Just know that this salad needs to be in your staple set of meals you can make to impress friends for a low-key dinner party.
These famous portobello mushroom strips or ribbons as I call them in the NS Cookbook, have been one of the most popular recipes from the entree chapter. The funny thing is, as you guys know I guinea pig everything and lived that way throughout undergrad and graduate school in nutrition – I tried many lifestyles so I could genuinely speak to them including a stent with raw veganism which challenged me to get insanely creative in the kitchen. I would make these portabella mushroom strips every week and put them on top of salad greens, make sandwiches with them, etc. needless to say, they were a staple as I experimented and continue to be a staple now…except I love cooked food too.
Portobello mushrooms are delicious, hearty, earthy, and they absorb any flavor you put with them or marinate them in. Granted, this isn’t an equal meat-free option since portobello mushrooms aren’t a protein source to replace beef, but I have some options to add to this salad to make it a meal or keep it as a side dish! I don’t eat beef nor do I say the word “never” because who knows how life will change, how my preference will change, or how my health may change; but for the past 10 years, it hasn’t appealed to me. As much as I’ve been creative and clever with beef-free options and most meats for that matter, I miss some applications for beef like a hearty steak salad. So going back to my experimental days in grad school is a raw vegan, I use a recipe I created for marinated portobello mushroom strips and add them to butter leaf lettuce with sliced radish, onion, a little Kite Hill almond cheese, and a simple vinaigrette. Even my boyfriend who loves beef would eat this over a traditional steak salad any day – and I don’t think he’s saying it to get points 😉
(nutrition) stripped and how to impress guests with this simple, beautiful, and meat-free salad:
- Portobello mushrooms: not only are these mushrooms really hearty, versatile, and love to soak up flavor they’re also nutritious. In particular, portobello mushrooms have selenium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, and an array of B vitamins. These mushrooms also contain CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid, a fatty acid) which is normally found in high amounts in animal proteins, CLA has been shown to help reduce inflammation, may help reduce fat mass and increase lean mass (more studies are needed). Selenium is also a nutrient to note in these mushrooms, we know selenium plays an important role in thyroid health, immunity, and acts as a notable antioxidant. The easiest way to get in selenium is to eat 1 brazil nut a day!
- FIber: the entire recipe is fiber-rich from all the vegetables and even more so if you add in avocado. Portobello mushrooms alone have about 3g of fiber per 1 cup sliced (and about 5g of protein!). This salad can easily add up to 10g of fiber from the vegetables, mushrooms, avocado, and additional goodies you add on top which leaves you feeling satisfied.
- Optimizer Option: easily make this salad a meal by adding in a protein of your choice (some ideas: cooked lentils, tofu, tempeh, chicken, salmon, fish, etc.), extra avocado 0r healthy fats (some ideas: pistachios, pine nuts, almonds, KiteHill cheese which is my favorite non-dairy cheese out there!), and another option add roasted sweet potato chunks, cooked quinoa, etc. Or serve with a side of soup (maybe the Chilled Borscht )
As mentioned, this is a great side salad that can easily transform into an entree by adding more protein and healthy fats like avocado, nuts, seeds, etc. I recommend making a batch of these marinated mushrooms on your batch cooking day so that you can easily assemble the salad as needed. You can also use these mushrooms in sandwiches, omelets, and stir-fry.
If you try this recipe, I wanna hear about it, so let’s chat! Leave a comment it, rate it (this helps me improve future recipes), and don’t forget to tag a picture #nutritionstripped to show how you live and try these recipes on Instagram. I’d love to see what you come up with and if you share them with your friends, take a pic!
Portobello Mushroom Steak Salad
Recipe Type: salad
Serves: 2-4 servings
Ingredients
- 4 portobello mushroom caps, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (gluten-free) tamari
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- Sea salt to taste
- Garnishes for salad: sliced tomato, sliced radishes, pea shoots or sprouts
- For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large glass container, add sliced mushrooms with the vinegar, oil, tamari, maple syrup, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and a pinch of salt. Whisk to combine, place the lid on tightly, and store in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight. Give them a shake so the marinade absorbs in all the mushroom slices. The mushrooms may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- For the dressing: in a mason jar, add all dressing ingredients, put the lid on tightly and shake. Pour over the salad upon serving and save leftover in the jar in the refrigerator.
- To assemble the salad: in a bowl or plate, add butter leaf lettuce, followed by the optional salad toppings and the portobello mushroom strips as pictured.
WHAT I USED TO MAKE THIS: airtight glass containers to store leftover portobello mushrooms!
