Green Talk®

Whole Body, Healthy Home, and Sustainable Garden Inspiration

  • About
    • Press
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
  • New Here?
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Hire Me
  • 5 Reasons to Subscribe!
  • Build Green
  • Gardening
  • Green Business
  • Green Living
  • Green Home
  • Recycling
  • Tech

Green Pepper Leaves Are Delicious! {+Recipe}

November 10, 2014 By: Anna26 Comments

Green Pepper Leaf Recipe

At the end of gardening season, I am sad when I pull my plants since it signifies the end of garden season.  Generally most of the plants’ leaves are shriveled at this point–except my pepper plants.  My bestie, Karen of Dr.Karen Lee, encouraged me to use my green pepper leaves in her family recipe! Her family has been eating them for years.  All I have to say is now I am growing peppers just for their leaves.

The trick is to pick them before the plant leaves start to darken.  I picked mine after a light frost since I knew that the peppers on the plant were never going to mature.  My favorite bang for the buck pepper plant is a paprika plant since they grow to about 3 feet tall and wider as compared to an ordinary pepper plant.

paprika pepper plant

You might be asking–a paprika pepper plant?  Yes, it is the same plant where paprika powder comes from.  The plant produces red long chili looking peppers.  We used them this year in lieu of regular red peppers.  I made paprika powder last year so I didn’t need to dehydrate them for this year.

I adapted my recipe from Karen’s family recipe.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Green Pepper Leaf Cooking Notes:

  • You need a huge amount of pepper leaves to make a dish for a family of six.  This recipe can serve about 3 to 4 people.  (Or one person since it so yummy.)
  • Pepper leaves are delicate.  Cook them like you would cook spinach.

Green Pepper Leaves–the Recipe

Ingredients 

8 cups of  loose pepper leaves  (No stems.)

1 large red onion or 2 medium size onions.  (You can use yellow onions as well but I like red onions.)

2 garlic cloves chopped

2 Tablespoon of Coconut Oil or organic Grapeseed oil.  (You can buy Grapeseed oil HERE and Coconut Oil HERE.)

2 Tablespoons of black sesame seeds.  (You can buy them HERE.)

3 Tablespoons of Dry Roasted Silvered Almond.  (Buy Silvered Almonds HERE.)

Instructions:

1,  Dry roast almond silvers in a pan.  Stir the almond so they don’t burn. (Boy can they burn easily.)   Once they turn a darker color, take them out of the pan and set them aside.

2.  In another really large skillet or stock pot.  Heat coconut oil until it melts.  Initially the pepper leaves are voluminous and need room.–hence the suggestion to use a stock pot.  The leaves will wilt down to nothing.   (A little depressing…)

2. Add the chopped onions and cook for five minute.  Serve often so they don’t burn.

3.  Add the garlic and cook for a minute.

4.  Then add the pepper leaves.  Stir the entire time until they wilt.  You can cook them in batches if you don’t have a large enough pan.  If you need to cook in batches, use another pan to wilt the leaves.  You will have to add some oil to your other pan so the leaves don’t burn.

5.   Add the sesame seeds and dry roasted almonds and stir for another minute.

6.  Enjoy.

Pin for Later:

green pepper leaf recipe

Join the Conversation:

Do you eat your pepper leaves?  If so, share your recipe.

PS Bean leaves are yummy too.  See HERE for my pesto recipe.

Disclosure:  I make a small tiny profit from purchases made through affiliate links in this post. It allows me to keep this awesome site up and running! Note, your cost remains the same.

 

Similar Posts:

  • How to Cook with Frozen Peppers from Summer Harvest
  • Paleo Chili Recipe. Easy Oh So Delish
  • Green Tomato Chili. Use Those Green Tomatoes!
  • Cauliflower Cherry Tomato Soup: Vegan, Paleo, GF
  • Swiss Chard Stem Soup. Move over Celery.

Grow From Seed Mini Course

Grow From Seed Mini Course

About Anna

Anna Hackman is the editor of Green Talk, and owner of The Naked Botanical and a avid (okay obsessed) gardener. She also loves video and podcasting and hosts Green Talk TV and Green Talk Radio. Her most important role is being a mother of four boys.

Chat with her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest , and Google+.

Comments

  1. 1

    Micaela @MindfulMomma says

    November 12, 2014 at 4:15 pm

    Eat the leaves? I had no idea! Thanks for the tips and the yummy recipe ideas!

    Reply
    • 2

      Jonathan Winant says

      September 17, 2016 at 9:51 am

      I guess its only reasonable that if you eat the flowers from the yellow and zuchinni squash then why not leaves from peppers and similar vegetables. In fact the flowers from some veggies especially squash are quite expensive one recipe is to stuff the flowers with soft cheese and quickly suatee or quickly broil or gill or just in a salad

      Reply
  2. 3

    Lynn Hasselberger says

    November 12, 2014 at 4:33 pm

    Never would have thought to use the leaves. Looks and sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  3. 4

    Green Bean says

    November 12, 2014 at 6:47 pm

    I have never heard of eating green pepper leaves but, as I’ve got a few sad souls up in the garden just about ready to come out, I’m going to give this a try! Looks yummy.

    Reply
  4. 5

    Betsy (Eco-novice) says

    November 12, 2014 at 8:12 pm

    What a great way to use the entire plant. I love it! And a lovely pinnable image, Anna.

    Reply
    • 6

      Anna@Green Talk says

      November 14, 2014 at 2:58 am

      Betsy, I love discovering ways to use the leaves of plants. I wish I could figure out what to do with the stems. Anna

      Reply
  5. 7

    Anne says

    November 13, 2014 at 3:48 pm

    Feeling ashamed at how I’ve been wasting yet another thing that’s practically free in my garden. Will try this next summer.

    Reply
  6. 8

    Gina B says

    November 13, 2014 at 4:03 pm

    Oh that sounds amazing!! I never considered a paprika pepper plant, I’d love to try growing one.

    Reply
    • 9

      Anna@Green Talk says

      November 14, 2014 at 2:57 am

      Gina B,

      Look for more paprika plants in my garden next year. 🙂

      Reply
    • 10

      Jonathan Winant says

      September 17, 2016 at 9:54 am

      Its not that different then chili’s from the Chili plants used to make chili powder

      Reply
  7. 11

    jasmine says

    May 16, 2015 at 6:09 pm

    Are bell pepper leaves edible, are they poisonous for human consumption?

    Reply
    • 12

      Anna@Green Talk says

      May 18, 2015 at 9:56 pm

      Jasmine,

      They are edible. Anna

      Reply
  8. 13

    ChaRi says

    July 2, 2015 at 10:08 pm

    Lived in Southeast Asia where pepper leaves are cooked and eaten. Have tried their recipes but I will also try yours. Looks delicious. Thanks.

    Reply
  9. 14

    Tammy says

    July 19, 2016 at 8:46 am

    Can you eat bell pepper leaves RAW in a salad? Or do they need to be cooked?

    Reply
    • 15

      Ingrid says

      December 2, 2016 at 1:56 pm

      Bell pepper leaves eaten raw are very bitter. It’s best to cook them & prepare the same way you do spinach. I sautee in coconut oil, garlic & a tbsp rice wine vinegar. Add to pasta, rice or veggies. Add cheese dairy/non-dairy & fill a tortilla wrap. Very delicious.

      Reply
      • 16

        Anna@Green Talk says

        December 5, 2016 at 9:56 am

        I didn’t find them bitter raw. I do enjoy them cooked! Anna

        Reply
        • 17

          shirley smith says

          August 29, 2018 at 3:06 pm

          “All Leaves of the Capsicum pepper family (below) are safe to eat if boiled or cooked. Capsicum Frutescens” Found that online. Did you know that tomato leaves are edible too? and the brocolli all the above ground parts? and basil leaves, stems , flower and seeds???? Crazy what we have been throwing in to compost. I learned to eat pepper leaves from the Filipino dish Tinola.

          Reply
          • 18

            Anna says

            September 25, 2018 at 9:04 am

            I always thought tomato leaves were poisonous. I eat most of my leaves except this one.

          • 19

            Ann e says

            September 12, 2023 at 6:15 pm

            Yes, we Filipinos love chicken tinola with lots of gingers and pepper leaves. We also mix it with long gourd soup.

  10. 20

    Nevermindmyname says

    February 3, 2017 at 2:15 pm

    Just a word of caution: peppers are from the Solanaceae family, and related to the Deadly Nightshade plant. They all have varying amounts of alkaloid toxins in their leaves – while most are non-lethal, their concentration varies by species and growing conditions. Some people are more sensitive, esp. those with liver issues.

    Having said all that though, tender bell pepper leaves have a delicious, peppery flavor – you can just pinch off the tips and chew them raw or use them as garnish. Just don’t over indulge on raw leaves, and watch for adverse reactions at the beginning.

    Since leaves cook down to almost nothing, one way to extend it is to use them like you would use a herb – stir fry a large bunch of leaves with some cooked lentils, and squeeze a dash of lemon juice at the end.

    I have also used them to flavor a batch of walnut pesto. The flavor is pretty strong and can stand up to the walnuts.

    Reply
    • 21

      Anna says

      February 10, 2017 at 2:09 am

      I always cook mine. Anna

      Reply
    • 22

      shirley smith says

      August 29, 2018 at 3:10 pm

      They say the amount of toxins in the leaves you would have to each 1 . 5 lbs to get enough to harm you.
      Cook them always … I’m always looking for information on leaves now.

      Reply
  11. 23

    Beverly says

    March 16, 2018 at 12:19 am

    I came from the Philippines where we use pepper leaves for cooking all the time. Usually they are used in chicken soup with green papaya and ginger adding the leaves few minutes before turning the heat off. Very yummy and healthy!

    Reply
    • 24

      Anna says

      March 26, 2018 at 11:32 pm

      Thanks for sharing this idea, Beverly. Anna

      Reply
      • 25

        donnel says

        May 16, 2019 at 6:41 am

        By the way, the dish Beverly is talking about is called “Tinola”. It is a very common dish here in the Philippines and the taste is incredible! It is actually my favorite dish

        Reply
  12. 26

    Debra says

    June 29, 2019 at 9:25 pm

    Quite dangerous, as peppers are in the solanacae family and contain neurotoxins. I found this while googling whether it’s safe to eat them cooked–raw is out of the question–and am still going to skip eating them. Too dangerous since the species vary so much in how much poison they pack…

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Shop from Anna’s Farm– The Naked Botanical– Farm Fresh Teas, Salts & Body Products

The Naked Botanical Click HERE

Save Money By Growing Your Plants Indoors.

Three Must Have Equipment "

Grab My Free Mini Course

Connect with Me

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Popular Posts

  • Organic Color Systems: Wash those Grays Away with a Safer Hair Color

  • Coffee Grounds in the Garden: Friend or Foe?

  • Celery Leaves: Cook or Discard them?

  • Freeze Cucumbers & Learn How to Use Them.

  • Hydrogen Peroxide + Ears = Bye to Colds. A Remedy that Works

  • Orange Peel Vinegar Cleaner. Make Your Own Green Cleaner

  • 15 Ways to Recycle or Repurpose Your Underwear

Recent Posts

  • How to Grow Grains in a Small Garden
  • Proper Lighting to Grow Seeds Indoors.
  • Gone Vegan: And Loving My New Life
  • Sleep On Latex: A Healthier Mattress to Sleep Better
  • Eco-Friendly Multi-Use Yard Living. Eat and Enjoy.

Popular Posts

  • Organic Color Systems: Wash those Grays Away with a Safer Hair Color

  • Coffee Grounds in the Garden: Friend or Foe?

  • Celery Leaves: Cook or Discard them?

RSS Green Talk TV

  • Hibiscus in the high tunnel and some discoveries I found.
  • Turmeric indoor sowing time!
  • Short snippet of creating a rose hydrosol
  • Elderberry, more uses than just for health
  • The Naked Botanical's Gift Boxes

Copyright Green Talk © 2025 · Website Designed by Clever Kiwi