Lamb's quarters, also called wild spinach, is an edible weed and an excellent, nutrient-packed spinach alternative. I use it to make delicious spanakopita triangles or just scramble it with eggs and feta cheese. It can also be enjoyed raw in a salad or added to sandwiches.
Often dismissed as a weed, lamb's quarters is also called pigweed and goosefoot because the shape of the leaves resembles a goose's foot. It thrives in disturbed soil, popping up along garden edges, sidewalks, open fields, and along building edges.
If you've ever yanked this silvery-green plant from your garden bed, you may have unknowingly pulled out and discarded a superfood. In this post, we'll explore how to identify and forage lamb's quarters and how to turn this wild green into something worthy of your kitchen table.
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What is Lamb's Quarters?
Lamb's quarters (Chenopodium album) is one of the most common and underappreciated wild edible greens in North America and beyond. It's part of the same plant family as quinoa and beets. It's packed with nutrients like vitamins A, C, and K, and calcium, iron, and protein.
Think of it as wild spinach, but often more nutritious and far easier to grow, or rather, to find. You'll recognize lamb's quarters by its distinctive features:
- Leaves: Diamond or goosefoot-shaped with a soft, velvety coating, especially on the undersides.
- Color: Often has a slight bluish or silvery tint due to a natural powdery coating (a sign you've found the right plant).
- Stems: Upright and grooved, sometimes tinged with purple. Growth habit: Fast-growing, often found in sunny, disturbed soils such as garden beds, construction sites, and field edges.
It grows from spring through early fall, thriving in heat and poor soil, where more delicate greens wilt away. Unlike many wild edibles that need special prep or are bitter or fibrous, lamb's quarters is tender, mild, and easy to use.
How to Harvest and Clean Lambsquarters
Once you've positively identified lamb's quarters, harvesting it is as simple as plucking young, tender stems and leaves. The best part to eat is the top growth; these are the most tender and flavorful.
The idea is to pluck leaves from the plant instead of pulling the entire plant up by its roots. This way, you can return and harvest more when there's new growth.
Foraging Tips
When to harvest: Mid to late spring through early fall, ideally before the plant goes to seed.
What to bring: A basket, cloth bag, or paper bag (avoid plastic, which wilts greens fast), and maybe a small knife or scissors if stems are tough.
The best parts to take: Young leaves, tender stems, and flowering tops. Avoid older leaves on mature plants they can be tougher and accumulate more oxalates.
How to Clean
Lamb’s quarters can carry a bit of grit, especially on the powdery undersides of the leaves. Give them a cold water soak in a large bowl for a few minutes, swishing gently to loosen dirt. Repeat rinsing 1–2 times in fresh water until no grit remains at the bottom of the bowl. Pat dry or spin dry if using raw or before storing.
Cooking with Lamb’s Quarters
If you’ve ever cooked with spinach, kale, or chard, then you already know how to cook with lamb’s quarters. Its flavor is mild, slightly earthy, and surprisingly rich—somewhere between spinach and quinoa greens. It wilts quickly, holds up well to heat, and adapts easily to a wide variety of dishes.
Easy Ways to Use Lamb’s Quarters
- Sautéed: A simple sauté with olive oil, garlic, and a pinch of salt is one of the best ways to enjoy it. Add a squeeze of lemon or a dash of chili for a little flair.
- Soups and Stews: Toss in a few handfuls at the end of cooking, just like you would spinach.
- Egg Dishes: Fold into omelets, frittatas, or scrambled eggs.
- Grain Bowls: Mix with rice, quinoa, or lentils for extra greens and texture.
- Pesto: Blend with garlic, olive oil, nuts or seeds, and cheese (or nutritional yeast for a vegan version) for a foraged take on pesto (see spruce tip pesto recipe).
- Smoothies: A handful of young, clean leaves blends well into green smoothies.
Pro Tip: You can also blanch lamb’s quarters and freeze them in small portions—perfect for winter soups or stir-fries. It’s a fantastic way to preserve the abundance of summer!
Foraging Safely: Look-Alikes & Best Practices
While lamb’s quarters is generally easy to identify, safe foraging always means being 100% sure before eating anything wild. Here are a few key tips to stay safe and forage responsibly:
Watch Out for Look-Alikes:
- Black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) or other species in the nightshade family (Solanaceae). Unlike lamb’s quarters, it has:
- Leaves: Oval or lance-shaped with smooth or slightly wavy edges.
- Texture: Smoother, glossier than lamb's quarters.
- Stems: Often green and more delicate.
- Flowers: Small, star-shaped white flowers with yellow centers.
- Fruit: Green or black berries (which are a key red flag).
- Toxicity: Contains solanine, a potentially harmful compound, especially in unripe berries or leaves.
- Lamb’s quarters has a dry stem, and its powdery leaf coating is a strong clue.
When in doubt, consult a foraging guidebook (for example, The Forager's Guide to Wild Foods). You can also find an experienced forager, or use a plant ID app like Seek or PictureThis. Never eat something unless you’re absolutely confident in its identification.
Forage Responsibly:
- Avoid polluted areas: Don’t harvest near roadsides, industrial areas, or sprayed fields.
- Harvest lightly: Take no more than ⅓ of any plant population to ensure it can regrow.
- Follow local laws: Some parks and public lands prohibit foraging—check first.
Scramble Eggs with Lamb's Quarters and Feta
Here's a quick and easy way to enjoy lamb's quarters: Sauté in butter with eggs, garlic, and feta cheese. So delicious, and ready in under 5 minutes!
- Melt butter in a skillet, then sauté washed and dried lamb's quarters for about a minute.
- Pour two scrambled eggs over the wilted lamb's quarters and mix to combine. Add crushed garlic.
- When the eggs are almost set, add feta cheese and season with salt and black pepper (to taste).
- Plate scrambled eggs and enjoy!
Disclaimer
The information provided in this blog post is for educational and informational purposes only. Foraging for wild plants, including lamb’s quarters, carries inherent risks. Always ensure proper identification before consuming any wild plant, as some species may be toxic or easily confused with harmful lookalikes. If you are uncertain, consult a local expert or field guide. The author is not responsible for any adverse effects resulting from the use or misuse of information provided here.
FAQ
Yes, young lamb’s quarters leaves can be eaten raw in salads or smoothies. However, like spinach and chard, they contain oxalates, so it’s best not to overdo raw consumption. Cooking reduces oxalate levels.
Wrap unwashed greens in a damp paper towel and store them in a breathable bag in the fridge. They’ll keep for up to 4–5 days. For long-term storage, blanch and freeze them in portions.
As with any foraged plant, proper identification is essential. Also, because of its oxalate content, people prone to kidney stones should moderate their intake. Avoid harvesting from contaminated soil or sprayed areas.
Pro Tips
- Look for the silver dust. That powdery, silvery coating on the underside of the leaves is a signature feature of lamb's quarters. Don’t wash it off until you’re ready to cook!
- Younger leaves are more tender and less bitter. Regular picking can encourage new growth if you’re harvesting from a wild patch over time.
- A quick 1-minute blanch in boiling water helps preserve color, texture, and nutrients if you plan to freeze for later use.
- If you’re harvesting from a semi-wild or home patch, let a few plants flower and seed—you’ll have more next year without planting a thing.
- Even though it’s prolific, leaving plenty behind supports pollinators, wildlife, and future foragers.
Learning to forage is about more than just free food—it’s a way to reconnect with the land. You may not find lamb’s quarters at your local supermarket, but it definitely belongs in your wild pantry!
Whether you’re sautéing a handful for breakfast or stocking your freezer with wild greens, cooking with lamb’s quarters is a reminder that good things often grow right under our noses. All it takes is the willingness to look.
Have you foraged lamb’s quarters before? Do you have a favorite way to cook with it? I’d love to hear your stories, tips, or questions in the comments below!
More Foraging Recipes
If you enjoy this lamb's quarters recipe, check out these other related blog posts!
Recipe
Foraging Lamb's Quarters: From Field to Fork
Equipment
- 1 skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 cup lamb's quarters (or more)
- 4 eggs
- ⅓ cup feta cheese
- salt (to taste)
- black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Melt butter in a skillet, then sauté washed and dried lamb's quarters for about a minute.
- Pour two scrambled eggs over the wilted lamb's quarters and mix to combine. Add crushed garlic.
- When the eggs are almost set, add feta cheese and season with salt and black pepper (to taste).
Notes
- The nutritional information was calculated using 1 cup of spinach since the calorie calculating feature does not recognize lamb's quarters as an ingredient.
- Look for the silver dust. That powdery, silvery coating on the underside of the leaves is a signature feature of lamb's quarters. Don’t wash it off until you’re ready to cook!
- Younger leaves are more tender and less bitter. Regular picking can encourage new growth if you’re harvesting from a wild patch over time.
- A quick 1-minute blanch in boiling water helps preserve color, texture, and nutrients if you plan to freeze for later use.
- If you’re harvesting from a semi-wild or home patch, let a few plants flower and seed—you’ll have more next year without planting a thing.
- Even though it’s prolific, leaving plenty behind supports pollinators, wildlife, and future foragers.
Hilda Sterner says
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