Oyster Mushroom Salad

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make a salad with oyster mushrooms? Gather your ingredients. You can use regular green cabbage instead of napa, but the salad turns out more tender with napa. Other crisp head lettuces like iceberg work too — just not the loose-leaf kinds.

2. Step 2:

   

   Peel the onion and cut it into medium-thick half-moons. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over moderate heat. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring with a spatula, until soft and lightly golden.

3. Step 3:

   

   Clean the oyster mushrooms. Don't soak them — they'll absorb water and turn watery; wipe them with a damp sponge instead. Trim off the tough base of the cluster and cut the mushrooms into medium-thick strips. Add the sliced mushrooms to the skillet with the onion.

4. Step 4:

   

   Stirring now and then, cook the mushrooms and onion until the mushrooms are soft and all the released liquid has fully evaporated. Take the mushrooms and onion off the heat and let them cool to room temperature.

5. Step 5:

   

   Thinly shred the napa cabbage and put it in a roomy bowl.

6. Step 6:

   

   Rinse the fresh cucumber, cut it into thin matchsticks, and add it to the cabbage. Be sure to taste the cucumber before cutting to make sure it isn't bitter.

7. Step 7:

   

   Add the cooled mushrooms and onion to the bowl of salad. Toast the sesame seeds briefly in a dry skillet until golden, let them cool, and add them to the salad.

8. Step 8:

   

   Dress the salad with the vegetable oil and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and toss. The oyster mushroom salad is ready to serve right after you make it. If you like, garnish it with chopped fresh herbs to taste. Enjoy!