Patterned bowl filled with gnocchi topped with wild garlic pesto

When is wild garlic season?

Wild garlic shoots will start to show around mid February, it will be fully grown by end of March and the flowers will appear in April.

Why we love wild garlic

Wild garlic (allium ursinum) is a fabulous springtime ingredient. It grows in abundance and is easy to recognise, so can be foraged and safely enjoyed at home. It has a punchy flavour similar to regular garlic, and it's delicious in pesto, whizzed into sauce for steak or fish, or added to pasta dishes. If you can’t find any to forage, it can be found frozen in some supermarkets.

Wild garlic recipes

Wild garlic soup

Put the spotlight on this spring ingredient in a vibrant vegetarian soup, swirling through high-quality crème fraîche and serving with hot buttered toast for a comforting lunch.

Bowls of green wild green soup topped with a swirl of crème fraîche

Ricotta gnocchi with wild garlic and walnut pesto

Allow wild garlic to shine in this vibrant walnut and basil pesto that makes an elegant topping to homemade ricotta gnocchi.

Wild garlic and cheddar flatbreads

These are simple, pillowy and perfect for serving in a meze spread. Cheddar and wild garlic make a punchy duo to flavour the dough.

Lamb and wild garlic hotpot

A classic Lancashire hotpot made with a spring-inspired twist from wild garlic and watercress butter. This comforting classic has got family-favourite written all over it.

A lamb hotpot in a casserole dish with fresh herbs

Jersey Royals with wild garlic

Make the most of two great seasonal ingredients while you can with this simple side dish of Jersey Royal potatoes with wild garlic. It's vegan, easy and ready in just 15 minutes.

See more Jersey Royal recipes.

Jersey Royal Potatoes Recipe with Garlic

Lamb, pea and wild garlic lasagne

Fresh from Ombra, a Venetian-styled bacaro in London, this next-level lasagne showcases seasonal ingredients and is the perfect lazy weekend project.

Next, check out our classic lasagne.

Grating parmesan over a plate of lasagne

Wild garlic soda bread

If you're planning to go foraging for wild garlic this spring, here's a perfect recipe for putting those fresh, pungent leaves to great use.

a oaf of soda bread on a sheet of baking paperwuth a knife, next to a small plate of salted butter with a white background

Green sauce with steak

Herbs and edible flowers come in a wonderful variety of flavours and aromas. Traditional herb-based green sauces, such as chimichurri and salsa verde, can be adjusted using whatever you find around. Peppery nasturtiums, tart wood sorrel and bitter flower petals mixed with good olive oil, shallots and a touch of lemon make a great accompaniment to steak, especially a tender, rare rump.

Cook steak perfectly every time with our top steak recipes.

Roast spatchcock chicken mojo rojo

Try this roast with a Mediterranean twist, where chicken is drizzled in a wild garlic pesto, a squeeze of lemon, a sprinkle of flaky sea salt and a twist of black pepper. This recipe comes from The Sun Inn in Dedham.

See our best ever roast chicken recipe.

Lamb neck and fennel salad

This succulent lamb recipe with a vibrant and crunchy fennel salad comes from East London restaurant, Sapling. Chef Jon Beeharry finishes this dish with wild garlic buds and flowers. If they’re in season and you can get some, do so – they add a super-garlicky edge to the dish.