15 tasty rhubarb recipes | Jamie Oliver (2024)

Tart, tangy and incredibly versatile, rhubarb is a proper seasonal treat. Whether you fancy baking rhubarb into a tart or crumble, stewing it to enjoy with meat or fish, or transforming it into a cordial perfect for co*cktails, our rhubarb recipes are guaranteed to hit the spot.

Although Rhubarb is technically classed as a vegetable, it’s commonly treated like a fruit, cooked with sugar to balance its acidity and used in delicious desserts. But, it can also be a total game-changer in savoury dishes and goes beautifully with roast pork, lamb and duck, as well as oily fish like salmon. When buying rhubarb, forced rhubarb is usually pink in colour, while later varieties are redder. Choose firm stalks and store in the fridge for best results.

So, what are you waiting for? Get stuck into our ridiculously good rhubarb recipes.

The quintessential combo! Buttery pastry hugs layers of creamy custard and tart rhubarb in this winning dessert. Take it up a notch by drizzling over the syrup from the fruit and serving with extra custard. If you’re short on time, using shop-bought pastry is a handy hack, and any leftover pastry can be frozen to make jam tarts another day.

Hot ’n’ sour rhubarb with crispy pork

Tangy rhubarb joins forces with soy sauce, garlic, ginger and chilli to make the most incredible marinade in this epic noodle dish. This might not be your typical rhubarb recipe, but trust us, it’s utterly delicious. Give it a go!

Perfect poached rhubarb

Our simple method of poaching rhubarb is really reliable, great for feeding a crowd or batching up, and ready in just 15 minutes. Best flavour friends rhubarb and ginger work hard together here and fresh thyme adds a fantastic depth of flavour, but feel free to leave this out, if you like. Serve with overnight oats for a dreamy breakfast, over bresaola for an elegant starter or lunch, or strain and bottle to make a cordial – there are so many possibilities!

Stewed rhubarb and vanilla yoghurt

When simplicity hits the spot! Stewed rhubarb takes just 5 minutes and its beauty lies in its versatility. Ginger and orange bring out the flavours of the rhubarb, while the creamy vanilla yoghurt balances out its tartness. There are so many ways you can enjoy the leftover rhubarb, but we love it with ice cream for an easy pud, or dolloped onto porridge.

Delicate poached salmon is taken to the next level, teamed when served with a bold rhubarb sauce, zingy tarragon mayo and quick pickled onions. Delicious served with boiled potatoes on the side. This recipe uses a whole salmon for a summer centrepiece, but we have so many delicious ideas for leftovers – from fishcakes to risotto – that it won’t be around for long!

Rhubarb sorbet with pistachio brittle

Sweet rhubarb sorbet and salty, crunchy brittle make an irresistible combo. Using just six ingredients, this riot of flavours and textures makes for the perfect frozen summer treat. It’s a refreshing way to end a meal and looks gorgeous when served in bowls and scattered with pieces of brittle. What’s not to love?

Crusted lamb rack with rhubarb

Succulent lamb is coated with an almond and herb crumb, then roasted on top of rhubarb to make a super-special centrepiece. Cooked in one pan, there’s minimal washing up, and pairing the rich meat with honey-sweetened rhubarb brings out the flavours of the dish beautifully.

Crisp, chewy meringue topped with soft vanilla cream and tart strawberry & rhubarb compote come together to make this dreamy dessert – a true taste of summer! This crowd-pleaser is one you can make ahead ready to assemble at the last minute, so it will undoubtedly become a firm weekend favourite.

If you’re after an extra-special Easter treat, this is out-of-this-world delicious. Rhubarb is cooked with orange, vanilla and warming stem ginger until soft, then stuffed into hot cross buns before being transformed into an epic eggy bread. You’ll end up with lots of lovely leftover rhubarb to spoon over porridge, overnight oats, yoghurt or ice cream – ideal.

Vanilla yoghurt panna cotta

Honey-roasted rhubarb pairs perfectly with this lighter twist on a classic panna cotta. By grating over ripe strawberries and drizzling with honey before roasting, it balances the tanginess of the rhubarb perfectly. Any leftovers will be delicious spooned over yoghurt, porridge or vanilla ice cream – so good.

Go all out with this royally good cake. Inspired by HRH Louis Arthur Charles, it’s perfect for a summer get-together, street party or birthday celebration. Heroing the ultimate combo of rhubarb and custard, it’s a real thing of beauty.

RIDICULOUSLY GOOD RHUBARB DRINKS

Rhubarb gin

You can’t go wrong with our simple rhubarb-flavoured gin, perfect for a refreshing drink on a warm day. Keep it classic and serve over ice with tonic water and a slice of citrus, or enjoy it shaken into one of your favourite co*cktails. Keep in a cool, dark place for up to a month.

Rhubarb bellini

Jamie’s British twist on a bellini is slightly tart, but oh-so refreshing. Pop your bubbly in the freezer about 40 minutes before serving for maximum enjoyment on a hot day. It’s the perfect co*cktail to serve as guests arrive at your summer party – or just for a Saturday-night get-together. Cheers!

Rhubarb rumba

With a fun double hit of rhubarb, this is another twist on a bellini and it makes a cracking springtime co*cktail. Rhubarb syrup and baked strips of rhubarb topped up with bubbles – go on then! Get ahead of the game by baking the rhubarb before your guests arrive.

After more seasonal inspo? Check out our favourite courgette recipes.

15 tasty rhubarb recipes  | Jamie Oliver (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook Martha Stewart rhubarb? ›

Directions. Place the rhubarb, sugar, and water in a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and rhubarb is almost tender, about 8 minutes.

What is the healthiest way to eat rhubarb? ›

Other ways to enjoy the vegetable include:
  1. Baking it into a pie or crumble.
  2. Making rhubarb ice cream.
  3. Adding rhubarb to fresh juices or homemade kombucha.
  4. Blending it into a sauce for meat or poultry.
  5. Pureeing and dehydrating it to make rhubarb leather.
  6. Roasting rhubarb with a drizzle of honey and tossing it in a salad.
Sep 16, 2022

How do you enhance rhubarb Flavour? ›

"I love to stew rhubarb slightly in sugar, orange, vanilla, star anise, and black peppercorns. The key is to let it chill in the cooler right after you cook it.

Should you soak rhubarb before baking? ›

Wash rhubarb with cool tap water, but do not soak.

What's the best way to prepare rhubarb? ›

To prepare: Wash the stems and cut off the leaves and the ends. Cut into 2cm lengths, removing any strings if necessary. Stew or poach in some water and a little sugar. When making a crumble or a pie, the rhubarb does not need to be cooked first.

How many cups is 2 pounds of rhubarb? ›

A cup is a measure of volume while pounds is a measure of weight so a direct calculation is difficult. If we only take liquid weight into account, one cup is eight ounces and two pounds would be 32 ounces so two pounds of rhubarb would equate to 4 cups.

What are the side effects of eating too much rhubarb? ›

Rhubarb can cause some side effects such as stomach and intestinal pain, watery diarrhea, and uterine contractions. Long-term use can result in muscular weakness, bone loss, potassium loss, and irregular heart rhythm.

What is the best sweetener for rhubarb? ›

In Jenny's mind, rhubarb needs little more than two additional ingredients and 30 minutes in the oven to come to life. It also can rely on some of nature's best sweeteners—honey and orange juice—to bring it to its sweetest, most flavorful heights.

Who should not take rhubarb? ›

If you already have kidney disease, avoid rhubarb. Kidney stones: Rhubarb contains a chemical that the body can convert into kidney stones. If you have ever had kidney stones, don't take rhubarb. Liver problems: Rhubarb can make liver function worse in people who already have liver problems.

What takes the tartness out of rhubarb? ›

A: The addition of sugar—lots and lots of sugar! I often make rhubarb pies, and usually add strawberries as well, and of course, always lots of sugar.

What fruit combines well with rhubarb? ›

With it's tart and tangy flavor, rhubarb goes incredibly well with things like strawberries, raspberries, mint, and ginger just to name a few.

How do you get the most flavour out of rhubarb? ›

Roasting even the saddest of fruit is a brilliant trick. Because the roasting draws out and evaporates the water, you are left with a much more concentrated flavour. Roasting rhubarb not only gives great flavour, it also leaches out the most fabulous princess-pink juice.

What brings out the Flavour of rhubarb? ›

Consumed raw, rhubarb has an intensely tart flavor that's not generally liked. But toss it with sugar and bake it into cake, pie, shortbread or jam, and rhubarb's bitterness fades and becomes delicious.

Is A rhubarb A vegetable or a fruit? ›

Rhubarb is a vegetable often thought to be a fruit. There's actually a good reason for this confusion: in 1947 the USDA classified it as a fruit because the tariffs on bringing fruits into the country were lower on fruits than vegetables. In actuality though, rhubarb is a vegetable - a member of the buckwheat family.

How much baking soda do I put in rhubarb? ›

Neutralizing Rhubarb's Acidity

Once the rhubarb has given up its juices, pull it from the oven and stir in a quarter teaspoon of baking soda using a heat-resistant spatula.

How much water do you use to cook rhubarb? ›

ingredients
  1. 500 g rhubarb, trimmed,cut into 3 cm pieces.
  2. 160 g sugar.
  3. 2 tablespoons water.
  4. 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

What is the best thing to do with rhubarb? ›

Rhubarb is a truly special ingredient. With its vivid pink colour and distinctively tangy taste, it can be stewed, poached, roasted and puréed in a range of dishes as well as drinks. Use it in a comforting crumble, a classic syllabub, a fruity chutney or a zingy kebab sauce – the possibilities are endless.

Does rhubarb need to be precooked? ›

Rhubarb can be frozen either raw or cooked, but frozen rhubarb will be soft when thawed so it is typically cooked first. It should be washed, chopped, placed in boiling water for about a minute, and then immediately placed in cold/ice water to halt the cooking.

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