As the summer heat sets in, I find myself gravitating more and more towards simple and light entrees. This salad requires a little bit of forward planning – it is best to marinate the mushrooms for a few hours before cooking – but otherwise comes together seamlessly on a warm evening.
You will need:
- 4 oz mushrooms, mixed (I used oyster, porcini, cremini)
- wild arugula or kale (you can, of course, substitute another leafy green that you prefer – I like the peppery flavor of the arugula – but make sure it is a sturdy one and not something like watercress
- 1 shallot, diced
- 1 sundried tomato, diced
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 tbsps lemon juice
- 1/6 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
- salt, pepper to taste
1. Marinade the mushrooms first – in a medium-sized bowl, mix together the shallots, sundried tomatoes, and all the seasonings and liquids. Toss the mushrooms to coat – they will absorb almost all of the marinade as you do this. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
2. Wash the arugula (or kale) and dry thoroughly.
3. Heat up a skillet to medium heat. Shallow fry the mushrooms, shallots, and tomatoes until just warmed through. Layer on top of your greens.
A sliver of parmesan on top would be very good too.
Oh such a good hot weather dish. Love the marinated mushrooms, may just eat them. Kidding!
They are pretty good on their own :).
What a tasty and hearty salad! As long as I have a variety of mushrooms, I’m okay if there’s no meat in the salad. Great post!
I agree, some mushrooms can be plenty ‘meaty’ !
I agree – when the heat is on, cooking can become more of a chore than a joy. Simplicity is appreciated. This is a wonderful summer fresh salad and it’s so nice to see mushrooms – often underrepresented! – the sundried tomato, balsamic and kale sound heavenly… beautiful dish.
Thanks, Kelly! Cooking in the summer is both easier – more fresh seasonal ingredients to choose from – and harder, like you said :).
Yes please! I could eat this up right now. I love the way the blue sets off the colour of the mushrooms and spinach so beautifully, I never really think to use blue tableware but it works so well in this.
Thanks! I love bright dishes – warm yellows and crisp blues, in particular.