Shiitake Sesame Slaw
A quality of mushrooms oft not considered is their innate ability to absorb other flavors.
This recipe comes together incredibly quickly because it is 90% prep work and requires no cooking. Here, shiitake are sliced crosswise and tossed with a sweet-savory sesame dressing along with cabbage, red peppers, mint, and cilantro. Top with some toasted sesame seeds or cashews to add even more crunch. Prep time: 15 min. Serves 6-8.
Ingredients
1/2 lb. shiitake mushrooms
1 red bell pepper
1 bunch scallions
1/4 head cabbage
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch mint
3 Tbsp sesame seeds*
Crushed, roasted cashews**
Dressing:
4 Tbsp rice vinegar
3 tsp soy sauce or tamari
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp grated garlic
1 tsp sugar or honey
1/2 tsp diamond crystal salt
(or 1/4 tsp table salt)
5 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp tahini
*Buy toasted sesame seeds. They are crunchier and more flavorful.
**Any roasted nuts taste great in this: sub peanuts or pepitas (pumpkin seeds). The Coop carries lots of varieties of roasted and seasoned seeds and nuts in the bulk aisle!
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients. Set aside while you prepare the vegetables. If you cannot find grated ginger or garlic, a microplane or a box grater are great tools to create your own. Grate one garlic clove and a 1-inch piece of ginger root.
Thinly slice the mushrooms, peppers, scallions, and cabbage into roughly 1/4-inch wide strips. The key is cutting all of the vegetables to roughly the same size to make the slaw easy to toss evenly and easy to eat! Discard the pepper seeds, the cabbage stem, and any roots on the scallions. As you complete each vegetable, place it in the bowl with the dressing. Wait to toss everything until the end.
Remove the mint leaves from the stem and tear any large leaves into roughly 1/2-inch pieces. Roughly chop the cilantro, stems included. Cilantro stems are pretty tender and have lots of flavor. Keep as much of the upper parts of the stems as you’d like. You can discard the very bottom if it is thicker or contains roots.
Thoroughly toss the vegetables and herbs with the dressing until everything is well coated. Allow to rest for five minutes to so that the mushrooms can soften and absorb the dressing.
Serve and top with toasted sesame seeds and cashews. Add the crunchy toppings to each serving instead of the whole bowl if you think you’ll have leftovers. The vegetables, especially cabbage, are pretty hardy and will retain their texture even after sitting in dressing, but the seeds and nuts will soften. The slaw will keep in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Pro tip for leftovers: Inevitably, leftovers will get a little too soggy. If that happens (or if you feel like getting creative), toss everything (dressing included) in a skillet over medium heat for 5-10 minutes to create a quick, flavorful stir fry. Top the finished stir fry with toasted sesame seeds and cashews.
