When the weather is cooler – and even when it isn’t – I love a warm salad like this. It’s light and fresh but the warm ingredients ensure it feels substantial enough for dinner.
Warm Mushroom & Goats Cheese Salad
Ingredients
- 4 large flat mushrooms or portabello, sliced
- 1 tablespoon sherry or wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce optional
- 1 bag salad leaves
- 100 g goats cheese
Instructions
- Heat a little oil in a pan and cook the mushrooms over a medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until browned and soft.
- Meanwhile, combine vinegar, soy (if using) and 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a medium bowl. Taste and season.
- Toss leaves gently in the dressing. Place leaves on 2 serving plates.
- Top dressed leaves with the warm mushrooms and scatter over the goats cheese. Serve ASAP.
Variations
mushroom alternatives – roast vegetables, eggplant (aubergine), halloumi, tofu, cooked or canned lentils, cooked quinoa, canned chickpeas or canned beans.
carnivore – serve with proscuitto OR replace mushrooms with chicken breasts, chicken thighs, steak, lamb fillet, bacon, sausages or pork fillet.
pescetarian – add smoked salmon.
acid – sherry vinegar, rice wine vinegar, lemon juice, lime juice, red/white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, balsamic.
soy-free – skip the soy sauce and be more generous with the salt. Or try a dash of fish sauce instead.
goats cheese alternatives – shaved parmesan, marinated feta, ricotta, finely sliced ripe grapes, shaved pear, roast almonds or other nuts, seeds, poached or boiled eggs or toasted breadcrumbs.
carb lovers / more substantial – serve with crusty bread & butter or add torn sourdough chunks.
more substantial (low larb) – add some roast walnuts.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
mushrooms – will keep in the fridge for about a week. To keep for longer, cook the mushrooms and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.
vinegar, soy sauce – pantry.
salad leaves – are highly perishable. My first path would be to use them for another meal (salad for breakfast!) but if that isn’t possible you can pop them in the freezer. They will wilt down but can then be used anywhere you’d use wilted greens, like this simple plate of greens. At least this way they wont go slimey.
goats cheese – unopened will keep in the package in the fridge for a month or so (depending on the best before date).
leftover potential?
Not the greatest. Will go a little soggy in the fridge, although I do know people who like their salad after it has been ‘marinated’ for a while. Go figure.
problem solving guide
dressing not sticking to the leaves – Usually this is a sign the leaves weren’t completely dry after they were washed. Next time spin dry in a salad spinner or pat really well with paper towel.
too oily – You’ve got too much dressing. Toss in some more leaves if you have them or transfer to a clean bowl and toss again so some of the excess dressing comes off onto the sides of the bowl.
too dry – Not enough dressing for the amount of leaves. Mix up a little more dressing and add to the leaves a little at a time. Keep the remainder of the dressing in the fridge.
serving suggestions
Wonderful as a light dinner on its own.
Add to my Old Favourite Recipes
Instead of salad leaves I cooked some capsicums, zucchinis and potatoes. I had Worcestershire sauce on the “salad” initially, and tried soy on the leftovers, which seemed like an odd flavour choice. Feta instead of goats’ cheese, and garlic with the mushrooms. Perfectly edible, but really just various things on a plate rather than a dish as such.
It sounds like it needed a dressing to bring it together more Mark. Or maybe some protein?
I almost skipped looking at this because neither of us is a fan of mushrooms. But as usual, I’m glad I did look because you saved the day with your variation ideas. I really like the idea of roasted eggplant (even though it’s not my husband’s favorite), and I would add some almonds and/or more goat cheese to up the protein levels. I also like the idea of adding bacon, as per the comment from Matilda.
YES either bacon or almonds would be fab with eggplant Susan – or you could live dangerously and have both 🙂
I made this for dinner one night in the last couple of weeks, with eggplant in place of the mushrooms, and it was very nice. I think my husband is not particularly a fan of eggplant, so I won’t be making it often, but am definitely keeping it since I got no complaints. I skipped the bacon, but added the almonds and used a bit more goat cheese.
Great light dinner. I subbed goat cheese for fresh ricotta with lemon and lemon thyme and added a rasher of bacon to the frying mushrooms. Gave the whole meal a brinner (breakfast for dinner) vibe, which no one complained about!
Brinner! Love it Matilda…
Jx