Transport your lunch guests to the Mediterranean with this flavourful, affordable & nutrient-packed grilled mushroom salad.
This post is a sponsored post. Food Bloggers of Canada had the wonderful opportunity to partner with Mushrooms Canada to bring you this recipe by James and Elaine of Zimmy's Nook. Though monetary compensation was received, all opinions are our own.
Three varieties of mushrooms are marinated in olive oil, lemon & dill. Grilled with red onion, red & green bell peppers until tender. Layered with olives and feta cheese. Finished with a drizzle of olive oil, lemon zest and dill leaves… it’s that simple!
Did you know mushrooms are always in season? They are grown here in farms across Canada all year round and are one of the most sustainably produced foods! They are shipped directly to a local store near you, keeping the costs down while being gentle on our planet. That’s a win-win in our books! Best part, since local mushrooms are available year-round, we can make this salad at any time throughout the year and still enjoy the same fresh flavours! Don’t grill? Don’t worry! Mushrooms are just as delicious roasted or sauteed in a skillet.
I eat A LOT of mushrooms! I add them to omelettes, sandwiches, burgers, soups, stews, roasts, gravy, risotto, and savory pies. I serve them with steak and stick them on skewers. I absolutely love the flavour of mushrooms!
However, in all my years of eating mushrooms, I must admit that I have taken this locally grown superfood for granted! The fact that mushrooms are a source of essential nutrients, antioxidants, and fibre, seldom crosses my mind. Yet the recent studies showing that fresh mushrooms can help with weight management, blood pressure, arthritis, diabetes, heart health, gout, healthy aging, childhood obesity and diverticulosis, has my attention… what else can I make with mushrooms?
Ingredients
For this Mediterranean Grilled Mushroom Salad you'll need:
MARINADE:
- Olive Oil
- Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
- Fresh Dill
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Pepper
SALAD:
- Portobello Mushrooms
- Assorted Mushrooms
- Green Bell Pepper
- Red Bell Pepper
- Red Onion
- Olive Oil
- Feta Cheese
- Olives
FOR SERVING:
- Olive Oil
- Lemon Zest
- Dill
- Lemon Wedges
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
*See recipe card for quantities
Marinade: In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, add the marinade ingredients. Put the lid on and shake well to combine. In a large bowl, gently toss mushrooms with the marinade, ensuring the mushrooms are evenly coated. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes while you prepare the peppers and onions.
Cooking: Preheat the grill on medium-high heat. Take 2 or 3 toothpicks and slide them through the sides of the onion slice to keep the rings together while grilling. Brush the peppers and onion slice with the olive oil. Then place on the preheated grill. Cook the whole peppers on the grill, turning occasionally, until they are well charred. About 8-10 minutes. Remove to a bowl and cover with a lid, plate, or plastic wrap. Let sit covered for 10 minutes.
Cook the onion for 6-8 minutes, turning occasionally and flipping halfway through, until just lightly charred. Remove to a plate and cover with another plate, lid, or plastic wrap. Let sit covered for 10 minutes. Remove the skin from the peppers, then discard the stem and seeds. Slice into strips and spread out on a serving platter. Remove the tooth picks from the onion and slice into small pieces, set aside to layer with the mushrooms on the platter.
NOTE: If using small mushrooms, use skewers or a grill basket to make cooking easier.
Grill the mushrooms turning occasionally, until lightly charred, 6-8 minutes (cooking time will vary with size and type of mushrooms and temperature of the grill). Remove from grill and add to the platter with peppers, layering the feta cheese, olives and onions as you go.
Drizzle the platter with a little olive oil, zest the lemon over the platter, then sprinkle with the dill leaves and salt & pepper to taste. Serve with lemon wedges and enjoy!
Make ahead the peppers & onions the day before and refrigerate until ready to use. The salad is delicious warm or at room temperature. So do all the grilling before your guests arrive and just assemble the platter with the cheese when ready to serve.
Cooks Notes
No grill, no problem!
Oven roasting peppers & onions:
Preheat the oven to 500°F. Place the peppers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Roast the peppers for approximately 20 minutes, rotating them every 5 minutes, until the skins are black and blistered. Add the onion slice 10 minutes into cooking the peppers flipping once at 5 minutes. Remove the onion to plate, cover and let steam. Remove the peppers to a bowl, cover tightly for 10 minutes before peeling the skin and proceeding with the recipe.
Oven roasting the mushrooms:
Preheat the oven to 450 °F.
Place the mushrooms on a large parchment lined baking sheet, leaving space between the mushrooms to promote browning. Cook the mushrooms for 15 minutes, then drain any liquid, flip the mushrooms, and cook for another 5 minutes or until browned and slightly caramelized.
Proceed with the recipe.
Do you have to use Portobello mushrooms?
You can substitute with any of the delicious 7 Canadian mushroom varieties. Skewer smaller mushrooms or use a grill basket so they don’t fall through the grill grates.
Experiment with other cheese and herbs combinations:
Try replacing the feta & dill, with shaved parmesan & chopped oregano, or blue cheese & thyme.
Leftover Tips and Suggestion:
Store your room temperature leftovers in a container with a tight-fitting lid in the fridge up to 2 days.
Warm leftovers in a skillet, for a delicious topping for toast; add them to an omelette, frittata; or use as a topping on a sandwich, burger or a pizza.
For more mushroom ideas, be sure to visit mushrooms.ca!
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons fresh dill, finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 16-18 ounces Portobello mushrooms, cut into ½-inch slices.
- 8 ounces assorted mushrooms (I used shiitake & oyster)
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 red bell pepper
- ½ medium red onion, cut into a thick slice, flat on both ends, approximately ¾” thick
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 4 ounces feta cheese, sliced or crumbled
- ½ cup olives
- A drizzle of olive oil
- Lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon Dill leaves, picked small or chopped
- 4-6 Lemon wedges
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, add the marinade ingredients. Put the lid on and shake well to combine.
- In a large bowl, gently toss mushrooms with the marinade, ensuring the mushrooms are evenly coated. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes while you prepare the peppers and onions.
- Preheat the grill on medium-high heat.
- Take 2 or 3 toothpicks and slide them through the sides of the onion slice to keep the rings together while grilling.
- Brush the peppers and onion slice with the olive oil. Then place on the preheated grill.
- Cook the whole peppers on the grill, turning occasionally, until they are well charred. About 8-10 minutes. Remove to a bowl and cover with a lid, plate, or plastic wrap. Let sit covered for 10 minutes. Cook the onion for 6-8 minutes, turning occasionally and flipping halfway through, until just lightly charred. Remove to a plate and cover with another plate, lid, or plastic wrap. Let sit covered for 10 minutes.
- Remove the skin from the peppers, then discard the stem and seeds. Slice into strips and spread out on a serving platter. Remove the tooth picks from the onion and slice into small pieces, set aside to layer with the mushrooms on the platter.
- (Note: If using small mushrooms, use skewers or a grill basket to make cooking easier.)
- Grill the mushrooms turning occasionally, until lightly charred, 6-8 minutes (cooking time will very with size and type of mushrooms and temperature of the grill).
- Remove from grill and add to the platter with peppers, layering the feta cheese, olives and onions as you go.
- Drizzle the platter with a little olive oil, zest the lemon over the platter, then sprinkle with the dill leaves and salt & pepper to taste. Serve with lemon wedges and enjoy!
- Make ahead the peppers & onions the day before and refrigerate until ready to use.
- The salad is delicious warm or at room temperature. So do all the grilling before your guests arrive and just assemble the platter with the cheese when ready to serve.
Thank you James and Elaine of Zimmy's Nook for amazing Mediterranean Grilled Mushroom Salad recipe.
Other Delicious Mushroom Recipes on FBC:
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