Description
A vibrant and healthy Mushroom Salad with a zesty Ginger Sesame Dressing, featuring a mix of tender mushrooms and bitter greens lightly steamed and tossed in a flavorful sesame dressing. Ready in just 20 minutes, this dish serves as a perfect warm salad or side dish packed with Asian-inspired flavors.
Ingredients
Dressing Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon ginger syrup (or 2 teaspoons grated ginger and 1 tablespoon sugar)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce, Tamari, or coconut aminos
Salad Ingredients
- 8 ounces mushrooms (oyster, enoki, shiitake, or crimini/baby bella)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 ounces bitter greens (kale, baby kale, watercress, or arugula), stems removed and roughly chopped (about 2 large handfuls)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil (or regular sesame oil)
Instructions
- Toast Sesame Seeds: Heat a dry pan over medium-low heat and add the sesame seeds. Stir frequently for 3-5 minutes until seeds turn pale golden, being careful to avoid burning. Remove from heat.
- Prepare Dressing: Choose one method: Using a mortar and pestle, lightly crush the toasted seeds and whisk together with lemon juice, rice vinegar, ginger syrup, and soy sauce; or add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend on high to crush some seeds, creating a slightly thicker dressing. If you lack these tools, skip crushing for a thinner dressing.
- Prepare Mushrooms: Tear or slice mushrooms into bite-sized pieces, discarding any tough stems.
- Sauté Mushrooms: Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sea salt, stirring gently for 2-3 minutes until they begin to wilt.
- Steam Mushrooms: Lower heat to medium-low, add rice vinegar to the pan, and cover. Let mushrooms steam for 2 minutes to soften further.
- Add Dressing and Sesame Oil: Pour the ginger sesame dressing into the pan and scrape it in with a rubber spatula. Add toasted sesame oil and stir everything together to coat the mushrooms evenly.
- Wilt Greens: Add the chopped bitter greens to the pan, cover, and cook until wilted—this will be immediate for tender greens like watercress or arugula, or 1-2 minutes for tougher greens like kale. Turn off the heat.
- Serve Warm: Serve the mushroom salad warm for a flavorful and nourishing dish.
Notes
- Toasting sesame seeds must be closely monitored to avoid burning; remove from heat as soon as seeds turn golden.
- Ginger syrup can be substituted by freshly grated ginger and sugar for homemade dressing.
- Bitter greens add a pleasant contrast; adjust amount or substitute with preferred leafy greens as desired.
- The salad can be served warm or at room temperature depending on preference.
- Use gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos to make the recipe gluten-free.
