ABCD Juice: Apple, Burdock, Cucumber & Dandelion

This ABCD juice recipe combines green apple, fresh burdock root, cucumber, and dandelion greens for an earthy green juice with tartness, mild bitterness, and just enough sweetness to balance it all out.

You’ve probably heard of traditional ABC juice—apple, beet, and carrot. My version takes a different route and goes one letter further.

A — Apple

B — Burdock

C — Cucumber

D — Dandelion

The result is an earthy, slightly bitter green juice with tartness and just enough sweetness to bring everything together.

ABCD Juice Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 green apple

• 4–6 inches fresh burdock root

• 1 slicing cucumber

• ½ bunch dandelion greens

Yield: About 24 oz / 2 servings

Why These Four?

Green Apple: Adds tartness and a little sweetness to balance the stronger flavors.

Fresh Burdock: The star of ABCD. Fresh burdock has a firm, fibrous texture with mild earthy notes and a subtle sweetness. If you only know burdock as a dried herb, the fresh root may surprise you.

Cucumber: Provides the high-water base. Its mild flavor helps soften the bitterness of the dandelion and earthiness of the burdock.

Dandelion Greens: Brings the bitter green flavor. If you’re new to bitter greens, you can start with less and adjust based on your palate.

Together, you get:

Tart + Earthy + Mild + Bitter

How I Prep Fresh Burdock

Fresh burdock can hold soil inside its grooves, so I prefer peeling the exterior before juicing.

After peeling, I cut the root into roughly ¼-inch pieces.

Burdock is much more fibrous than the other ingredients in ABCD, so I also recommend processing it separately and last.

How to Juice ABCD

For this recipe, I use the Kuvings AUTO10.

Start by processing:

1. Dandelion greens

2. Cucumber

3. Green apple

Allow those ingredients to finish processing before adding the fresh burdock by itself.

Pour and enjoy.

What Does ABCD Juice Taste Like?

The cucumber hits me first, followed by the mild earthiness of the burdock. You can taste the dandelion, but its bitterness doesn’t dominate the drink.

The green apple adds just enough tartness and sweetness to round everything out without turning this into a fruit-heavy juice.

How I Drink It

I usually drink about 12–16 ounces at a time and prefer my juice fresh.

Whatever I don’t finish goes into a glass mason jar. I vacuum seal it, refrigerate it, and finish the full batch within one to two days.

And every once in a while, I’ll skip a few letters after D and add some fresh ginger or key lime.

But the original stays simple:

Apple. Burdock. Cucumber. Dandelion.

This recipe reflects my personal experience. Burdock and dandelion are also used as herbs and may not be appropriate for everyone. If you take medications, manage a medical condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have concerns about these ingredients, speak with a qualified healthcare professional. This content is for education and is not medical advice.