Mushroom Salad with Ginger Sesame Dressing

This warm mushroom salad is tossed with bitter greens and a ginger sesame dressing, and is a perfect way to use wild, homegrown, and specialty mushrooms.

This past spring, it seemed like everyone I knew was foraging for morrel mushrooms.

And I so badly wanted to join them.

One day I will, but for now, I’ve been happily growing blue oyster mushrooms from Smallhold in my kitchen.

And guys, my oyster mushrooms quickly became massive.

Smallhold isn’t shipping their mushrooms nationwide anymore, but you can still buy them at Whole Foods.

First, I started with my tried-and-true mushroom recipes. I whipped up several batches of Julia Child-inspired sautéed oyster mushrooms, and I also made some (extra-delicious) mushroom omelettes.

And then, before I knew what was happening, my mushroom kit grew a whole new batch of oyster mushrooms. This thing is incredible.

I found myself with so many of these specialty ‘shrooms that I had a (pretty awesome) opportunity to do something I’d normally hesitate to do with such a pricey ingredient.

Test and experiment.

My friend Melanie sent me this Japanese mushroom salad recipe from Just One Cookbook, and I quickly fell in love with it.

This mushroom salad is adapted from the Just One Cookbook recipe. It’s slightly less authentic (I’ll call it Japanese-inspired), and uses ingredients that were easier for me to find locally.

What Kind of Mushrooms Can I Use for This Salad?

If you’ve got access to specialty or wild mushrooms (like oyster), this is a perfect salad to use them in.

The salad dressing will enhance the mushroom flavors and make them taste their best.

You can also use easier to find shiitake or crimini mushrooms (baby bella), or a mixture of different types of mushrooms.

That said, I do not recommend using white button mushrooms, because they just don’t have a lot of flavor.

Can I Skip the Sesame Oil?

I think the toasted sesame oil is pretty important in this recipe.

You don’t use much of it, but it adds a lot of flavor. Use it if possible.

I used this Napa Valley toasted sesame oil.

Can I Skip the Ginger Syrup?

Yes, you can!

If you don’t have ginger syrup on hand, swap it for grated ginger and a little sugar.

I do realize that ginger syrup is not a pantry staple, but it’s a pretty delicious sweetener to have on hand.

I used the Ginger People’s ginger syrup, but my homemade ginger simple syrup would also work perfectly here.

How to Make Ginger Sesame Dressing

Start by toasting sesame seeds.

Place them in a dry pan and heat until they turn golden.

Watch them closely, there’s a fine line between toasted and burnt seeds.

Next, you’ve got two (or actually, three) options.

If you own a mortar and pestle, lightly crush the seeds until they break apart, and then whisk them into the rest of the salad dressing ingredients.

Or, add the seeds and all the dressing ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend on high. This works best in a small blender or food processor, because you’re only using a little bit of liquid.

The third option is to skip this step altogether. Your dressing will taste amazing, but it will be thinner and have less texture.

How to Make a Warm Mushroom Salad

Next, prepare the mushrooms by tearing them (or slicing them) into small pieces.

Add them to a hot pan with oil and salt.

You’re not browning the mushrooms, so it’s okay if they’re overlapping a little. Or a lot.

Cook the mushrooms for a few minutes until they begin to wilt.

Next, add the rice vinegar and cover the pan to let the mushrooms steam for two minutes.

Add the dressing and the toasted sesame oil.

Stir it all together.

Add your bitter greens.

Cover the pan until they wilt.

Serve the mushroom salad while it’s still warm. It pairs perfectly with these seared ahi tuna steaks with ginger sauce!