When I used to visit my dad in Costa Rica, we ate a lot of salads filled with palmito, the Costa Rican name for heart of palm. Also known as burglar’s thigh, chonta, palm cabbage, and swamp cabbage, this vegetable is harvested from the inner core of different varieties of palm trees. You can buy it in jars at Harris Teeter and other grocery stores.
Slicing heart of palm into a green salad is a simple way to give the salad a bit of pop, but here are a few other recipes that revolve around heart of palm:
- Heart of Palm Dip {serve with gluten-free crackers for a gluten-free snack}
- Heart of Palm Italian Salad {leave out the bacon to make it vegetarian}
- Grilled Hearts of Palm
- Heart of Palm Risotto
- Heart of Palm & Potato Soup {I would leave out flour and heavy cream}
Ever had heart of palm? What do you refer to it as? Any other recipe suggestions?
I absolutely LOVE heart of palm – I’ve been to Costa Rica twice and it’s been one of my favorite foods on both trips. Something about the texture is just awesome — I like it cut up in salads.
Where in Costa Rica did you go?! I haven’t been in awhile but will hopefully go back one day.
I always just put them in salads; it didn’t occur to me until recently to look up other recipes