RESET360 with Camille McLaughlin
Fall Pick: Salads

Warm Mushroom and Spinach Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette

Seared cremini and shiitake mushrooms tossed with baby spinach in a warm shallot and sherry vinaigrette, with toasted walnuts and shaved parmesan.

Why you'll love Warm Mushroom and Spinach Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette

A warm spinach salad is an American steakhouse classic, and this one is built around the deep, savory flavor of mushrooms seared hard in a hot skillet. Fall is mushroom season, when cremini, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms pile up at the market, and their earthy, meaty flavor is exactly what a cool evening calls for. Tossed hot with tender spinach, toasted walnuts, and curls of parmesan, they make a salad that eats like a side dish.

The vinaigrette is made in the same skillet, and that is where its flavor comes from. Searing leaves a brown layer of mushroom on the bottom of the skillet, and when the shallot softens in olive oil and the sherry vinegar goes in, the vinegar lifts all of it into the dressing. Poured warm over the spinach, it softens the leaves at the edges for a few seconds while most of each leaf stays fresh and bright.

Serve it next to roast chicken, a seared steak, or pork chops, or top each plate with a soft-boiled egg and call it lunch.

Quick overview: This Warm Mushroom and Spinach Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette takes 15 min of hands-on time and about 30 min in all and makes 4 servings, each about 1 1/2 cups. You'll need a skillet.

Jump to recipe

Warm mushroom and spinach salad with walnuts and shaved parmesan
Prep 15 minCook 15 minTotal 30 minServes 4Serving about 1 1/2 cupsYou'll need Skillet

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup walnut halves
  • 5 oz baby spinach (about 5 packed cups)
  • 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 1 lb mixed mushrooms, such as cremini, shiitake, and oyster, shiitake stems removed, sliced 1/4 inch thick
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 3/4 tsp fine sea salt, divided
  • 1 large shallot, finely minced (about 1/4 cup)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard Label: mustard seed, vinegar, water, and salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 oz parmesan, shaved with a vegetable peeler
  • 1 tbsp chopped chives

Instructions

  1. Toast the walnuts: Toast the walnuts in a dry 12-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring often, for 4 to 5 minutes, until fragrant and a shade darker. Tip them onto a board to cool, then chop them coarsely.
  2. Set out the spinach: Put the spinach in a large heatproof bowl so it is ready the moment the dressing comes off the heat.
  3. Sear the mushrooms: Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the mushrooms in a single layer, in two batches if they crowd the skillet, and leave them alone for 3 to 4 minutes, until the undersides are deep golden. Stir, add the butter, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and cook 2 to 3 minutes more, until browned all over. Mushrooms are mostly water, and salt added before they brown pulls that water out so they steam instead of searing.
  4. Make the warm vinaigrette: Tip the mushrooms onto the spinach. Lower the heat to medium-low, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the shallot to the skillet, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the shallot softens. Add the garlic for 30 seconds, then take the skillet off the heat and whisk in the vinegar, Dijon, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and a few grinds of pepper, scraping up the browned bits. Those browned bits are concentrated mushroom flavor, and the vinegar dissolves them into the dressing.
  5. Toss: Pour the warm vinaigrette over the mushrooms and spinach and toss with tongs for about 30 seconds, just until the spinach begins to wilt at the edges while most of it stays bright. Warm dressing softens the leaves just enough to take on flavor.
  6. Finish: Divide among plates and top with the walnuts, parmesan, and chives. Serve right away, while the mushrooms are warm.

Storage and leftovers

This salad is at its best within minutes of tossing, since the warm dressing keeps softening the spinach as it sits.

To get ahead, sear the mushrooms up to 3 days early and refrigerate them in a sealed container. Rewarm them in the skillet, then make the vinaigrette and toss with fresh spinach. Leftover dressed salad keeps in the refrigerator for a day and makes a soft, savory topping for eggs the next morning.

Variations

  • With eggs: Top each plate with a soft-boiled or poached egg to make it a lunch.
  • Goat cheese: Crumble fresh goat cheese over the top in place of the parmesan.
  • Hazelnuts or pecans: Use toasted hazelnuts or pecans in place of the walnuts.
  • Kale: Use thinly sliced lacinato kale, rubbed with a pinch of salt, in place of the spinach; it stays crisp longer once dressed.

Notes and tips

  • Wipe the mushrooms: Brush or wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp towel. Soaked mushrooms absorb water and struggle to brown.
  • Give them room: Crowded mushrooms release their water all at once and steam. Two batches take a few extra minutes and brown far better.
  • Use a heatproof bowl: Metal or glass holds up to the warm dressing.
  • Mix your mushrooms: Cremini bring meatiness, shiitake a deep savory flavor, and oyster mushrooms crisp, frilly edges. Any one of them on its own works too.

Nutrition and mindful eating

  • Mushrooms bring B vitamins, potassium, and a savory depth from their natural glutamates, the same compounds that make aged cheese taste rich.
  • Spinach adds folate, vitamin K, and iron, and the olive oil and walnuts help your body absorb its fat-soluble vitamins.
  • Walnuts add omega-3 fats and crunch, and a little parmesan brings salt and savor.
  • As you eat, notice how the warm, earthy mushrooms satisfy, and when this side shares the plate with a protein, check in later: the meal should carry you comfortably to the next one.

Frequently asked questions

Have a question about this Warm Mushroom and Spinach Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette? Start here, with the questions people ask most.

Can I use only cremini mushrooms?

Yes. Cremini, also sold as baby bella, are meaty and easy to find, and a pound of them works on its own.

Will the spinach wilt completely?

Only at the edges. The warm dressing softens the leaves for a few seconds, so the salad stays fresh. For a softer salad, let it sit for 2 minutes before serving.

What should I serve it with?

Herb-roasted chicken thighs, a seared steak, pork chops, or salmon, or top it with an egg for lunch.

Can I make the vinaigrette ahead?

Measure the vinegar, Dijon, and salt ahead, but cook the shallot and finish the vinaigrette in the mushroom skillet, since the browned bits give it its depth.

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Tags: Fall Pick, Salads, American, 30 Minutes or Less