Japanese Warm Mushroom Salad

This Warm Mushroom Salad Recipe is savory, earthy, and creamy. It's packed with a mix of seared mushrooms, tender spinach, miso, sake, mirin, sesame oil, and my Japanese Roasted Sesame Dressing for a salad that's hearty but still fresh.

Check out my homemade roasted sesame dressing recipe here!

I love how the mushrooms cook down and get a nice sear before being tossed with the creamy sesame dressing. You get juicy mushrooms, wilted spinach, nutty sesame flavor, and a savory, lightly sweet miso-based seasoning that ties everything together.

This is delicious warm right after cooking, but you can also enjoy it cold. Feel free to add more dressing when serving, especially if the salad sits for a bit and the mushrooms soak up the sauce.

Why You'll Love This Warm Mushroom Salad Recipe

• Uses a mix of mushrooms for different textures, shapes, and bites.
• Packed with savory, earthy, and nutty flavors from miso, sake, mirin, sesame oil, and of course the roasted sesame dressing.
• Great warm when served right away or chilled as a cold mushroom salad
• Keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days so it’s good to make in advance to enjoy for the coming days
• It’s perfect as a side dish, light meal, or topping for rice bowls!

INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED TO MAKE THIS WARM MUSHROOM SALAD

MUSHROOMS

• baby king oyster mushrooms
• shiitake mushrooms
• brown shimeji mushrooms
• enoki mushrooms

FOR COOKING

• neutral oil
• minced garlic
• salt
• sake
• mirin
• white miso paste
• soy sauce, adjust to taste

SALAD

• fresh spinach leaves
• sesame oil
• Japanese roasted sesame dressing (homemade recipe here), plus more to taste

TO SERVE

• More roasted sesame dressing (homemade recipe here)
• Chopped scallions
• Roasted sesame seeds

TO MAKE THIS SALAD

PREPARE THE MUSHROOMS

• Clean and trim the mushrooms as needed. For the enoki and shimeji mushrooms, cut off the bottom ends.
• Break apart the shimeji mushrooms into smaller clusters. Slice the enoki mushrooms in half, then break them apart.
• For the baby king oyster mushrooms, slice off the bottom ends, cut them in half, then slice into smaller strips or batons. Remove the stems from the shiitake mushrooms, then slice the caps.

MIX THE SEASONING

• In a small bowl, mix the sake, mirin, white miso paste, and soy sauce until the miso is mostly dissolved. Start with 1/2 tsp soy sauce, then add more later if needed.

COOK THE MUSHROOMS

• Heat a wok or large pan over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms to the dry wok and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they start to release moisture.
• Once the mushrooms release moisture, add a pinch of salt and the neutral oil. Add the garlic.
• Continue cooking for 5-7 minutes, stirring and spreading the mushrooms out as needed, until they are lightly browned and seared in spots.

SEASON THE MUSHROOMS

• Pour in the sake, mirin, miso, and soy sauce mixture. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the mushrooms are cooked through and the seasoning has mostly absorbed.
• Taste the mushrooms and feel free to season with more soy sauce, miso, or salt, to taste, if needed.

ADD THE SPINACH AND DRESSING

• Turn off the heat. Add the spinach leaves, sesame oil, and 1/2 cup roasted sesame dressing (homemade recipe here).
• Mix well until the spinach slightly wilts from the residual heat and the mushrooms are coated in the dressing. Add more dressing if you want the salad creamier.

SERVE AND ENJOY

• Transfer the warm mushroom salad to a serving plate or bowl.
• Drizzle with more roasted sesame dressing, then top with chopped scallions and roasted sesame seeds.
• Serve warm or enjoy chilled. Mix everything together and enjoy!

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