Wood Ear Mushroom Salad
Fresh, crunchy and full of flavour, this Chinese-style salad combines wood ear mushrooms with cucumber, red pepper and coriander in a salty, tangy and slightly spicy dressing. Chilli oil brings a gentle heat, while lemon and vinegar give the salad its refreshing sharpness.
Ingredients
- ½ cup dried wood ear mushrooms, which becomes about 2 cups once hydrated
- 1 tbsp vinegar, preferably Chinese black vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ green onion, sliced
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 1-2 tsp chilli oil, such as Lao Gan Ma or Sichuan chilli oil
- 5 sprigs coriander, roughly chopped
- 2 Persian cucumbers, cubed
- ¼ red bell pepper or Thai red chilli, diced
How to make it
- 1
Rehydrate the wood ear mushrooms - Place the dried wood ear mushrooms in a large bowl of water and soak for 30 minutes, until they expand. Wash and rinse them 3-4 times, checking carefully as dirt can sometimes become trapped inside the mushrooms.
- 2
Boil the mushrooms - Bring a large pot of water to the boil and cook the wood ear mushrooms for 1-2 minutes. Rinse and drain thoroughly, making sure there is no water left on the mushrooms.
- 3
Make the dressing - Combine the vinegar, soy sauce, minced garlic, sliced green onion, sugar and juice from half a lemon. Mix until the sugar has completely dissolved.
- 4
Bring the salad together - Place the cooked wood ear mushrooms in a large bowl and add the prepared dressing. Add the cubed cucumber, roughly chopped coriander and diced red pepper. Add 1-2 teaspoons of chilli oil, depending on how spicy you like it, and mix until everything is evenly combined.
- 5
Chill and marinate - Refrigerate the salad for 30 minutes to 1 hour to allow it to marinate.
- 6
Serve - Give the salad another good mix before serving so the dressing is evenly distributed. Serve chilled.