Nearly 1,000 species of plants with edible leaves are known. Leaf vegetables most often come from short-lived herbaceous plants, such as lettuce and spinach, but also come from some woody plants. The leaves of many fodder crops (e.g. alfalfa, clover, and most grasses) are also edible by humans, but usually only as famine or processed food.

The leaves of many fodder crops are also edible by humans, but usually only as famine food. Examples include alfalfa, clover, and most grasses, including wheat and barley. Food processing, such as drying and grinding into powder or pulping and pressing for juice, may involve these crop leaves in a diet.

Leaf vegetables contain many typical plant nutrients, but being photosynthetic tissues, their vitamin K levels are particularly notable. Accordingly, users of vitamin K antagonist medications like warfarin must limit their consumption of leaf vegetables.

If leaves are cooked for food, they may be referred to in the United States as boiled greens. Leaf vegetables may be stir-fried, stewed, steamed, or consumed raw. Leaf vegetables stewed with pork is a traditional dish in soul food and Southern U.S. cuisine. They are also commonly eaten in South Asian dishes such as saag. Leafy greens can be used to wrap other ingredients into an edible package like a tortilla. Many green leafy vegetables, such as lettuce or spinach, can also be eaten raw, for example, in sandwiches or salads. A green smoothie enables large quantities of raw leafy greens to be consumed by blending the leaves with fruit and water.

The brassicaceae is a medium-sized and economically important family of flowering plants commonly known as the mustards, the crucifers, or the cabbage family. The family contains the cruciferous vegetables, including species such as Brassica oleracea (cultivated as cabbage, kale, cauliflower, broccoli and collards), Brassica rapa (turnip, Chinese cabbage, etc.), Brassica napus (rapeseed, etc.), Raphanus sativus (common radish), Armoracia rusticana (horseradish), the cut-flower Matthiola (stock) and the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress).

This family includes important agricultural crops, particularly leafy greens, among which many vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, Savoy, kohlrabi, and gai lan (Brassica oleracea), turnip, napa cabbage, mizuna, bok choy and rapini (Brassica rapa), rocket salad/arugula (Eruca sativa), garden cress (Lepidium sativum), watercress (Nasturtium officinale) and radish (Raphanus) and a few spices like horseradish (Armoracia rusticana), wasabi (Eutrema japonicum), white, brown and black mustard (Sinapis alba, Brassica juncea and B. nigra respectively). Even if not specifically grown as leafy green vegetables, the leaves of the majority of these species can be and are consumed.

Outside the brassicaceae, the Amaranthaceae or Amaranth family are a major source of leafy greens worldwide, with the most common and well known species being Spinacia oleracea or spinach. Its leaves are a common vegetable consumed either fresh, cooked or after storage (using preservation techniques like canning, freezing, or dehydration). The taste differs considerably between cooked and raw: the high oxalate content may be reduced by blanching. So common is spinach as a leafy green that it's used as a common substitute for other local leafy greens.

Note that beetroot, a source of both an edible taproot and leafy greens. Beta vulgaris is also a member of the Amaranthaceae family, as is the closely related chard (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris) which is grown for its edible stems and leafy greens.

In Africa, the leaves of cassava plants and sweet potato plants are widely consumed and leafy greens sourced from the wild are used to supplement the diet in countries across the globe.

The alphabetical list of all the leafy greens-based recipes on this site follows, (limited to 100 recipes per page). There are 3209 recipes in total:

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Matata (Clam and Peanut Stew)      Origin: Mozambique	Mexican Chicken Sausage      Origin: Fusion	Mixtura cum amygdalinam et sesamae (Almond, Seame and Herb Purée)      Origin: Roman
Matata (Clam, Pumpkin and Peanut Stew)      Origin: Sao Tome	Mexican-style Steaks with Avocado Salsa      Origin: Britain	Mixtura cum Caseo (Soft Cheese with a Herb Purée)      Origin: Roman
Matata (Clams Cooked in Port Wine)      Origin: Sao Tome	Meygoo Dopiyazeh (Persian Prawn, Pepper and Onion Curry)      Origin: Iran	Mixtura cum Caseo (Soft Cheese and Herb Purée)      Origin: Roman
Matki Chi Rassa Bhaji (Maharashtrian Style Moth Beans)      Origin: India	Mfumbwa (Gnetum and Fish Stew)      Origin: Mali	Mixtura cum Nucibus (Hazelnuts with Herb Purée)      Origin: Roman
Matsavo (Pumpkin Leaf and Peanut Flour Stew)      Origin: Mozambique	Mho Kazun Ywet Kyaw (Stir-fried Water Spinach with Straw Mushrooms)      Origin: Myanmar	Mixtura cum Nucleis Pineis (Pine Nut, Cheese and Herb Pâté)      Origin: Roman
Mattar Paneer (Green Peas and Curd Cheese Curry)      Origin: Britain	Micronesia Taro and Coconut Bread      Origin: Federated States Micronesia	Miyan Kuka (Baobab Leaf Soup)      Origin: Nigeria
Mauritian Colombo Chicken Curry      Origin: Mauritius	Microwave Akoori (Microwave Indian Scrambled Eggs)      Origin: India	Miyan Kuka II (Baobab Leaf Soup II)      Origin: Nigeria
Mauritian Curry Masala      Origin: Mauritius	Microwave Chicken Thai Green Curry      Origin: Britain	Miyan Kuuka Soup (Fish and Baobab Leaf Powder Soup)      Origin: Ghana
Mauritian Prawn Curry      Origin: Mauritius	Microwave French Country Pâté      Origin: Britain	Mkhwani with Groundnut Flour      Origin: Malawi
Mayotte Mataba      Origin: Mayotte	Microwave Garam Masala Vegetable Curry      Origin: Britain	Moambé Stew      Origin: Congo
Mbaqanga (Bean and Goat Meat Stew)      Origin: South Africa	Microwave Honey Christmas Cake Ring      Origin: British	Moana-Roa Mahimahi      Origin: Cook Islands
Mbaxal Dieune      Origin: Senegal	Microwave Jambalaya      Origin: Britain	Mofo Sakay (Spiced Fritters)      Origin: Madagascar
Mbolo      Origin: Equatorial Guinea	Microwave Loin of Lamb Florentine      Origin: Britain	Mohinga      Origin: Myanmar
Mboro Mboro (Sweet Potato Leaf and Palm Oil Stew)      Origin: Senegal	Microwave Peanut Chicken with Noodles      Origin: Britain	Mojo Verde (Canaries Green Sauce)      Origin: Spain
Mboto à l'oseille (Fish with Sorrel)      Origin: Congo	Microwave Shakshuka      Origin: Fusion	Mole Poblano Enmoladas      Origin: Mexico
Mboto à la Feuilles de Manioc (Fish with Cassava Leaves)      Origin: Gabon	Microwave Spinach and Cheese Soufflé      Origin: Britain	Mole Verde (Green Mole)      Origin: Mexico
MBoume au Néverdaye (Senegalese Fish, Peanut and Cassava Stew with Millet Couscous)      Origin: Senegal	Microwave Three Fish Soup      Origin: Britain	Mologothannie      Origin: Sri Lanka
Mchicha (Spinach, Coconut and Peanuts)      Origin: Tanzania	Microwave Waldorf Chicken Salad      Origin: Britain	Molohiya (Chicken and Jute Mallow Stew)      Origin: Northern Cyprus
Meat and Fish Tempering      Origin: India	Middle Eastern style Curry Powder      Origin: Middle East	Molokheya au Poulet (Chicken Molokhia)      Origin: Tunisia
Meatball Madras Curry      Origin: South Africa	Middle Easters Falafel (Middle Eastern Falafel)      Origin: Middle East	Molokhia (Egyptian Greens Soup)      Origin: Egypt
Mediterranean-style Farro Salad with Rocket and Walnuts      Origin: America	Minestra di farro (Tuscan Farro Soup with White Beans and Vegetables)      Origin: Italy	Molokhia      Origin: Egypt
Meen Moilee (Keralan Fish Curry)      Origin: India	Mini Lamb Pies      Origin: British	Molokhia (Jute Mallow Soup)      Origin: Egypt
Meen Mulakittathu (Kerala Red Fish Curry)      Origin: India	Mint Chutney      Origin: India	Moloukhia (Jute Leaf Stew)      Origin: Niger
Meen Pollichathu (Fish Cooked in Banana Leaf)      Origin: India	Mint Flower Ice Cream      Origin: Britain	Mongolian Spice      Origin: Mongolia
Melcas (Cheese Sweetened with Honey)      Origin: Roman	Minutal Dulce ex Citriis (Sweet Citron Ragout)      Origin: Roman	Mongos (Mung Bean Soup with Chorizo and Squash)      Origin: Philippines
Melokhia      Origin: Egypt	Miondo (Cassava Sticks)      Origin: Cameroon	Monkfish Choo Chee Curry      Origin: Britain
Melon Mint Splash Smoothie      Origin: American	Mirkapaya Mamsam Koora      Origin: India	Moo Shu Pork      Origin: China
Menthe Vert (Green Mint Syrup)      Origin: France	Miso Soup with Tade      Origin: Japan	Mooli and Garlic Beef with Pine Nuts      Origin: Australia
Messe of African Greens      Origin: African Fusion	Missi Roti      Origin: India	Moongre ki Subzi (Radish Pod and Potato Sauté)      Origin: India
Methi Kalia (Spicy Fenugreek Meat)      Origin: Bangladesh	Missi Roti      Origin: India	Moqueca de Pixe à Baiana (Grilled Fish, Baian Style)      Origin: Brazil
Methi Murgh (Methi Chicken)      Origin: India	Mitumba (Cassava Sticks)      Origin: Cameroon	Mor Kulambu      Origin: India
Methi Mushroom Masala      Origin: India	Mixed Vegetable Curry      Origin: Britain	Morel Mattar Masala      Origin: Fusion
Methi Paneer      Origin: India	Mixed Vegetable Pickle      Origin: India
Mexican Carne Asada Street Tacos      Origin: Mexico	Mixed Wild Greens with Himalayan Balsam Seed Dressing      Origin: British

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