25 Min

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GF

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Mushroom Salad

Breakfast has become one of my favorite meals of the day. I want it to cook quickly but I prefer to enjoy it slowly, alongside an aromatic up of chai, unfettered yet by the day’s needs and wants. While eggs used to make a big part of breakfast meals, I have now graduated to eating mostly vegetables for breakfast. If my daughter Ajna walks over for breakfast, I know for sure I’ll be making a very simple green salad with any vegetables I may have picked up at the weekend farmer’s market. Sometimes raw sometimes roasted. Maybe a grating of cheese on top but for sure, a sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds. Dressing is composed of just olive oil and lemon juice, sometimes balsamic vinegar, and a sprinkle of salt. A salad for which no recipe is required, just cook what you have.

When I want something meatier for breakfast, I go for this mushroom salad. There are several mushroom vendors at the market who sell from oyster to shiitake to portobello mushrooms and I buy a weekly stash. On those mornings, I’ll rough chop a few mushrooms and cook them with a pinch of salt, cumin seeds and olive oil. On a cold day, I’ll add a minced serrano to help amp up my digestive fire. Alongside sliced radish and avocado, the mushrooms become a glorious breakfast. Maybe some lettuce leaves on the side, herbs, or microgreens. Satisfying and deeply flavorful yet light and nourishing.

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Cook Time

25 Minutes

Serves

2

Directions

Step 1

Cut each mushroom into four chunks. If using a portobello, cut into 1-inch squares.

Step 2

Over high heat in a saucepan, warm the olive oil and pop the cumin seeds. Immediately, add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook on high heat for a minute or two. Lower the heat and cover the saucepan and let the mushrooms cook for a few more minutes. Turn the heat off and let the mushrooms rest for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 3

When ready to eat, put the mushrooms into two pasta-like bowls and spread them out.

Step 4

Tuck the radish and avocado slices around the mushrooms. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds around the vegetables. Place a mound of the torn lettuce leaves on one side of the bowl or toss it in.

Step 5

Sprinkle a little more salt on the mixture and squeeze lemon juice over. Add more olive oil if desired.

Notes & Variations

There are many ways to edit this salad – add tomatoes or cucumbers. For a sweet touch, add a few chunks of a ripe mango. Instead of pumpkin seeds, add sesame seeds and/or toasted nuts.
To turn this into a green salad, toss lettuce leaves with the rest of the ingredients.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

12oz mushrooms, any kind

Generous pinch of salt

Generous pinch of black pepper

1 large avocado, sliced in wedges

Few slices of watermelon radish

2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds, toasted

Juice from 1 lemon

3 to 4 torn lettuce leaves

Step 1

Cut each mushroom into four chunks. If using a portobello, cut into 1-inch squares.

Step 2

Step 3

When ready to eat, put the mushrooms into two pasta-like bowls and spread them out.

Step 4

Tuck the radish and avocado slices around the mushrooms. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds around the vegetables. Place a mound of the torn lettuce leaves on one side of the bowl or toss it in.

Step 5

Sprinkle a little more salt on the mixture and squeeze lemon juice over. Add more olive oil if desired.

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

12oz mushrooms, any kind

Generous pinch of salt

Generous pinch of black pepper

1 large avocado, sliced in wedges

Few slices of watermelon radish

2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds, toasted

Juice from 1 lemon

3 to 4 torn lettuce leaves

Notes & Variations

There are many ways to edit this salad – add tomatoes or cucumbers. For a sweet touch, add a few chunks of a ripe mango. Instead of pumpkin seeds, add sesame seeds and/or toasted nuts.
To turn this into a green salad, toss lettuce leaves with the rest of the ingredients.

Tags:

25 Min

Tags:

25 Min

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