Curried Chicken-of-the-Woods Mushroom Salad
Spicy, sweet, tangy, punchy, vibrant.... a perfect meal!!
Curried chicken-of-the-woods mushroom salad
Time: 1 hour | Difficulty: 3/5 | Yield: A few servings
Chicken of the Wood mushrooms are so fun to cook with! These big, pink, foraged mushrooms have a really meaty texture, that makes them perfect substitutions for chicken or lobster! In this case, I used the mushroom in a vegetarian version of curried chicken salad, which is of course the perfect combination of spicy curry powder, mayo, tangy chutney, and sweet raisins that goes so well in a sandwich or just as a meal on its own. The mushrooms have a slightly more slippery texture, which honestly I prefer to cold chicken, which often gets mealy! I adapted this from Ina Garten’s recipe - this one is vegan (but you could use real mayonnaise if you prefer, and have it be vegetarian). You could likely also use oyster mushrooms, which are much easier to find in stores - I’d just recommend roasting them in olive oil rather than boiling them like you would with Chicken of the Woods. This really ended up being one of the best things I’ve ever made, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!
Ingredients/Tools:
1 pint of chicken of the woods mushrooms
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon white wine
3 tablespoons Major Grey’s or mango chutney
1 tablespoon curry powder
2-3 scallions, chopped
1/4 red onion, diced
1/4 cup raisins
Olive oil
Immersion blender
Big bowl
Method:
Prepare the mushrooms: Set a pot of water to boil, with a pinch of salt. Wash the mushrooms very well (as with all foraged mushrooms, I prefer to wash rather than brush - no need for bugs or grass here!). Boil them for 10 minutes, then set aside and drain when done.
While the mushrooms are boiling, make the dressing: Add the mayonnaise, mustard, wine, chutney, and curry powder, along with some salt and pepper, into a tall bowl or glass. Blend it all together with your immersion blender (recommended because it aerates the dressing as you’re blending!). Taste to see if you want any more salt, curry powder, or chutney, then place in the fridge while you continue to prep the mushrooms.
Once the mushrooms have drained and steamed off some of their moisture, rip them apart into thick shredded pieces.
Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a pan, and add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Sauté lightly on low heat, to dry them out, for about 3-5 minutes. You don’t need to brown them - you’re just getting the last of the moisture out.
Add the mushrooms, scallions, onions, and raisins to a big bowl. Then add the dressing, and mix everything together. Let it rest in the fridge for at least 15 minutes, so everything cools down and the flavors meld together - it will only get better the longer you leave it!!
Want another chicken of the woods recipe?? Check out my vegan mushrooms crab cakes:
