Leafy Vegetables

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Leafy Vegetables are not just vegetables that have leaves, because pretty much everything we call a vegetable (with the obvious exception of mushrooms) has leaves at some point even if they're trimmed off before we see them.

Leafy Vegetables, instead, are vegetables whose leaves we eat. We don't eat the leaves off of sweet corn, or potatoes, but we do of spinach. That makes spinach a Leafy Vegetable.

Other examples of Leafy Vegetables are Bok Choy, Cabbage, Chicory, Cress, Endive, Escarole, Lettuce and Mache.

Some people class celery as a Leafy Vegetable, but you could argue that even though the leaves are good and should be used in cooking, most of the leaves are trimmed off at the store because the primary purpose in buying celery is to eat the stalk. (Some people would also counter by saying that celery is barely a vegetable.)



Dark Green Leafy Vegetables


Leafy Vegetables are always green (except for those that have been blanched, such as Belgian Endive), but some are distinguished further by being called "Dark Green Leafy Vegetables." The darker the leaf, the more Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and calcium the leaves will have. As well, the darker the leaf, the more "vigorous" the taste, which is why it's more of a battle to get people to eat them. Which is a kid going to eat first, Iceberg Lettuce or a spinach leaf?

Arugula, Chicory, Collard Greens, Dandelions, Kale, Mustard Greens, Spinach and Swiss Chard are Dark Green Leafy Vegetables

Leafy Vegetables are often just called "Greens", though some people reserve the word "Greens" for Leafy Vegetables that get cooked, as opposed to eaten raw. Leafy Vegetables that get cooked are often called "Pot Herbs."

Also called:
Grüngemüse (German) Top...