The 10 best rhubarb recipes

Many cooks default to a crumble when using this peculiar, very British vegetable, but rhubarb's intriguing, astringent flavour has many more vibrant uses…

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• The Guardian, Saturday 15 March 2014
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The soup is garnished with a sprinkling of spring onion and coriander. Photography: Yuki Sugiura for the Guardian

Rhubarb and okra sweet and sour soup

Sweet and sour is a classic pairing in Vietnam and more widely in Asia. Rhubarb is a surprising addition to this Asian-inspired soup, but the results are beautiful.

Serves 4
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp crushed garlic
4 tomatoes, quartered
1 tsp gia vi (or a mix of 2 parts sugar, 1 part black pepper, 1 part salt and 1 part garlic powder)
1.5 litres water
3 rhubarb stalks, cut into 3cm chunks
2 tbsp fish sauce
50g okra, halved, deseeded and cut into 1cm rounds
½ pineapple, cut into 2cm chunks
1 tsp sugar
1 spring onion, chopped
1 tbsp chopped coriander

1 In a saucepan, heat the oil and stir in the garlic, cooking until fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes with ½ tsp gia vi. Pour in enough of the water to cover, then bring to the boil.

2 When the tomatoes are soft, add the remaining water and bring back to the boil, then add the rhubarb then cook until very soft. Stir in the fish sauce and sugar, then add the remaining gia vi.

3 Add the okra and pineapple, cook for 15 minutes, then sprinkle with the spring onion and coriander. Serve immediately.

The Vietnamese Market Cookbook by Van Tran and Anh Vu (Square Peg)

Danish rhubarb cake with cardamom and custard

A very moist vanilla sponge with a fresh, tart rhubarb topping, spiced with vanilla and cardamom. The custard adds a lovely creamy texture, but can be left out if you prefer a firmer cake. Serve hot or cold, with or without cream.

Serves 6
150g butter 
200g caster sugar
4 eggs 
200g plain flour 
1½ tsp vanilla sugar
½ tsp salt 
1½ tsp baking powder
Crushed sugar cubes, to decorate
100-150 ml ready-made custard, heated and thickened with 1 tbsp cornflour, then cooled

For the topping 
25g butter 
50g golden caster sugar 
2-3 tsp ground cardamom, or the seeds from 2 cardamom pods, crushed 
1 tsp vanilla sugar or extract 
4-5 sticks (400g) rhubarb, cut into 12cm lengths

1 First, make the topping. In a saucepan, heat the butter, sugar and spice for the rhubarb mixture. When bubbling slightly, add the rhubarb and stew for a few minutes until completely coated. Take off the heat and leave to cool. This stage can be done the day before you want to eat it.

2 To make the cake, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next.

3 In a bowl, sift the flour, salt, vanilla sugar and baking powder and fold in with the wet mixture. Line a 23cm-diameter baking dish with high sides (minimum 5cm) with baking paper (or grease it well). Add the batter and spread evenly. If using custard, spoon it thinly over the batter. Carefully and evenly add the rhubarb mixture on top. Reserve a little bit of the syrup (a few tablespoons).

4 Bake in the oven at 180C/350F/gas mark 4 – this can take anything from 35-45 minutes. Check with a skewer: if it comes out clean, it's done. Leave to cool, drizzle with the remaining syrup and scatter with the crushed sugar cubes.

Recipe supplied by Bronte Aurell, Scandi Kitchen, scandikitchen.co.uk

Vanilla-fried rhubarb on sugar brioche

Almost like jam on toast, the rich sugary brioche is a good backdrop to the sharp rhubarb.

Serves 4
1 vanilla pod
50g unsalted butter
50g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
4 sticks rhubarb, sliced into quarters
4 slices brioche
Clotted cream or creme fraiche, to serve (optional)

1 Scrape out the vanilla seed and mix with the butter and icing sugar. Reserve the pod.

2 In a large frying pan, heat the vanilla butter. As soon as it has melted, add the rhubarb and cook over a low heat until just tender.

3 Meanwhile, sift a little more icing sugar on to the brioche, then grill on medium. Once it has started to colour, divide between four plates, then top with the rhubarb and butter. Serve with the cream if you are feeling indulgent.

Recipe supplied by Andrew Dargue, Vanilla Black, vanillablack.co.uk

Grilled rhubarb with calves' liver, horseradish cream and chard

Liver needs a touch of sweetness to counterbalance its iron flavour. Try the recipe below with some seasonal rhubarb. It looks incredibly pretty on the plate and the combination of the sweet balsamic-caramelised rhubarb, the juicy pink liver and the fiery horseradish is light, spring-like and fun. Great with chicken livers as a starter too.

Serves 4
6 swiss chard leaves (and stalks)
Olive oil
20g parmesan, grated
4 slices of calves' liver, membrane removed
3 sticks pink rhubarb, finely diced
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

For the cream (optional)
3 tbsp creme fraiche
2 tbsp horseradish sauce or 2cm fresh horseradish peeled and finely grated
1 tsp dijon mustard

1 Mix the horseradish cream ingredients together and season well with salt and pepper.

2 Wash the chard and run a knife along the chard stalks to remove the leaves. Slice the stalks into finger-size strips, leaving the leaves whole. Plunge the stalks in salted boiling water for a few minutes until they are soft but still have some bite. Whisk them out with a slotted spoon and repeat with the leaves. Drain well and season both the stalks and leaves with a good glug of olive oil, salt, pepper and the parmesan. Set aside in a warm place.

3 Heat a frying pan until it is smoking hot. Season the livers with salt and pepper, then add a dash of olive oil to the pan. Add the calves' liver, in two batches if your pan is small, so the meat browns rather than sweats. Sear on both sides for a few minutes, then remove to a warm plate. If you overcook the liver it will turn grey and rubbery and lose its flavour.

4 Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the pan along with the rhubarb, sugar, balsamic, salt and pepper to taste. Fry for a minute. Put the chard on the warm plates topped with the liver, horseradish cream and the rhubarb plus  its juices, then eat at once.

Recipe supplied by Thomasina Miers, wahaca. co.uk

Pan-fried mackerel sandwich with rhubarb coleslaw

Lightly pickling the rhubarb and radishes cuts through the richness of the fish. Even better, it's ready in under 10 minutes.

Serves 2
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp caster sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, tough outer stalks removed
150g rhubarb
150g radishes
2 tbsp mild olive oil
300g mackerel fillets
2 brioche buns, sliced in half, or 4 slices from a brioche loaf

1 Mix the lemon juice with the sugar, some salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Trim the fennel and remove the tough outer stalks. Reserve the fennel fronds.

2 Slice the rhubarb, radishes and fennel as thinly as you possibly can. Immediately toss them in the seasoned lemon juice to avoid oxidisation and to pickle them slightly. Add the fennel fronds and set aside.

3 Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Season the mackerel fillets and pan fry them skin-side down first for 2 minutes over a medium heat. Carefully flip the fillets over with a spatula and cook for another minute.

4 Stuff the buns with the mackerel and the rhubarb coleslaw and enjoy!

Recipe supplied by Olia Hercules, oliahercules. com

Fennel basted pork chops with rhubarb

British pork chops and pink rhubarb make a glorious and surprisingly quick spring supper. The buttery sauce is flavoured with fennel and coriander seeds, orange zest and a good slug of Marsala. Serve with creamy celeriac mash.

Serves 2
2 x 250g pork chops, each around 2.5cm thick
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp black peppercorns
½ tsp flaked sea salt
50g butter
1 tbsp sunflower oil
finely grated zest and juice 1 orange, about 4 tbsp
4 tbsp marsala wine
225g rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 4cm slices
1 tbsp runny honey

1 Snip the rind of each pork chop at 1.5cm intervals. Crush the fennel, coriander seeds, peppercorns and salt until well bruised, but not ground to a powder. Rub into the pork.

2 Melt 15g butter with the oil over a medium heat. The fryingpan should be large enough to hold the pork and rhubarb fairly snugly. Put the pork in the pan, rind side down. Cook for 2-3 minutes until nicely browned.

3 Cook the chops for 2 minutes on each side. Add the remaining butter and orange zest to the pan. Baste the chops, turning once.

4 Pour the marsala into the pan and bubble for a few seconds, then add the orange juice and bring to a simmer. Dot the rhubarb around the chops, drizzle with honey and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the pork is just cooked and the rhubarb is softened but holding its shape. Turn the pork once and don't stir but gently swirl the sauce as it cooks.

5 Take the chops and rhubarb out of the pan with a slotted spatula and put on to two warmed plates. Increase the heat under the pan and simmer the sauce until thickened and slightly syrupy. Pour over the pork and serve.

Recipe supplied by Justine Pattison (Freeze)

Rhubarb and ginger bars

The hint of ginger adds an undertone to the tart rhubarb. With a dusting of powdered sugar, these bars make for a lovely snack.

Makes 16 bars
85g butter, at room temperature 
50g granulated sugar 
60g wholewheat flour 
60g flour 
¼ tsp salt

For the topping
360g rhubarb, diced into 2cm pieces 
75g sugar, divided 
½ tsp ground ginger 
3 large eggs 
Juice from ½ lemon 
1 tbsp cornflour

1 Preheat oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Line a 20x20cm baking tin with baking paper, then lightly grease. In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flours and salt, continuing to mix until uniform. Press the crust evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Set aside.

2 Meanwhile, place the rhubarb, 3 tbsp sugar and ground ginger into a large saucepan. Over a medium-high heat, cook the rhubarb until soft – about 10 minutes – stirring occasionally. Cool the rhubarb until lukewarm.

3 Put the softened rhubarb in a blender and process until smooth. In another mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon juice, and remaining 3 tbsp sugar. Gradually add the processed rhubarb and continue whisking until fully mixed in. Whisk in the cornflour.

4 Lower the oven temperature to 160C/325F/gas mark 3. Pour the filling over the cooked crust and bake for another 25-30 minutes, or until the filling has set and no longer moves when the pan is jiggled. The bars will be easiest to cut after being chilled (but there's no shame in sneaking a few bites when they are warm). Serve warm or chilled, with a dusting of icing sugar.

Recipe supplied by Kristin Rosenau, pastryaffair.com

Rhubarb self-saucing pudding

Self-saucing puddings are magical: what goes in to the oven as a dish full of batter transmogrifies into a golden-topped sponge with a deliciously saucy, gooey bottom.

Serves 6
800g rhubarb, trimmed, chopped into 2.5cm pieces
Juice and finely grated zest of 2 oranges
220g caster sugar
75g butter
3 medium eggs, separated
75g self-raising flour
200ml milk

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Grease a 2-litre oven dish.

2 Mix the rhubarb with the orange juice and 3 tbsp sugar. Stir to combine then simmer gently for 5 minutes until the the fruit is tender, but still holds its shape. Drain the juice from the fruit and reserve.

3 Beat together the butter, remaining sugar and orange zest until light and fluffy, then add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the flour until only just combined.

4 Measure 150ml of the reserved juice, then gradually add this to the batter, mixing gently. The mix may look curdled, but don't worry.

5 Whip the egg whites to soft peaks, then gently fold into the mix with a wooden spoon.

6 Spread the rhubarb into the bottom of the oven dish, then bake for 40 minutes until firm and golden on top, with a lovely rhubarb sauce below. Serve with cream or ice cream.

Recipe supplied by Sue Quinn, penandspoon.com

Rhubarb tiramisu

You can assemble the tiramisu ahead of time and chill until ready to serve.

Serves 6
6 stalks rhubarb, trimmed,washed and chopped
55g brown sugar
250g mascarpone
2 tbsp icing sugar
1 tbsp marsala wine
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
100ml single cream, whipped
12 savoiardi biscuits (ladyfingers)
Grated chocolate, to serve

1 Cook the rhubarb and brown sugar in a saucepan over a low heat, covered, for 15 minutes, until very soft. Transfer to a container and chill.

2 Mix the mascarpone, icing sugar, marsala and orange zest until smooth. Fold through the whipped cream.

3 Dip the savoiardi biscuits in the orange orange juice, two at a time. Break a biscuit in half and place the halves in the base of a separate serving glass. Top with 2 tbsp mascarpone mixture, 2 tbsp rhubarb, another 2 biscuit halves and another 1 tbsp of the mascarpone mixture. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make six. Top each with grated chocolate before serving.

Grow, Harvest, Cook by Meredith Kirton and Mandy Sinclair (Hardie Grant)

Rhubarb, rose and almond bircher museli

This is a Greek-inspired muesli with added rhubarb for that delicious colour. You will need to soak the oats overnight.

Serves 4
200g rhubarb, cut into 4cm pieces
3 tbsp runny honey, plus extra for serving
120ml fresh orange juice
2 tbsp rose water, or 2 tsp rose extract
120g rolled oats
1 tsp ground cinnamon
250g Greek yoghurt, plus extra to serve
50g toasted flaked almonds or pistachios, shelled and chopped if you prefer

1 Put the rhubarb in a large saucepan with the honey and orange juice and poach gently over a low heat for about 10 minutes, until the rhubarb has just softened. Cool and drain the cooking liquor into a jug, then add the rose water or extract.

2 Mix the cooking liquor with the oats, cinnamon, yoghurt, half the almonds or pistachios and half the rhubarb. Stir to combine and refrigerate overnight, allowing the oats to soak.

3 Serve the muesli topped with the remainingpoached rhubarb, almonds or pistachios, more Greek yoghurt and a drizzle of honey.