Last Updated on January 4, 2026
Spring is finally on its way. The hedgerows are full of pussy willow, may and catkins and primroses are growing on the banks and verges. If you’ve noticed a tiny star-like white flower, with vivid green leaves, then you’ve probably found your supply of wild garlic. The leaves if you rub them gently will smell of garlic – and if you harvest enough there are a multitude of things you can use it for. Make sure you don’t mistake wild garlic for a toxic plant like the lily of the valley – the smell of the leaves is one strong indicator and the pretty star-like white flowers another. Also known as ransoms, bear garlic or Allium ursinum, wild garlic is a relative of chives and garlic – from the same family as onions, leeks and shallots. If you’ve never come across it before, perhaps you are curious about the best ways to use wild garlic. It’s a foraged food that’s worth getting to know!
Like cultivated garlic, wild garlic is full of vitamins and minerals – and it has a long history of medicinal use in Europe. But, most of all these days, it’s a way to flavour your dishes for free – with a subtle fragrance of garlic. If you are foraging for wild garlic, just make sure you only take as much as you need – and leave some for other visitors to ensure that more grows back next year.
After having fallen in love with wild garlic I foraged on trips to Cornwall, I now cheat a bit and grow my own in a damp and shady spot in my garden. That means I spend this time of year thinking up new ways to use the abundance of leaves and flowers. I’m sharing some of my favourite ways to use wild garlic here – my recipes and a selection from friends who have already come up with some great dishes to try. Here are some of the most common ways to use wild garlic – you’ll find links to recipes at the end of this feature.
- Pesto: Wild garlic makes an excellent substitute for the basil in a classic pesto recipe. Blend wild garlic leaves with your choice of pine nuts or walnuts, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt and pepper and perhaps a little lemon juice to create a vibrant green pesto sauce. Use it as a pasta sauce, spread on bread, or served with grilled meats or vegetables.
- Soups and Stews: Wild garlic adds a deliciously pungent flavour to soups and stews. You can use it as a substitute for regular garlic in recipes, or add chopped wild garlic leaves to vegetable, potato, or chicken soups for an extra depth of flavour.
- Salads: Wild garlic leaves can be used raw in salads, providing a fresh, garlicky flavour. By themselves, they are quite strong but you can toss them with other salad greens and vegetables, and add a simple vinaigrette.
- Sauces and Dressings: Incorporating wild garlic into sauces and dressings adds a delicate garlic note without bitterness. You can chop the leaves finely and mix them into mayonnaise or yoghurt-based dressings for salads or as a dipping sauce for vegetables.
- Flavoured Butter: Blend chopped wild garlic leaves into softened butter to create a flavourful compound butter. Use it to make garlic bread, melt over grilled meats, fish or vegetables, or to finish pasta dishes.
- Risottos and Pasta Dishes: Wild garlic can be stirred into risottos or pasta dishes near the end of cooking to add flavour. It pairs particularly well with creamy risotto and pasta sauces.
- Pickling: Wild garlic bulbs can be pickled and used as a flavorful condiment. Simply pack clean wild garlic bulbs into sterilized jars, cover them with a pickling liquid made from vinegar, sugar, and spices, and seal the jars. Allow them to sit for a few weeks before using.
Check out the recipes below for how to make your own pesto and more. Let me know in the comments if you have suggestions for the best way to use wild garlic.
Recipes for Wild Garlic
How to use wild garlic, bear garlic or ramps - a collection of recipes and ideas.
The simplest way to use and store a small amount of wild garlic - Wild Garlic Butter can be used as a topping for meat, fish or fresh vegetables
An easy supper dish using wild garlic paired with linguine and fresh salmon
A deliciously fragrant wild garlic risotto topped with a little crispy pancetta
Airfryer or oven roast Sea Bream with wild garlic butter makes a nutritious and healthy meal for one or two
Wild Garlic Bread Tear & Share is an absolute delight. Soft white bread dough rolled around wild garlic pesto and cheese, then baked in a tray for a pull-apart bread recipe that is very, very moreish!
This wild garlic hummus is a lovely twist on a classic hummus recipe. Made with fresh wild garlic, it has a wonderful garlicky flavour and vibrant green colour!
This creamy wild garlic soup is a delicious, healthy, light and refreshing vegan soup packed with spring greens and plant-based protein. This soup is easy and quick to make in under 30 minutes with a handful of simple ingredients with wild garlic as a star.
A lovely and very tasteful Ramson and Parmesan Pesto. It’s so easy and fast todo and, best of all, ramson pesto can be varied endlessly and is a good accompaniment to many dishes.
Great recipe ideas. It can also be dried and blended to make a herb powder. Such a versatile plant.