Roasted Oyster Mushroom and Watercress Salad Recipe

By
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Senior Culinary Director
Daniel joined the Serious Eats culinary team in 2014 and writes recipes, equipment reviews, articles on cooking techniques. Prior to that he was a food editor at Food & Wine magazine, and the staff writer for Time Out New York's restaurant and bars section.
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Updated Mar. 27, 2019
20150826-oyster-mushroom-watercress-salad-vicky-wasik-4.jpg
A salad so meaty, it can be a full meal. . Vicky Wasik

Why This Recipe Works

  • Searing the mushrooms in batches allows them to cook and brown quickly.
  • Cooling the mushrooms in a thin, even layer on a baking sheet means it takes less time for them to reach room temperature.

Watercress is peppery, plump, and loaded with character. Here, we turn it into a full meal by pairing it with pan-roasted oyster mushrooms, Parmesan cheese, and a flavorful tarragon vinaigrette.

Recipe Details

Roasted Oyster Mushroom and Watercress Salad Recipe

Active 25 mins
Total 25 mins
Serves 2 to 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)

  • 1 small clove garlic, minced (about 1/2 teaspoon)

  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

  • 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon water

  • 1 packed tablespoon roughly chopped fresh tarragon leaves

  • 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • Vegetable or canola oil, for searing mushrooms

  • 1 pound oyster mushrooms, firm central stems removed, mushroom caps separated, large caps torn by hand vertically into smaller pieces

  • 4 ounces fresh watercress, cut or torn into smaller pieces if stalks are large

  • 3 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler

Directions

  1. Combine shallot, garlic, mustard, vinegar, water, and tarragon in a tall, narrow container. Using an immersion blender, blend until tarragon is finely chopped and incorporated into dressing base. Alternatively, mince tarragon finely by hand and add to the base. Transfer to a large bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

  2. In a large cast iron skillet, heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil over high heat until lightly smoking. Add just enough mushrooms to barely fill skillet without crowding. Season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer cooked mushrooms to a baking sheet in an even layer and allow them to cool to room temperature. Repeat with remaining mushrooms in as many batches as needed, adding more oil to the pan before each batch.

  3. In a large bowl, combine watercress with cooled mushrooms and cheese. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Dress and toss with just enough vinaigrette to lightly coat salad ingredients, adding more vinaigrette as needed. Serve right away. Extra vinaigrette can be kept refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Special equipment

immersion blender, large cast iron skillet, baking sheet

Notes

If you can't find oyster mushrooms, feel free to substitute others, such as king oyster or cremini (sliced and then seared), or hen-of-the-woods (divided by hand into small clusters).

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
334 Calories
29g Fat
11g Carbs
11g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 334
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 29g 37%
Saturated Fat 6g 32%
Cholesterol 18mg 6%
Sodium 686mg 30%
Total Carbohydrate 11g 4%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 11g
Vitamin C 14mg 69%
Calcium 225mg 17%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 625mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)