Wild Garlic Season: Foraging Tips, Recipes & Warnings from the West Country
Why Wild Garlic is the Star of Spring 2025
I know we’ve talked about the virtues of wild garlic before in these pages, but I’m going to do it again because this really is a fantastic year for the stuff. Moreover, I have recently learned to enjoy the value of a simple wild garlic omelette. Fresh eggs, a few of the pungent leaves finely chopped, a touch of salt and pepper and a generous dollop of butter. Nothing could be easier – a great way to start the day…
Foraging Wild Garlic in the Westcountry: Be Careful What You Pick
But be warned – while there are great swathes of delicious and highly edible wild garlic growing in many parts of the Westcountry at present, you must pick carefully. Do not grab big sweeping handfuls – because some very nasty and equally green stuff can be growing amongst your favourite wild harvest.
Wild garlic and Arum maculatum growing together
I didn’t have to go far to snap a photo of the potential dangers. At this time of year, wild garlic grows at more or less the same time as cuckoo-pint (or lords and ladies, or Arum maculatum, to give the proper name). This strange plant, which will eventually grow a spike of bright red berries, is toxic and you do not want to be eating it. Yet the leaves, although a different shape, are almost identical in colour to wild garlic and the two often grow side by side. I took this photo in my own garden – indeed, I see them growing together in all my favourite wild garlic spots. So be warned.
A Curious Cousin: The Story of Cuckoo-pint and “Portland Sago”
When I looked all this up, I was amazed to discover that the root of the cuckoo-pint is edible – as long as you roast it for a long time and grind it into a powder. It was once traded under the name Portland sago and was used like something called salep (orchid flour) to make saloop, a drink popular before the introduction of tea or coffee. It was also used as a substitute for arrowroot. However, unless world food supplies go belly-up at the hands of President Trump, I don’t think I’ll bother trying it.
Wild garlic in my garden
Spring Recipes Featuring Wild Garlic
Instead, I will be experimenting with dishes that benefit from the addition of wild garlic. My list starts with:
Wild garlic pesto – a classic, vibrant sauce that can be used in countless ways
Wild garlic soup – a creamy and flavourful spring treat
Wild garlic butter – perfect for spreading on bread, melting over vegetables, or adding to grilled meats
Infused wild garlic oil – a wonderful finishing drizzle for salads, pasta, and pizzas
I also make a wild garlic risotto, and add the leaves to pasta dishes, stir-fries and salads. Although do go sparingly with the latter, as the raw stuff can kick like a garlicky mule. All in all, wild garlic’s versatility makes it a fantastic seasonal ingredient for springtime cooking.
Two Simple Wild Garlic Recipes to Try at Home
1. Wild Garlic Pesto
Ingredients:
100g wild garlic leaves (washed)
50g toasted pine nuts (or walnuts)
50g grated Parmesan
150ml olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Blitz the wild garlic, nuts, and cheese in a food processor.
Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while blending until smooth.
Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
Store in a jar in the fridge and use within a week.
Great with pasta, drizzled over grilled veg, or spooned into soups.
2. Creamy Wild Garlic Soup
Ingredients:
1 onion, finely chopped
1 potato, peeled and diced
1 knob of butter
1 litre vegetable stock
100g wild garlic leaves, chopped
100ml single cream
Salt and pepper
Method:
In a large saucepan, melt the butter and gently fry the onion and potato for 5–10 minutes until softened.
Add the stock, bring to the boil, then simmer for 15–20 minutes until the potato is tender.
Stir in the wild garlic leaves and cook for another 2 minutes.
Blend the soup until smooth, then stir in the cream.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
A lovely light lunch or starter – spring in a bowl.
Another example of wild garlic and Arum maculatum
