Dock + Dock & Lemon Soup Recipe
Dock is one of those plants most people walk past… or rip out… without realising it’s offering food, medicine, and a whole lot of resilience.
Known to many as dock, bitter dock, broadleaf dock or curly yellow dock,
Rumex species are found all over NZ, thriving in roadsides, paddocks, abandoned places…
Here in NZ you’ll most often find:
• Rumex obtusifolius (broadleaf dock)
• Rumex crispus (yellow dock)
Dock is a wild cousin of sorrel, with that same tangy, slightly sharp flavour.
The young leaves are where the magic is. Once the seed stalk shoots up, they turn more bitter and astringent. Harvest early & remove the central vein before cooking.
Boiling softens the bite, brings out a creamy, lemony flavour, and reduces oxalates. Discard the water. What you’re left with is something that can slip easily into your meals in place of spinach.
Think:
• stirred through soups and stews
• sautéed with eggs
• wrapped and stuffed like vine leaves
The seeds are also edible, related to buckwheat. You can grind and add them into flours for breads, muffins, even gravies.
Young stems can be chopped, simmered, and sweetened with honey as a rhubarb substitute.
Yes, dock contains oxalic acid. So do spinach, beetroot, rhubarb, tomatoes. Do some research if your prone to kidney stones or gout, my approach is simple: cook your dock, eat in moderation, and stay informed.
Dock is deeply nourishing. Rich in vitamins A and C, along with calcium, iron, potassium, zinc and more.
Curly dock in particular is incredibly potent, with more vitamin C than oranges and more vitamin A than carrots, plus a strong hit of quercetin.
Dock has a long history in herbal medicine.
The roots of yellow dock are known for supporting:
• gentle laxative action
• liver and blood cleansing
• iron support, especially in anaemia
Stung by a Stinging Nettle? Find dock, crush a leaf, and rub the juice straight onto the skin.
They also make a beautiful green poultice for:
• boils
• cuts
• burns
• inflamed skin
Cooling, drawing, soothing.
Seeds have been used for coughs and bronchial issues, while roots have traditionally supported everything from skin conditions to digestion and liver health.
Simple dock & lemon soup recipe
A beautiful way to bring it into your kitchen:
Large handful of young dock leaves (veins removed)
Olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic
Fresh oregano
4 cups stock
Pinch cumin
Salt
Lemon juice
¼ cup cooked rice
Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until soft and golden.
Add chopped dock leaves and let them wilt down.
Pour in stock, cumin, oregano and salt. Simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Stir through cooked rice and finish with lemon juice to taste.
Simple. Nourishing. Wild.
To learn more about common, wild edible weeds, check out my Foraging Guides & Online Foraging Course:
https://www.wildbotanica.co.nz/collections/foraging-guides/products/bundle-of-4-x-foraging-guides-edible-weeds-trees