Close your eyes, take a bite of this salad, and get ready for your taste buds to be whisked to the sunny Mediterranean. Flame-licked mushrooms add meaty appeal, sautéed tomatoes a sweet treat, bocconcini a creamy hit, chickpeas a satiating protein and fibre addition, while herby pesto dressing rounds everything out.
Nutrition boost
A recent study in International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition found that grilling mushrooms is a good way to preserve their robust levels of healthy antioxidants. Frying and boiling were found to significantly diminish the nutritional firepower of ’shrooms.
Where there’s smoke
These hemp bacon bits are the perfect way to add nutritious smoky flavour to any salad.
1/3 cup (80 mL) hemp hearts 2 tsp (10 mL) liquid smoke 2 tsp (10 mL) low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
Stir together hemp hearts, liquid smoke, and soy or tamari sauce. Let sit for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 250 F (120 C). On baking sheet, spread seasoned hemp hearts out and bake for 12 minutes, stirring once, until darkened and slightly crispy. Be careful not to burn the seeds.
Grilled Mushroom Salad with Pesto Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250 mL) thinly sliced red onion
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) granulated cane sugar
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
- 4 large portobello mushrooms, stemmed
- 4 tsp (20 mL) grapeseed or sunflower oil, divided
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) smoked paprika
- 2 cups (500 mL) cherry tomatoes
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) red wine vinegar
- 8 cups (2 L) baby kale or baby spinach
- 2 cups (500 mL) cooked or canned chickpeas
- 1 cup (250 mL) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and sliced
- 4 oz (112 g) bocconcini (mozzarella pearls) or chopped fresh mozzarella
- 1/3 cup (80 mL) pitted and sliced Kalamata olives
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) prepared pesto
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil or camelina oil
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) red wine vinegar
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories535
- protein17g
- fat32g
- saturated fat7g
- trans fat0g
- carbohydrates44g
- sugars11g
- fibre12g
- sodium683mg
Directions
01
In bowl, place onion slices, lemon juice, sugar, and salt. With your hands, massage onions until tender and pink, about 2 minutes. Chill until ready to use.
02
Heat grill to medium-high. Brush both sides of mushroom caps with 2 tsp (10 mL) oil and season with paprika. Place mushrooms on grill grate and heat until tender with grill marks, about 2 minutes per side. When cool enough to handle, cut mushrooms into 1/2 in (1.25 cm) strips.
03
In skillet over medium, heat remaining oil; add tomatoes and garlic, and heat until tomatoes have softened and begun releasing their juices, about 3 minutes. Stir in red wine vinegar and season with salt and pepper.
04
To make dressing, whisk together pesto, olive oil, and vinegar.
05
To assemble salad, divide greens among serving plates and top with chickpeas, mushrooms, tomatoes, artichokes, bocconcini, onion, and olives. Drizzle on pesto dressing.
Matthew Kadey, MSc, RD, is a dietitian, nutrition writer, and recipe developer. He is also the author of Rocket Fuel (VeloPress, 2016) and Muffin Tin Chef (Ulysses Press, 2012).
