Name: Hui Cai {White Goosefoot} Salad Chinese Style Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 1 min
Total time: 21 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Asian Fusion
Ingredients: 0.5 lb Hui Cai {White Goosefoot) wild vegetables, young tender ones; 3 tbsp homemade Garlic Sesame Dressing, or to the taste; 2 cilantro stems, optional, for garnishing

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Hui Cai {White Goosefoot} Salad featuring briefly blanched wild spinach tossed in classic garlic sesame dressing is easy, tasty, and healthy.

Hui Cai {灰菜} is a common wild vegetable, known as white goosefoot, lamb’s quarter, or wild spinach in English. Just like purslane {Ma Chi Xian 马齿苋} or Dandelion {Pu Gong Ying 蒲公英}, White Goosefoot is another superfood weed that is widely seen across the globe.

Hui Cai {White Goosefoot} Fun Facts

White Goosefoot is among the early risers, not as early as dandelion but before purslane. Dandelion {Pu Gong Ying} usually pops up right after the ground has thawed, as early as March.

White Goosefoot usually starts to pop up in May. They mature fast and will start to grow seeds. The best time to enjoy this superfood wild vegetable is before they seed while the stems and leaves are still very tender.

Hui Cai {White Goosefoot) pops up in early spring — Hui Cai {White Goosefoot} Pops up in early spring in my backyard

Compared to other wild vegetables such as dandelion leaves or purslane that have an either bitter or overpowering earthy flavor, white goosefoot {Hui Cai} has a neutral refreshing flavor and taste. This makes them an excellent choice for making a salad or adding to a soup.

Lamb’s Quarter {Hui Cai} Health Benefits

This superfood wild vegetable is also known as melde, pigweed, or bathua. Not only lamb’s quarter is very tasty, but they also offer impressive health benefits.

They are rich in minerals such as calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, and potassium. Bathua also contains essential vitamins such as Vitamin A, Vitamin B and Vitamin C. They are also rich in anti-inflammatory substances.

Hui Cai {Lamb's Quarter} Growing in the backyard — Hui Cai {Lamb’s Quarter} Growing in the backyard

How to make a tasty Hui Cai Salad?

The first thing first is to make a garlic sesame dressing

Garlic sesame dressing featuring traditional Chinese condiments soy sauce, Zhenjiang vinegar, minced garlic, and toasted white sesame is healthy, yummy, and versatile. It is great for salad or noodles.

garlic sesame dressing Chinese Style {for noodles or salad}

Tip No.2 is to blanch tender white goosefoot briefly

Fill a 4 Quarter stockpot with about 75% water and bring it to a boil. Then add the Hui Cai {White goosefoot} and use a stainless steel skimmer to separate them and make sure they are submerged in the boiling water. Then immediately use the skimmer to remove them from the boiling water, drain and place them on a plate.

Hui Cai {White Goosefoot} Salad Chinese Style Recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 1 minute

Additional Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 21 minutes

Hui Cai {White Goosefoot} Salad featuring briefly blanched wild spinach tossed in classic garlic sesame dressing is easy, tasty, and healthy.

Ingredients

0.5 lb Hui Cai {White Goosefoot) wild vegetables, young tender ones
3 tbsp homemade Garlic Sesame Dressing, or to the taste
2 cilantro stems, optional, for garnishing

Instructions

Make Garlic Sesame Dressing. Read here for a detailed guided recipe.
Pick young tender Hui Cai {White Goosefoot} from the yard or field. Wash and rinse the wild vegetable well and drain in a colander.
Fill a 4 Quarter Stockpot with about 75% water and bring it to a boil. Then add the Hui Cai {White goosefoot} and use a stainless steel skimmer to separate them and make sure they are submerged in the boiling water.
Turn off the heat and Immediately use the skimmer to remove them from the boiling water, drain and place them on a plate.
Add 3 tbsp homemade Garlic Sesame Dressing, and toss to mix well. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Enjoy a refreshingly delicious superfood wild vegetable.