These Rhubarb Recipes help you welcome spring with one of nature’s prettiest veggies– rhubarb! These Rhubarb drinks, meals, and desserts will help you make the most of this pink vegetable’s short season.
I can’t remember a time when I was ever THIS READY for spring.
When winter started, I braced myself for cold weather, pulled out my winter boots and heavy wool coat, and decided to face the winter winds optimistically. And I did. (Mostly.)
I’m writing this after the calendar has officially declared “SPRING!,” but sadly– the weather forecast still screams “SNOW!” I AM READY FOR SPRING.
And so– to usher us all into those happy, gentle spring rains– lets take a moment to celebrate recipes that use my favorite spring veggie. Rhubarb Recipes.
What is Rhubarb?
Rhubarb is a tart spring vegetable that’s in season from April to June. (Some grocery stores might stock it year round.)
The long thin stalks look a little bit like celery, and are known for their bright pink or magenta color, but sometimes you’ll also find rhubarb that’s mostly green. This rhubarb is also delicious, it’s just a different variety. Rhubarb has poisonous leaves— don’t eat them!
Rhubarb or Rainbow Chard: I have, in the past, confused rhubarb with rainbow chard. Rhubarb stalks are often (but not always) sold without the poisonous pale green leaves. Rainbow chard has edible, large, dark, leafy greens on top.
How Do I Pick Out the Best Rhubarb?
The best rhubarb should be firm and glossy– similar to the best celery. Pass on the flimsy or wilted stalks. Keep your rhubarb in a cool, dry space (like the fridge), and try to use it within a week.
Quick Tip: Did you forget to use your rhubarb, and it went limp? Try soaking it in cool water for about 30 minutes to help perk it back up.
Rhubarb Recipes to Celebrate Spring
Unlike some vegetables, you probably don’t want to take a big ol’ bite of fresh, uncooked rhubarb. (I’ve tried. It doesn’t taste great. At all.)
Instead, check out these spring-tastic rhubarb recipes, and devour this pretty pink treat!
Pairing Tip: Strawberry and rhubarb are a classic sweet and sour combination.
Rhubarb Drinks
One way to prepare rhubarb is to cook it with sugar and a little water until it releases its tart, delicious juices.
The sweetened veggie can then be used in meals or desserts, and the sugar water is left transformed into a rhubarb simple syrup.
Rhubarb simple syrup is perfect for sweetening tea or lemonade, and of course– for cocktails.
Try a rhubarb pisco sour (from My Kitchen Love) or my favorite– rhubarb champagne!
Shopping Tip: Are you new at the whole “home bartender” thing? Check out this The Ultimate Bar Book
Savory Rhubarb Recipes
These main course rhubarb recipes will help you eat rhubarb all day long!
Start off your day with some rhubarb stuffed french toast, enjoy a mid-morning snack with strawberry rhubarb oat bars (from My Kitchen Love), have a rhubarb flatbread (from Abra’s Kitchen) for lunch, and finish off your day with rhubarb fish tacos.
Rhubarb Desserts
And finally, of course– you can eat rhubarb in your dessert.
This is probably how most of us tasted our first bites of the bright pink veggie– with good reason!
Rhubarb’s tartness is a delicious relief to a sweet dessert, and it’s fabulous in everything from ricotta cheesecake to this strawberry rhubarb galette (from Let’s Eat Cake).
Kelly - A Side of Sweet
I LOVE rhubarb and I love all of these sweet and savory options!
Gloria
When I was a kid, my grandmother had rhubarb growing in her garden. I still remember going and picking it…then eating it raw dipped in sugar. YUP it was tart….but we loved it. This collection looks delicious….lots of great recipes to make for sure.
Marlee
What a great roundup of rhubarb recipes. I’m always a fan of the strawberry pairing but I know that I need to branch out more!
Emily
I absolutely love rhubarb, all these recipes look amazing!