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  • Prep Time 15 minutes
  • Cook Time 10 minutes
  • Total Time 25 minutes
  • Yield 1 lb (4 Servings) 1x
Author Mushroom Council

When blanched in salted water, lion’s mane mushrooms remarkably take on a flavor and texture of succulent shellfish such as crab or lobster, making them a perfect ingredient for a plant-forward version of the classic Crab Louie salad. This recipe calls for one pound of blanched and seasoned lion’s mane mushrooms, but this dish could also be made with a 50/50 mix of lion’s mane (1/2 pound) and lump crab meat (1/2 pound). It’s a great way to make your seafood ingredient splurge go further.

Ingredients

Scale

Marinated Lion’s Mane “Crab”

  • 1 lb Lion’s Mane Mushrooms, torn to resemble pieces of crab
  • 4 Tbsp olive oil
  • ½ lemon, zest + juice
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Fancy Sauce

  • 1 cup roasted garlic aioli or mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup ketchup
  • 3 tablespoons chopped bread & butter pickles
  • 1 tablespoon pickle juice
  • ½ lemon, fresh squeezed juice
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire
  • salt + pepper to taste

Lion’s Mane Crab Louie

  • 1 lb Marinated Lion’s Mane “Crab,” (as referenced above)
  • 1½ cups Fancy Sauce, recipe below
  • 2 heads Little Gem Lettuces
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cucumber, diced or sliced
  • 1 bunch red radish, sliced
  • 2 eggs, soft boiled and split
  • 1 pint garden herbs (parsley, dill, chives, tarragon)
  • ½ cup bacon bits (optional)

Instructions

Marinated Lion’s Mane “Crab”

  1. Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil; water should be salty like the sea.
  2. Tear Lion’s Mane in pieces sized to resemble picked crab meat while the water is coming to a boil.
  3. Drop mushrooms into boiling water and let simmer for 20 seconds, drain and immediately add to a medium mixing bowl.
  4. To warm mushrooms, add olive oil, lemon juice + zest. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  5. Enjoy in any recipe where you would use shellfish, including over salads or as a topping to avocado toast.

Fancy Sauce

  1. For the Fancy Sauce: add all ingredients to a mixing bowl, whisk to combine.

Lion’s Mane Crab Louie

  1. To serve: divide all components for 4 servings. In each salad bowl, make a bed of little gems, then add piles of cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes and egg half. Top with the marinated lion’s mane (or lion’s mane and crab mix, if using). Finish with optional bacon bits and cracked black pepper to taste.
  2. Serve Fancy Sauce on the side so salads can be dressed as desired.
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