Vegan Daylily Recipe: Simply Sautéed Daylily Shoots
Soft, silky, mildly garlicky and savory it’s a vegan daylily recipe that really lets you appreciate the subtle flavor and delightful texture of daylily shoots. While these greens are best not tried by beginning foragers, they are a fantastic new flavor to add to your spring plate. Eat them as a delicious side, or top it on crackers or toast for a unique snack. However you serve it, this simple daylily shoot preparation will have you excited to try all the fresh foraged plants that spring has to offer.
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Wait, Daylilies are edible?!?!?
This blew my mind when I first learned it too. Where I live they’re everywhere- both beautiful and ornamental, but also tend to take over. And they’re edible- from the starchy tubers that grow underneath, to the first shoots in spring, to the buds and the blossoms, daylilies can be eaten and enjoyed. It’s very important that you don’t confuse daylilies with tiger lilies, as the two look similar to an untrained eye. Also please keep in mind that some people experience gastrointestinal distress when consuming daylilies, so it’s a good idea to have a little before you have a lot, and see how your body reacts. Although you should actually do that before consuming any new foods.
Identifying Daylilies
Disclaimer- use caution when foraging wild edibles, and always be certain of your identification. While I assume responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided on this site, I can’t be responsible for the accuracy of your information. Consult multiple websites, books and local experts, and when it doubt, do without.
Daylily shoots aren’t for beginners. So, while I do have a few pointers, those seeking to consume daylily shoots will need to put their due diligence in learning to identify them. Daylily shoots rise up from tubers underground, and have alternate, spiked leaves that arch outwards. I personally feel safest eating daylily shoots that grow in areas that I know from the previous summer contain only daylilies, as the flowers are easier to identify than the shoots- for a daylily flower recipe, check out my daylily lo mein. The shoots can be mistaken for iris shoots, which are darker in color and the leaves flatter- additionally, iris plants don’t have the tubers daylilies do. When you cut daylily shoots, look for ones that aren’t longer than your hand (after that they become tougher), and only cut a small percentage of the available plants to keep the patch healthy. The shoots will very likely grow back again that same season, but it’s better to be reserved.
Sometimes the Answer is Simplicity
I waffled for a long time about creating a daylily shoot recipe- I tried it several different ways, from soups to couscous dishes, and while they were all good, it felt hard to say that daylily shoots were the star. Because their flavor is so delicate, they felt more like a background note than the center of the dish, and in my opinion when you do the work of foraging, it’s important to really taste that foraged food. In the end, I decided the solution to my vegan daylily recipe was simplicity. Cook the daylily shoots and serve them. Add a little soy sauce, a little sesame oil, and a little garlic, but not very much. The result is a super simple recipe that really showcases the delicate flavor of daylilies. They have a soft texture and fibrous grain, similar to scallions or leeks, and a flavor that reminds me most of a milder celery. Take a moment to really enjoy the subtle deliciousness of daylily shoots.
Looking for Simple Recipes? Try one of these!
- Cream of Rice: Homemade Vegan Gluten Free Cereal
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- Sesame Blistered Shishito Peppers
- Garlicky Lacto-Fermented Snap Peas Snack
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Making this Vegan Daylily Recipe
Making this vegan daylily recipe is so simple, I wonder why I’m writing a paragraph about it. But that’s my blog writing format, so a paragraph you will get! You will need a good amount of shoots to make this recipe, because daylily shoots cook down like spinach so even if you start with an overflowing skillet, you’ll be left with a small bowl full. Wash your daylily shoots well, as dirt likes to hide in the folds of the shoots and grittiness really takes away from the silky cooked shoots. Then heat a little oil with garlic, and slowly cook the shoots, stirring frequently, until they’ve lost most of their volume and turned a richer, darker green. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil (be very sparing!), cook a little more, and serve warm.
Vegan Daylily Recipe: Simply Sautéed Daylily Shoots
Ingredients
- 120g daylily shoots
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ tsp. sesame oil
- ½ tsp. soy sauce
Instructions
- Peel the daylily shoots apart into individual leaves, then wash well under cold water. Pat dry and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil on a medium heat, and add the garlic. Stir frequently, until the garlic is fragrant but not burnt. Add the daylily shoots and cook, stirring to expose all of the leaves to the heat. It will cook down quite a lot as you gently cook it. Once all of the shoots have greatly reduced in volume, and turned a darker, richer green, add the soy sauce and sesame oil. Toss well, cook for another couple minutes, and serve warm.
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