Foraged Daylily Shoots Spring Rolls
Daylily shoots have a delicate, onion-like flavor that works amazingly in these spring rolls. They pick up the ginger flavor well, which works with the savory and somewhat briny bamboo shoots, as well as the delicate mushroom flavor from the enoki mushrooms. All those flavors married together in a crispy roll, oven baked, and with the fresh foraged daylily shoots, they really put the spring in spring roll.
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Foraging for 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 to the best of my ability, 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.
It is really important you know that you’re eating daylilies, and not lilies. I’m even going to put this part in bold, because it really does matter. While daylilies are edible, many lilies are poisonous. You don’t want to eat lilies, but daylilies have edible flower, buds, shoots, and tubers.
Looking for Daylily Recipes? Try one of these!
- July’s Peach and Daylily Salad
- Vegan Daylily Recipe: Simply Sautéed Daylily Shoots
- Daylily Flower Vegetable Lo Mein
Got wrappers? Make these recipes using spring roll and dumpling wrappers!
- Mushroom Spinach Star Vegan Dumplings
- Buffalo Jackfruit Vegan Air Fryer Spring Rolls
- Homemade Vegan Seitan Dumplings
- Rice Paper Vegan Tofu Dumplings
- Vegan BLT Bites- Vegan Party-Friendly Snack
- Wild Oyster Mushroom Dumplings
- Vegan Air Fried Cream Cheese Wontons
How to Make Daylily Spring Rolls
Before you get started, make sure your spring roll wrappers are defrosted if you bought them frozen! There’s nothing as annoying as being all ready to cook and than having to wait for your wrappers to defrost! I used lumpia wrappers, which are a little thinner than spring roll wrappers and super crispy. I did not use rice paper wrappers, because they don’t tend to work as well for a baked spring roll.
The filling is made by sautéing all of the ingredients together, both to meld the flavors and to release excess moisture so your spring rolls aren’t soggy. As well as daylily shoots, the filling contains garlic, ginger, shallots, jalapeno (or a different chili pepper), enoki mushrooms, and spring bamboo shoots. If you’re having trouble locating bamboo shoots, you can find them here– although in some parts of the world I think you can forage them!
Rolling spring rolls is easy, once you get the hang of it. Start it off right by making sure your wrapper is oriented like a diamond towards you. In the bottom quadrant place some of your daylily shoot filling, and then roll the bottom over to close the filling in. Take the sides and fold them in too, so the filling is now completely surrounded. Roll the spring roll up, and once you get to the end brush the corner with a little water to help it seal.
To bake your spring rolls, make sure the oven is set to 400F (200C) before cooking. Bake for about 25 minutes, making sure to flip the spring rolls once in the middle. When they’re baked they should be golden on the edges and crispy. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce, and enjoy.
Foraged Daylily Shoots Spring Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 medium shallot
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 small jalapeño
- 1 tsp. minced ginger
- 8 oz. poached spring bamboo shoots
- 200 g. enoki mushroom
- 10 oz. (4 cups, packed) day lily shoots
- Neutral flavored oil, for cooking
- 1-2 tbsp. soy sauce
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 20 vegan lumpia wrappers, defrosted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside.
- Prepare your vegetables by mincing your garlic, jalapeno, and ginger. Cut the shallot into thin slices. Cut your bamboo shoots on a diagonal, and then julienne. Cut the enoki mushrooms and the daylily shoots into pieces that are roughly 1 inch long.
- Start the filling by heating a small amount of oil in a large skillet. Add the shallot, garlic, jalapeno, and ginger, and sauté for a few minutes until fragrant. Add the bamboo shoots and soy sauce, and sauté for another couple minutes. Add the daylily shoots in batches to help them fit in your skillet, cooking them down so they all fit in your pan. Finally add the enoki mushrooms, cook for another minute, and remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and allow to cool fully before rolling.
- Roll your spring rolls. Place a wrapper on a diagonal to you, so it looks like a diamond not a square. About a quarter of the way up, add about 2 tablespoons of the filling. Fold the bottom edge up over the filling, and then fold the sides in so it looks sort of like an envelope. Roll the spring roll away from you, and when you get to the end use a little bit of water to wet the last corner so the spring roll seals nicely. Place the finished rolls on the prepared baking sheet.
- Once all the spring rolls are rolled, brush a little oil over the tops (you can also spray with a cooking spray if you prefer). Place in the heated oven, and bake for 25 minutes, flipping once about halfway, until somewhat golden and crispy. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
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