A smoky mushroom salad that will liven up your barbecue and win the hearts of mushroom lovers everywhere with smoky paprika and cheddar added.
The smoky in this mushroom salad comes from cooking them with smoked paprika and from the wonderful smoked cheddar that we have paired with tender baby spinach and sun-dried tomatoes for a pop of colour and tomatoey sweetness.
Some serving suggestions
This is another good all-round salad that is wonderful served with any meat, poultry or even seafood dishes. We paired ours with some lemony barbecued lamb cutlets. Try it with…
What are oyster mushrooms?
This smoky mushroom salad uses oyster mushrooms which are of course edible fungi. Oyster mushrooms are also known as Pleurotus in Europe and are one of the most popular grilling mushrooms in the world.
They have a fluted, oyster-shell shape with numerous varieties ranging from pearly-white to yellow, pink, grey-brown and purplish-brown. They have a delicate, subtle flavour and velvety texture which rapidly absorbs other flavours during cooking.
How to clean Oyster Mushrooms
Look for clusters without signs of wilting or dark spots, it can indicate the mushroom has too much moisture content and is starting to spoil.
As they grow on wood, they aren’t often in contact with dirt so they don’t really require much in terms of cleaning, cut off the hard part of the stem, then just wipe the dirt off with a damp paper towel.
You can rinse them in water but do not leave them sitting in water as they will become waterlogged and difficult to brown for your smoky mushroom salad.
How to make this salad
1PREPARE MUSHROOMS
Heat a large non-stick frypan on medium-to-high heat add some oil. Wipe your mushrooms and trim their stems, add your mushrooms in batches to your pan. Overcrowding the pan will cause the mushrooms to release their juices and they will not be able to brown. Sauté for approximately 5-10 minutes until they are a nice golden-brown colour
When all the mushrooms have been browned, add them all back to the pan, add the minced garlic, smoked paprika, then stir to combine and cook the garlic. Add 2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar, stir through once and remove from the stove.
CUT OFF THE STEMS SLICE IN HALF OR QUARTERS ADD SHERRY VINEGAR AND SMOKED PAPRIKA SAUTÉ UNTIL GOLDEN
2PREPARE REMAINING INGREDIENTS
In the meantime, wash your baby spinach, removing any damaged or wilted leaves. Either pat dry or spin in a salad spinner to remove excess water.
Crumble your smoked cheddar and cut your sun-dried tomatoes if they are too large – we want them to be in strips so you just get a pop of tomatoey goodness in your mouth.
WASH BABY SPINACH PAT OR SPIN SPINACH DRY CRUMBLE YOUR SMOKED CHEDDAR CUT SUN-DRIED TOMATOES INTO STRIPS
3ASSEMBLE SALAD
In a large mixing bowl place your mushroom mix, your baby spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, sherry vinegar and olive oil then season with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Toss the salad until well combined, taste and adjust the seasonings according to your taste.
Arrange in a salad bowl, scatter the pine nuts on top to garnish – serve and enjoy!
ADD ALL INGREDIENTS TO A BOWL TOSS WELL TO COMBINE
Some Variations to try
- Different mushrooms – can’t find oyster mushrooms use Portobello or field mushrooms instead.
- Carnivore – add some grilled chorizo or chicken. Also great with some Spanish Jamon or Italian prosciutto.
- Pescatarian – add some firm white-fleshed fish fillets, such as striped bass, cod, perch or barramundi.
- Carb lovers – add some grains such as pearl barley, farro or brown rice.
- Vegan – omit the smoked cheddar and replace with some smoked almonds instead or try making your own smoked vegan cheese.
- Wrap it – makes a great filling for wraps with some added cheese, spicy salami, or rare beef slices.
Try some more mushroom salad recipes:
(Times are an estimate and will depend on your skill level)
Ingredients
- 200 grams oyster mushrooms (look for the small oyster mushrooms as they are tastier)
- 3 tbsp olive oil (for sautéeing)
- 1 clove garlic (minced) (optional)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsps sherry vinegar
- 80 grams baby spinach (3 cups)
- ½ cup smoked cheddar (crumbled)
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 tbsps pine nuts
- 3 tbsps olive oil
- 2 tbsps sherry vinegar
Instructions
- Heat a large non-stick frypan on medium-to-high heat add some oil. Wipe your mushrooms and trim the stems, add your mushrooms in batches to your pan and sauté until golden brown (approximately 5-10 minutes).
- When all the mushrooms have been browned, add them all back to the pan, add the minced garlic, smoked paprika, then stir to combine and to cook the garlic. Add 2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar, stir through once and remove from the stove.
- In the meantime, wash and dry your baby spinach, crumble the smoked cheddar and cut the sun-dried tomatoes into strips.
- Place everything (except the pine nuts) in a large mixing bowl, season and toss until combined.
- Arrange in a salad bowl, scatter the pine nuts on top to garnish – serve and enjoy!
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