Raw Mushroom Salad with Arugula and Cilantro Lemon Vinaigrette

Is food art or is art food? At what point do they become one and the same? These age-old questions may be debatable, but what isn’t debatable is how delicious mushrooms are when used properly.

Fall is a wonderful time for foraging wild mushrooms and cooking hearty stews (mushroom bourguignon anyone?), but we are a little too soon for that here in Tucson with our weather still being in the 90s at times.

Don’t worry - we’ll get to that stew closer to the winter season. For now, this lighter mushroom salad paired with peppery arugula and tossed with a homemade cilantro-lemon vinaigrette will have to make do. Wherever you live, these bright flavors will transport you to a happy, brightly-blooming place!

Raw Mushroom Salad with Arugula and Cilantro Lemon Vinaigrette

Make the vinaigrette – Whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Make the salad – Place the sliced mushrooms in bowl and pour the vinaigrette over. Toss to coat. Let rest for one hour.

To serve – In a large flat serving bowl, place the arugula. Spoon the marinated mushrooms over the arugula. Garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve with tortilla chips.

Option – Skip the arugula and serve the mushrooms as a ceviche. Top the ceviche with lime juice, minced shallot and cilantro leaves.

serves four

VINAIGRETTE

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
  • 2 tsp shallot, minced 
  • 1 serrano pepper, minced
  • 1 tsp agave 
  • 1 small clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp cilantro leaves, finely chopped 

SALAD

  • 8 oz white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 4 cups arugula
  • fresh cilantro leaves, to taste

TO SERVE

  • tortilla chips