Evening primrose is a wonderful, little-known plant that you can eat the whole of – roots, seeds, flowers and leaves.
You can use it for a variety of recipes (tea is probably the most well known) and I share some other recipes in my evening primrose foraging guide.
In this recipe, we use just the leaves to make a tasty side dish. Wilted like this, they have a similarity in taste to kale and work well with the garlic.
I like to serve these on the side of sausage and mash or toad in the hole – any hearty meaty dish will appreciate these greens on the side.

Tips and Tricks For Foraging Evening Primrose
For a full guide to finding and foraging evening primrose, head over here.
Evening primrose are recognisable by their bright yellow flowers that bloom at dusk – hence the name.
The leaves can be used in any recipe where you would normally use spinach or kale – they’re slightly more bitter than wild garlic or three cornered leek.


Garlicky Sautéed Evening Primrose Leaves
Ingredients
Method
- Peel and thinly slice the garlic cloves.
- Heat the oil in a large sauté or frying pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and sizzle for one minute.
- Add the evening primrose leaves and cook, stirring all the time, for 3-4 minutes until wilted. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Gently rinse your evening primrose leaves in cold water just before using.
- This dish is best eaten immediately after cooking.
Delicious, slightly bitter and packed full of garlic flavour