish or ingredient. Also called “vegetable confetti,” microgreens are often found on restaurant menus and fresh grocery markets, but the delicate greens can also be grown at home.

How To Grow Microgreens

Use a wide, shallow tray – a pie pan or half of a take-out box is perfect. Instead of traditional soil, use a seed starting mix. It typically comes in a compressed brick form and becomes malleable with water. Get the soil damp, but not soaked. Put a small amount of your soil into your trays – you’ll likely only need about an inch of soil, slightly packed.

Choose which microgreens you plan to grow. Some of the easiest are broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, mustard, chia, sunflower or buckwheat. Sprinkle your seeds across the soil and cover them with a handful of soil from the tray, then pack the soil firm with your hands.

Water the seeds with a spray bottle and cover the tray with a plastic dome or wrap. When the seedlings have germinated, remove the cover. Remember to rotate the trays if you have them placed in a window sill.

Water the seeds daily. The crop is ready to harvest when the seedlings have grown about two inches tall. Use scissors to clip the greens, positioning the blades closest to the soil. Rinse the microgreens and you’re ready to eat!

How To Use Microgreens

• On a sandwich: These tiny bursts of flavor are perfect for a sandwich. They can offer a fresh, zesty taste and give the ordinary sandwich a boost with a crunchy texture.
• On a salad: Naturally these plants work well mixed with any leafy green salad. Each microgreen has its own unique flavor, so feel free to add several varieties to your salad.
• In a shake: If you don’t have time to sit down for a bite to eat, throw a handful of microgreens in your fruit or protein shake. You get the added flavor, plus, these little guys can offer up to 40 times more nutrition than fully mature plants.
• In a soup: Whether you use the microgreens as the finishing edible garnish, or you cook the seedlings into the body of the soup, the flavor will be robust.
• On a pizza: Why opt for delivery when you can whip out a homemade pizza with twice the flavor using microgreens? No need for added red pepper flakes or canned parmesan when you top the pie with these tiny greens.

Other ways to use microgreens are in sushi, spring rolls, stir fry, wraps, and fruit salads or salsas.