When you have a large crop of amaranth from the garden or farmstand, you don't have time to casually include it in complicated recipes or to frantically figure out how to use it up before it goes bad without getting sick of it. You want to make the most of your harvest and to actually enjoy it.
Here at Plant to Plate, we like to keep things simple! Here are some of my favorite ways to use or preserve amaranth. Most points refer to amaranth seeds/grains unless otherwise noted.
- Simmer it at a 1:3 ratio. In other words, the amount of water you use should be 3 times the amount of dried amaranth you add to the pan. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce it to a simmering temperature. Cover and let simmer for 20-30 minutes until the water is absorbed. Prepare your amaranth grains this way before using in any of the below recipes unless they specifically say to use dried, puffed, or pre-cooked amaranth.
- Use it in an Interesting Hot Cereal.
- Mix in almond butter, apple slices, and pepitas. These are best mixed in immediately after the amaranth finishes cooking if possible.
- Cook it in beef broth or veggie broth instead of water for extra flavor in a savory preparation, using the same 1:3 ratio. Add eggplant and/or zucchini if desired.
- Toss it with corn and spinach for a tasty side. Alternatively, you could use the amaranth leaves themselves in place of spinach in this dish.
- Toss it with carrots and roasted beets. This mixture can be enjoyed as-is or topped with sesame oil and complementary herbs like ginger, peppermint, spearmint, and/or cilantro.
- Toss it with tomatillos and bell peppers.
- Stuff a winter squash with a mixture of amaranth and apples and bake them.
- Stuff bell peppers with a mixture of amaranth, broccoli, and cheddar and bake them.
- Make a simple soup. Amaranth is excellent in a few different simple soups:
- Carrot and sweet potato
- Corn and bell pepper
- Corn and sweet potato
- Bell pepper and sweet potato
- Add it to soups. Amaranth grains are best added in the last 30 minutes of simmering the soup so that they do not become overcooked. Amaranth leaves can also be added to soup, and they are best added in the last 10-20 minutes of simmering.
- Use it as Furniture in an Interesting Salad. (Wondering why I capitalized those letters? Read more about Interesting Salads here!)
- Add it to other salads.
- Use it as a substitute for quinoa and buckwheat. Amaranth has smaller grains than both quinoa and buckwheat, making its texture a bit different than theirs. But overall, it is an excellent substitute for either of them.
- Puff it in an air popper. Enjoy puffed amaranth alone or with a topping. Feel free to experiment, but here are a few topping suggestions:
- Lime juice and dried cayenne or paprika
- Rosemary and lemon juice, lemon rind, or lemon balm
- Peanut butter and jelly or jam
- Peanut butter and melted chocolate
- Make energy balls with cooked or puffed amaranth along with your mix-ins of choice. These could be ingredients like turmeric and other herbs, cacao nibs, dried dates and other dried fruits, hazelnuts, almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, pepitas, and other nuts and seeds.
- Make amaranth crackers by mixing ground or puffed amaranth with maple syrup or agave nectar, salt, and water and baking it for 10 minutes at 300°F.
- Dry it to store it for later. Dried amaranth should retain the best quality for a year, though it can last years and even decades if stored properly.
- Grind dried amaranth into flour and add it to baked goods.
- Make a simple pancake by mixing amaranth flour/powder with an egg.
- Eat the leaves! Amaranth leaves are edible and can be used as a substitute for their cousin, spinach, and other leafy greens.
- Add the leaves to broths.
- Add the leaves to a sauté or stirfry.
- Add the leaves to egg dishes like quiches and omelets.
- Freeze it. Amaranth grains can also be frozen, although they have a shorter shelf life than if they were dried. Amaranth leaves can be blanched and frozen, or they can be frozen directly without blanching if you will eat them within 1-2 months.
Further Reading
Growing amaranth? Check out these quick facts like its best growing conditions, companion plants, and expected yields.
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