This delicious raw mushroom and arugula salad is a perfect light meal for hot weather. So if you're looking for a healthy, balanced and quick weeknight meal that doesn't require turning on your stove, this salad is a must try.
This raw mushroom and arugula salad is both refreshing and nourishing, filling you up without being excessively caloric. It's simple and super fast to make for last-minute dinners for two but also fancy enough for special occasions.
Table Of Contents
Arugula, also known as rocket lettuce or roquette, is the base for this delicious salad. It's a common ingredient in Italian kitchens, and its peppery flavor makes for a tasty kick in many dishes. This green also gives your bowl a nutritional boost since it's rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
The other key ingredient in this salad are mushrooms, a source of protein but which are low in calories, full of flavor, and add meaty, slightly crunchy texture to the dish.
Ingredients
- White Button Mushrooms - use the most fresh, farm-picked mushrooms since you’ll be consuming them uncooked. They should be firm to touch, smooth and spotless. It’s also best to choose mushrooms with a closed veil under the mushroom cap which is the thin membrane that covers the cap and stalk of a mushroom.
- Fresh Arugula - washed and ready to use arugula is reduces preparation time but you can definitely use freshly pickled arugula, washed and dried.
- Parmesan Shaves - get store bough Parmesan shaves or make them easily yourself using a vegetable peeler.
- Lemon Juice - any lemon will do. You’ll only need the juice. It can be substituted with apple vinegar or white wine vinegar.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) - the best quality since it’s one of the flavor building ingredients/
- Garlic - garlic cloves can be minced if you like strong garlic taste or rubbed onto mushrooms and serving dish for a mild hint of garlic.
- Pepper - While in most recipes pepper is totally optional, in this raw mushrooms salad it’s a must. Pepper really helps to add character and just the right spice. Freshly grinded pepper gives the most flavor.
See How I Make It
Prepare the mushrooms
- Cut off the root of the stem of the mushrooms.
- Using a soft brush gently scrub off any remaining dirt and impurities. Quickly pass under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towel. Alternatively you can gently clean them with dump cloth.
- Using a sharp knife, slice mushrooms not too thin but not too thick either, about 5mm (a little less than ¼ inch).
Assemble the salad
This salad is best prepared in layers so divide your ingredients considering you’ll need to make 2 or 3 layers of each (depending on how many serving you’re making this salad for and how big is your serving dish).
- In a large serving dish arrange a layer of fresh arugula then a layer of sliced mushrooms.
- Top with minced garlic. If you don’t like strong garlic taste you can simply rub mushrooms slices and your serving dish with a garlic clove cut in half just to give them a hint of garlic aroma and flavor.
- Top everything with freshly squeezed lemon juice (or vinegar), salt and paper and finish with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and top with Parmesan shaves.
- Repeat all the layers until you finish all the ingredients.
EXTRA TIP: Croutons or a piece of fresh Italian homemade bread make a great add-on to this salad.
Recipe FAQs
If you have any additional questions that are not covered in this section, feel free to ask in the comments below.
What kind of mushrooms can I use for this salad?
Champignons are the most common variety of mushrooms used to prepare the raw mushroom and arugula salad. Available year-round, they’re also known as “white buttons” and have a mild taste that pairs nicely with arugula.
Another variety of mushroom that is safe to eat uncooked is coming from the same family. It’s slightly more expensive but definitely worth it in terms of flavor.
They are called cremini mushrooms, but also go by the names baby bella mushrooms or baby portobello mushrooms. They have similar to white mushroom taste but since they’ve been left to mature for longer their flavor is more pronounced. They have same firm texture that’s perfect for this salad.
What to serve with the raw mushroom and arugula salad?
This scrumptious salad can be served either as a side dish or a stand-alone meal. Get some crunchy crackers or fresh crusty bread to go with it, along with your favorite wine, and you are all set!
You can present it as an appetizer for a refined meal or as an accompaniment to a variety of meat or fish dishes. It’s also an excellent filling for a sandwich made with this homemade ciabatta bread or no knead ciabatta rolls.
How to halve or double this recipe
For every serving take 2 small mushrooms, about 1 ounce or a little more of fresh arugula and squeeze about a quarter of fresh lemon juice. Season with extra virgin olive oil, salt and black pepper to taste. Use as mush or as few Parmesan shaves as you like.
Yes, there’s no harm in eating raw mushrooms as long as they come from one of the safe species, fresh and are thoroughly cleaned. You’ll also access some of the valuable nutrients mushrooms tend to lose when cooked.
Remember that eating mushrooms raw gives them a completely different texture. While cooked mushrooms are delightfully soft, raw mushrooms tend to be a little crunchier.
Raw mushrooms taste a lot different from cooked ones. Their flavor is a bit more subtle, with a light aromatic palette often described as earthy and woody.
It’s interesting to note that mushrooms have high levels of umami - one of the core five tastes alongside sweet, salty, sour and bitter. This produces a savory, meaty flavor that is more delicate in uncooked mushrooms.
The peppery and slightly bitter taste is probably the most recognizable characteristic of arugula. However, the leaves tend to lose some of their pungency when they are younger or cooked.
Bold flavor of arugula adds a distinctive character to salads as well as cooked dishes. It works particularly well with the saltiness of Parmesan cheese and the delicate earthiness of raw mushrooms. At the same time, citrusy dressings help balance its pepperiness.
Full Recipe
Raw Mushroom Arugula Salad
Ingredients
- 8 white button mushrooms (see notes)
- 5 oz fresh arugula washed, ready to consume (140 g)
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- Parmesan shaves
- 1 lemon juice juice from 1 lemon
- Salt, Pepper to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Cut off the root of the stem of the mushrooms. Using a soft brush gently scrub off any remaining dirt and impurities. Quickly pass under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towel. Alternatively you can gently clean them with dump cloth.
- Using a sharp knife, slice mushrooms not too thin but not too thick either, about 5mm (a little less than ¼ inch).
- This salad is best prepared in layers so divide your ingredients considering you’ll need to make 2 or 3 layers of each (depending on how many serving you’re making this salad for and how big is your serving dish).
- In a large serving dish arrange a layer of fresh arugula then a layer of mushroom slices.
- Top with minced garlic. If you don’t like strong garlic taste you can simply rub mushrooms slices and serving dish with garlic clove cut in half just to give them a hint of garlic aroma and flavor,
- Top everything with freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt and paper and finish with a generous drizzle of extravirgin olive oil and Parmesan shaves.
- Repeat all the layers until you finish all the ingredients.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Buon Appetito!
lyn lucasey-phares says
easy, great---please run for President...............thank you,lyn