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    Home » Stalks and Shoots

    Marinated Hosta Shoots

    Published: Mar 24, 2021 Modified: Feb 15, 2023 by Alan Bergo This post may contain affiliate links Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    It's hosta shoot season, and marinated hosta shoots make a great spring appetizer or side dish to help you enjoy your edimentals (edible ornamentals). 

    Marinated hosta shoots salad
    Marinated, seared hostas with soy, maple, garlic and hot chili can be served warm or cold.

    Here's the jist: go get the plumpest, fattest hosta shoots you can find, get a pan or grill really, really hot, char them on one side only, add a splash of soy, then remove them to a dish, drizzle over a tasty oil-based marinade of garlic, ginger, chili and your favorite oil and let it sit for at least thirty minutes.

    Seared edible hosta shoots
    If you want you can cut the ends clean after cooking for a slick presentation. Make sure that the hosta tips all point in the same direction.

    As the mixture sits, you spoon the juice that forms over the hostas here and there, napping them with the juices. Just before serving you add some lemon juice to taste, move the hostas to a plate, spoon the goodness on top, sprinkle with a few crushed nuts and herbs, and eat.

    Marinated hosta shoots salad
    The orange in the oil is from using acorn oil from Foragers Harvest.

    Sounds pretty good, right? You can switch up the herbs however you like, or skip them, but keep the dressing as is, at least the first time you make it. 

    Marinated hosta shoots salad
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Marinated Hosta Shoots

    Seared hosta shoots marinated with soy, hot chilies, garlic and ginger, finished with fresh herbs, and toasted nuts make for a great spring appetizer or salad.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time5 mins
    Marinating time30 mins
    Total Time45 mins
    Course: Appetizer, Salad
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Hosta shoots, Hostas
    Servings: 4 Servings
    Calories: 158kcal
    Author: Alan Bergo

    Equipment

    • 1 3 quart mixing bowl
    • 1 10 inch saute pan

    Ingredients

    • 8 oz hosta shoots
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce or equivalent
    • 1 tablespoon or more toasted nuts or seeds of your choice
    • Pinch of crushed red pepper
    • 2 tablespoons cooking oil for searing
    • Fresh lemon juice to taste
    • 2 tablespoons flavorful nut oil like toasted sesame, acorn, walnut, etc
    • 1 teaspoon maple syrup or equivalent
    • 1 small clove garlic grated
    • A few gratings of fresh ginger

    Serving

    • Fresh herbs like cilantro Italian parsley, mint, chives, tarragon, or a combination, coarsely chopped

    Instructions

    • Combine the maple, garlic, ginger and chili.
    • Sear the hosta shoots on medium-high heat until deeply browned on one side, then flip and brown on the other side.
    • Add the soy, toss for a second or two to evaporate it and coat the hostas, then remove to a shallow dish like a pie plate to cool.
    • The shoots should still be a bit crunchy. Try your best to undercook them.
    • Drizzle the shoots with the oil mixture and and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes up to an hour, gently spooning the dressing that forms over them occasionally.
    • To serve the shoots, lay the shoots out on a plate with the tops facing in the same direction.
    • Season the juice left in the bowl with a dash of lemon juice to taste, then spoon over the shoots. Garnish with the nuts and other herbs if using and serve.

    Notes

    Substitutions 

    If you only have a few hostas, this is great made with blanched fiddlehead ferns, asparagus, Spring radishes, and other early vegetables. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 158kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 134mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 444IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg

    More 

    Cooking with Hosta Shoots 

    Edible hosta shoots
    « Wild Blueberries with Cream
    Eggs de Gaulle with Morels and Shrimp »

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    Chef Alan Bergo

    HI, I'm Alan: James Beard Award-winning Chef, Author, Show Host and Forager. I've been writing about cooking wild food here for over a decade. Let me show you why foraging is the most delicious thing you'll ever do.

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