Horta Vrasta are Greek boiled greens served with extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice. While not a sexy dish, it's a nutritionally packed side dish and full of flavor, even the kids will eat their greens!
Growing up in a Greek household, Horta was a main staple served mostly in the spring and summer when fresh, tender greens were available. Horta can be prepared from any green leafy vegetable, but are traditionally prepared using wild dandelion greens or Amaranth (Vlita) greens.
Greeks love their Horta so much that they will drive hours into the mountains to forage for fresh wild dandelion greens. On one such trip with my Aunt Sophia and my mom in the Colorado foothills, my mom handed me a small knife and taught me how to dig up the weed without breaking the green leaves.
After several hours of foraging for greens and several full large trash bags, we were all greeted by a surprise visit from a park ranger who instructed us to leave the park immediately as we were trespassing and could not take the greens with us.
When dandelion and amaranth are not available, hearty greens like kale or Swiss chard can be used.
Serve horta as a side to any fish, chicken or beef dish like this Braised Cod With Fennel, or this Greek Meatloaf, Beef Stifado - Greek Beef & Onion Stew.
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Ingredients
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- greens - dandelion greens or amaranth greens are traditionally used, but you can also use kale, or chard. Any hearty green that stands up to boiling can be used in horta.
- water - water is used for boiling the greens
- olive oil - extra virgin olive oil is used for dressing the greens. Use a good quality olive oil as the greens take on the flavor of the dressing.
- lemon - freshly squeezed lemon juice is used for the dressing. Substitute white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar if lemon juice is not on hand.
- salt and pepper - season the greens simply with salt and pepper
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Horta
Horta are one of the easiest side dishes you will prepare. The longest part of the preparation is properly cleaning the greens to remove dirt.
Cut the greens into 2-3" pieces, removing any tough, woody stems.
Wash the greens in a large bowl with water 2-3 times to remove all dirt.
Spin the greens through a salad spinner to ensure they are clean.
Add the greens to a pot of boiling water and boil for 15 to 20 minutes until tender.
Once the greens are tender, drain the liquid and place them into a serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, and lemon juice and top with salt and pepper, and serve right away. Horta are best served at room temperature.
If you are saving the greens to serve at a later time, store them in a food storage container without any lemon or olive oil. The acid from the lemon juice will turn the greens black in the fridge.
Substitutions
This delicious vegan side is naturally gluten-free and loaded with nutrients. Kids love horta too because of the lemony flavor. Serve with a hearty bread to sop up all the juices.
- Greens - instead of dandelion greens, you can use kale, amaranth greens or chard. Remove any tough stems before cooking.
- Lemon - use apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar or even balsamic vinegar to impart a different flavor to your horta.
Storage
Store the horta in the refrigerator in a food storage container without lemon and olive oil. The horta will last up to 5 days.
FAQ
Dandelion greens can be purchased at Whole Foods in the produce department. Additionally, you can find them at international and middle eastern markets.
Kale, chard and amaranth greens can be substituted for dandelion greens when preparing horta.
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:
Ingredients
- 2 lbs dandelion greens or kale, amaranth greens or chard
- 5 cups water
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Thoroughly wash the greens in a large bowl with water. Dunk the greens, the shake them so the dirt goes to the bottom of the bowl. Spin dry and repeat until all dirt/sand is removed.
- Bring water to a boil in a large stockpot. Add the greens and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook the greens until tender, about 12-15 minutes.
- Drain the greens, season with olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Toss to coat and enjoy.
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