15 Ways to Use Microgreens (That Aren't Just Garnish)

A pinch of microgreens on the rim of a plate looks nice and does nothing. These little greens carry real flavor and texture, and they deserve to be an ingredient — not a sprig you push aside. Here are fifteen ways to actually use them, organized by meal.

Breakfast

1. Pile them on eggs. Scrambled, fried, or folded into an omelet — add a handful of radish or broccoli microgreens off the heat. The warmth wakes up their aroma without wilting them to mush.
2. Avocado toast, upgraded. A nest of pea shoots adds sweetness and crunch that cuts the richness of the avocado.
3. Blend into a smoothie. Sunflower or broccoli microgreens disappear into a banana-berry smoothie and add greens without the bitterness of mature kale.

Lunch

4. Make them the salad. A dense tray is enough greens for a full salad. Dress simply — good oil, lemon, salt — so the flavor leads.
5. Load a sandwich or wrap. Use them where you would use lettuce or sprouts. They will not go slimy as fast and they taste like more.
6. Top a grain bowl. Quinoa, farro, or rice bowls get freshness and color from a generous handful stirred in at the end.
7. Fold into tacos. Radish or cilantro microgreens on tacos do the job of both the cilantro and the crunch.

Dinner

8. Finish a soup. A swirl of pea shoots on a bowl of soup adds a fresh, raw counterpoint to something long-simmered.
9. Top a pizza out of the oven. Arugula microgreens on a hot pizza is a classic for a reason — peppery, bright, alive.
10. Stir into pasta off the heat. Toss a handful through hot pasta at the very end; residual heat softens them just enough.
11. Crown a steak or fish. This is the restaurant move — a tangle of microgreens on protein for color, freshness, and a little bite.

Sauces, snacks & drinks

12. Make microgreen pesto. Sunflower or pea shoots blend into a gorgeous, sweet pesto. Swap them in for half the basil.
13. Blend a green dressing. Microgreens, yogurt or oil, garlic, lemon, and salt make a vivid drizzle for bowls and roasted vegetables.
14. Stuff them into deviled eggs or dips. A fold of finely chopped microgreens adds color and a fresh top note.
15. Garnish a cocktail or mocktail. Yes, this one is decorative — but pea shoots on a spring drink earn their place.

One rule: add them last

Microgreens are delicate. Heat collapses their texture and dulls their color, so treat them like a fresh herb: add them at the very end, or raw. The only "cooking" they want is the residual warmth of the food they land on.

Want to grow your own steady supply instead of buying clamshells? Start with our beginner growing guide, or read the complete guide to microgreens for varieties and nutrition. Prefer to buy them cut-to-order? That is exactly what growers like Miniature Harvest supply to restaurants.

Frequently asked questions

Can you cook microgreens?

You can, but you usually shouldn't. They are best raw or barely warmed. If you want greens to sauté, use mature spinach or chard and save the microgreens for finishing.

Do you eat the stems of microgreens?

Yes — the whole thing above the soil line is edible and tender. Just snip off and discard the root and any seed hulls clinging on.