Rhubarb fans, unite! The season for this tart, colorful spring vegetable is upon us. Yes, botanically rhubarb is a vegetable (and the tomato a fruit), but we mostly use this seasonal treat in desserts. If your garden yields an endless supply—or you stock up at the farmers' market—and you're wondering what to do with the windfall, lucky for you, we're rhubarb connoisseurs. Our treasure trove of recipes includes pies, tarts, cake, cobblers, crisps, and pavlovas. Or try making it into a chutney to serve with meat or adding it to salad—it's time to relish rhubarb.
Buying, Storing, and Prepping Rhubarb
When shopping for rhubarb, look for thin, red-pink crisp stalks and skip the floppy specimens, as they were likely picked too long ago.
Storing: Once home, wrap the rhubarb stalks in plastic, and refrigerate for up to a week, or freeze the rhubarb to enjoy later.
Prepping: To use, rinse and trim the tops and bottoms of the stalks, and discard the toxic leaves.
Our Complete Seasonal Produce Guide: Here's When Every Fruit and Vegetable Is Ripe (and Tastes the Best)
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Lemon-Rhubarb Olive Oil Cake
Olive oil plays a supporting role in this rich Bundt cake with a light, fluffy texture similar to a cake donut. Rhubarb is added to the batter, the perfect counterpoint to the zingy lemon flavor.
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Mini Strawberry-Rhubarb Galettes
A cinch to assemble, these phyllo dough galettes are filled with a heavenly combo of rhubarb and strawberries, then sprinkled with lavender sugar and lavender buds.
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Grilled Lamb Chops With Rhubarb Compote and Asparagus
Consider this epic meal your spring fling! Lamb chops are seasoned with crushed fennel seeds, grilled with asparagus spears, and served with ruby red rhubarb compote, adding a dazzling contrast to the rich meat.
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Rhubarb Custard Tart
The secret to success with this stunning tart is blind-baking the crust. Pop it in the oven before making the filling—this helps it get firm and crunchy, so you won't end up with a soggy bottom as the luscious custard and scored rhubarb stalks are baked in.
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Rhubarb-Apple-Almond Cobbler
Cobblers are one of the most effortless desserts imaginable, and this rhubarb variation is no exception. The filling is made with greenmarket-fresh rhubarb, Granny Smith apples, and a hint of ginger and lemon, then crowned with an almond flour-enhanced biscuit topping.
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Roasted Rhubarb-and-Sour-Cherry Compote
This intensely sweet-tart condiment is as versatile as it is vivacious. Sour cherries pack a punch and keep their color when roasted with rhubarb and orange juice. Add a dollop to your morning yogurt, serve it on a cheese plate, or purée it for a vibrant spring co*cktail.
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Roasted Rhubarb-and-Cherry Gimlet
This super spring drink starts with a purée of our Roasted Rhubarb-and-Sour-Cherry Compote, then come the classic gimlet ingredients: gin, fresh lime juice, and seltzer. Shake them together, and toast the season.
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Strawberry-Rhubarb Rolled Pavlova
Strawberries and rhubarb always make a dynamic duo, and this tubular take on the usual mounded pavlova may be their best outing yet. Meringue is spread thinly, baked, and cooled, then rolled up with Rhubarb-Raspberry Jam, sliced strawberries, and whipped cream.
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Pan Roasted Chicken With Rhubarb
Remember that rhubarb is, botanically speaking, a vegetable—so don't miss out on its savory applications like this easy sauce for chicken spotlighting an aromatic blend of turmeric, cumin, garlic, onion, and ginger.
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Rhubarb Crumb Cake
A double dose of our star vegetable is the secret to this orange-scented cake bursting with jammy rhubarb, topped with a brown-sugar crumble, and finished with whipped cream infused with rhubarb syrup.
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Pickled Rhubarb
We love this super-versatile condiment on cheese plates or mixed with savory ingredients like chopped parsley, olive oil, and red pepper flakes, the ultimate relish for grilled steak or pork chops.
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Green Salad With Roasted Beets and Pickled Rhubarb
One of the many ways to coax rhubarb in a savory direction: pickled rhubarb made with a brine of white vinegar, sugar, and star anise. Enjoy the bread-and-butter pickle flavor with tender lettuces and roasted beets, or with slaws and sandwiches.
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Rhubarb-Strawberry Lattice Pie
Here we have the classic rhubarb pairing, made with a top crust that shows off the glorious fruit filling. You can also crisscross fruits, and swap raspberries for strawberries, a delicious take on tradition.
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Rhubarb-Strawberry Tart
The ace pairing of rhubarb and strawberries is enhanced with sugar and fresh lemon juice and thickened with cornstarch for the filling in this showstopping tart.
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Rhubarb and Beets
Toss rhubarb and baby beets with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast until tender. Scatter toasted walnuts on top for crunch before serving. Voila: a dish that tastes as good as it looks.
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Pistachio-Rhubarb Yogurt Cake
Sweet and moist, with just the right amounts of roasted rhubarb and ground pistachios throughout, this cake makes a spectacular spring dessert. Serve with more roasted rhubarb swirled into yogurt.
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Pavlova With Rhubarb and Pistachios
A feast for the senses, this dessert is as delicious as it is beautiful! The sweet-tart baked rhubarb contrasts with crunchy pistachios and the crispy yet soft and sugary meringue.
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Rhubarb-Raspberry Cheesecake Squares
A ruby-red gelée of rhubarb and raspberries tops the creamy filling and graham-cracker crust in this easy cheesecake. A crowd-pleaser, all around.
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Rhubarb Buckle
Dotted with rhubarb and topped with irresistible crunchy crumbs, this scrumptious buckle will bowl over friends and family. Make it a day in advance, cut it into squares, and watch it disappear.
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Rhubarb Fizz
Homemade rhubarb syrup, gin, prosecco, and lemons are all you need to make this pretty-in-pink beverage. Try it at your next brunch.
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Rhubarb Muffins
We love the eye-catching chunks of tart rhubarb in these sweet, moist buttermilk muffins. They'll be the first to go at your breakfast spread.
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Rosé-Poached Rhubarb
Simmer rhubarb with rosé wine and a trio of spices—vanilla bean, cinnamon, and star anise—then serve with vanilla ice cream or Greek yogurt for an elegant spring dessert.
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Rosy Rhubarb-Meringue Cake
If you're searching for an over-the-top spring dessert that's sure to wow guests, look no further than this sky-high meringue cake topped with fresh whipped cream and homemade rhubarb compote.
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Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake
Whether you put it on a pedestal or not, this pretty upside-down cake with a delicate crumb base is a winner—and it's one of Martha's favorite recipes.
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Pork Chops With Rhubarb-Cherry Sauce
One for the savory side, this lively sauce pairs rhubarb with dried cherries, onion, and a splash of balsamic. It goes well with pork chops or chicken or spread it on a slice of goat-cheese-topped bread for a genius crostini.
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Strawberry-Rhubarb Sangria
Bubbly, fruity, and altogether festive, this fresh take on sangria is made with sparkling wine, orange juice, cooked rhubarb, and strawberries.
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Rhubarb Meringue Pie
Better than lemon? There's room for both at the dessert table, but this rhubarb curd take on the classic meringue pie may be a smidge prettier
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Baked Thick-Cut Bacon With Rhubarb Chutney
Chutney is a versatile fruity condiment that adds another dimension to all kinds of dishes, like cheese, cured meats, and roast chicken or pork. When paired with bacon, it takes brunch to the next level.
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Rhubarb Pie
Some fruit fillings might be a tad sweet for the brown-sugar crumble topping, but not this one, thanks to tangy rhubarb. Note: no strawberries here!
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Rhubarb Salad With Goat Cheese
Fast, delicious, and different, this simple salad combines roasted rhubarb with arugula, fennel, and walnuts in a light balsamic dressing.
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Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp
Easier than pie and just as tasty (even tastier?) this crisp calls for rhubarb and strawberries under a crunchy oat topping. Fresh basil leaves lend a colorful enhancement.
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Poached Rhubarb With Elderflower Sabayon
Simmer rhubarb with water, sugar, vanilla bean, and lemon zest until tender, then finish with a warm, frothy St-Germain-spiked sabayon. Simple, but sublime.
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Vanilla-Rhubarb Tart
This gorgeous tart calls for arranging short pieces of rhubarb in a herringbone pattern, but it would be just as delicious without the careful arrangement. Once you try the combination of rhubarb and fragrant vanilla bean, you're sure to put it on repeat, time and again.
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Chilled Rhubarb and Raspberry Soup
So refreshing, this sweet-tart, vanilla-scented dessert soup takes rhubarb far from its usual pie-cake-crisp territory.
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Rhubarb Crumb Bars
Going to the sweet—and buttery—side, these rhubarb-filled streusel bars are an irresistible teatime treat. You can also trade half of the rhubarb with an equal weight of its classic companion, quartered strawberries.
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Rhubarb Custards
Another classic pairing for rhubarb: Here, the plant's sweet-tart flavor shines through in a creamy custard. Our recipe simplifies the technique—no water bath required—but doesn't compromise on taste.
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Rhubarb Compote
Just three ingredients—rhubarb, sugar, and a little fresh ginger—create this compote that complements yogurt, ice cream, pound cake, and lots more.
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Rhubarb-Buckwheat Scones
Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon snack, these glorious rhubarb scones are made with all-purpose flour and a hint of buckwheat flour and served with our pretty strawberry butter.
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Classic Rhubarb Fool With Farm-Fresh Cream
This classic warm-weather English dessert is light and sweet with the contrasting tartness of rhubarb. And with only three ingredients—rhubarb, cream, and sugar—it is simplicity itself.
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