Roasted Hosta Shoots smothered in cheese.  They are straight from your backyard to the kitchen.  Roast the hosta shoots with garlic and cheese.  So tender and they taste similar to asparagus without being stringy. If you don’t have hostas, you can use asparagus instead. Â
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Where can I find Hosta Shoots?
I am going off the grid with this post and into backyard foragers territory.  I thought you might be interested in something a little different.  As it turns out, this is waaay different.  I am used to foraging in the vegetable garden portion of my backyard, however, the flower beds are not where I usually pick my edible produce.  I have to admit, though, that I loved doing this post.  I started out looking for my patch of fiddlehead ferns when I spotted these tender young hosta shoots.  They reminded me of young asparagus spears. After a quick visit to everyone’s favorite place, Google, I was delighted to learn that they were indeed edible.  The reports said they were delicious, so I picked a big bunch, I headed inside to give them a try. Of note, I’ve never seen them in a market, so your only source may be the backyard.
How do I Prepare the Hosta Shoots?
I picked a couple of dozen hosta shoots. Â I tried 4 different varieties, but I couldn’t tell the difference in taste. Â To pick the hosta, cut them off just above the ground with a sharp knife. Make sure to not take more than about 20% – 30% of the shoots from a plant.
The first way I tried preparing the shoots was to thinly slice the raw shoots and put them on the salad I was making.  Eaten raw, they are crispy, very tender, with a mild flavor similar to lettuce with hints of onion.  I think they would also be delicious as a raw appetizer with a vegetable dip. Â
How do I Roast the Hosta Shoots?
The salad was delicious, but since  the shoots reminded me of asparagus, I decided to roast them using one of my favorite recipes for oven-roasted asparagus. I put them on a sheet pan and drizzled olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar over them.  I added some minced garlic, salt, and pepper to taste. Then they went into the oven at 400 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes.  I took the hosta shoots out, sprinkled parmesan cheese over them, and popped them back in the oven for another 2-3 minutes. OH MY, they were beyond delicious. Â
If you’re vegan then skip the cheese and roast them a couple of extra minutes, or swap in hemp seed vegan parma cheese. (click here)Â YUM!
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Equipment
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- sheet pan
Ingredients
- 24 Hosta Shoots pick before leaves begin to unfurl
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese finely grated
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pick the hosta shoots by cutting them off just above the ground.
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Wash any dirt off of the shoots.
- Place cleaned shoots on a sheet pan for roasting.
- Drizzle with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and sprinkle with the minced garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat.
- Roast for 6-8 minutes in the oven, then add the cheese and roast another 2-3 minutes or until the shoots are just fork tender.
- Serve immediately as an appetizer or side dish.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This is a real surprise that hostas are edible. Will try your recipe next spring.
Awesome. They are delicious and I’ve found the hostas with the giant leaves make the tastiest shoots. Enjoy and let me know what you think next spring.
Does hostist grow more shoots after they are cut to eat
Yes, they do. I try not to cut more than half of the shoots,though.
Yes they do.
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