A salad I made back in October of 2018. Back then, not too many readers were enamored with mushrooms. Almost six years later, the popularity of mushrooms has boomed — probably due to the rise of vegetarianism.
We’re not vegetarians — we love meat too much. But I have been a mushroom lover since childhood. And now that fresh mushrooms are very much accessible, there really is no reason not to enjoy them more often.
Button mushrooms are used here for their texture and delicate taste, and their ability to soak up flavors. You are, of course, welcome to use some other variety. Shimeji should be good for this recipe too. Just note that whatever variety you use, you need to cook the mushrooms to infuse them with flavor.
The garlic in the lemon butter dressing needs cooking too, and you want to do this in the same pan where you sauteed the mushrooms so that the pan drippings get mixed in.
Fresh mushroom and vegetable salad with lemon butter dressing
Ingredients
- 200 grams fresh button mushrooms
- 1 white or yellow onion
- 1 large head Romaine lettuce
To cook the mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons butter
- salt
- pepper
For the dressing
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup salted butter cold and cut into small cubes
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
Prep the salad components
- Thinly slice the mushrooms.
- Peel, halve and thinly slice the onion.
- Tear the lettuce into bite-size pieces, rinse thoroughly and dry in a salad spinner.
Saute the mushrooms
- Over medium heat, melt the two tablespoons butter in a large frying pan. Tilt the pan around to cover the entire bottom.
- Spread the mushrooms slices evenly in the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Leave for about two minutes to allow the undersides to brown a little then cook, stirring often, for another two to three minutes until lightly browned.
- Scoop out the mushrooms and transfer to a bowl.
Make the dressing
- Peel and grate the garlic.
- Add the garlic to the pan drippings and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 seconds.
- Off the heat, add the rest of the butter. Swirl the pan until the butter is just melted.
- Stir in the lemon juice.
- Taste. Add more salt, pepper or lemon juice, or all of them.
Assemble the salad
- Pour two tablespoons of dressing into a mixing bowl. Tilt the bowl to allow the dressing to spread to the sides.
- Dump in the lettuce. Toss well.
- Divide the lettuce among four salad bowls. Top with onion slices and the sauteed mushrooms. Drizzle in the remaining dressing. Serve at once.
