Tahini Salad with Mushroom, Avocado & Pepitas
This salad was inspired by “avocado lettuce cups” at AbcV restaurant in Gramercy, New York City. Every year, my sister Emily and I have a spa treatment followed by dinner and drinks at a place that at least one of us hasn’t been to before. Going on 7 years of repeating this, it’s become a tradition that I hope we can keep up until we’re old and gray! Emily is pescatarian, so AbcV, with it’s plant-forward menu (check) and creative cocktail and wine menu (check) felt like the perfect spot to catch up after winding down with massages and facials.
We were both surprised with how delicious a seamingly “simple” menu item was. The flavor profile with a tahini based seasoning and a hint of cumin was so unexpectedly special for a salad! I added roasted shitake mushrooms and homemade croutons for added crunch and density. Each time I’ve prepared this, I’ve been asked for the recipe — which tells me it’s a keeper!
Don’t be intimated by seeing 3 items to cook in a salad recipe (pepitas, mushrooms, croutons); they’re each prepared easily and at the same temperature in the oven. So you can start with roasting the mushrooms (which takes 20 minutes) then halfway through, add the pepitas and croutons to the oven (which only cooks for 10 minutes), and then it’s all ready at the same time. You could also cook the mushrooms and pepitas way in advance — but warm croutons are a special treat — so I’d encourage you to serve them warm.
Dressing:
4 tablespoons Tahini
2 tablespoons Olive oil
1 ½ tablespoons Lime Juice, freshly squeezed
1/4 teaspoon Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Serrano pepper powder, or Pinch of cayenne pepper
Generous pinch of sea salt and fresh pepper
Salad:
Large portion of butter lettuce (would also be good with spring lettuce, lacinato kale)
~1.5 - 2 cups shiitake or oyster mushrooms
1/2 cup pepitas
2 avocados, sliced
Loaf of bread for homemade croutons (optional)
Tip: Use a generous amount of mushrooms and pepitas. It’s what makes the salad special, adding flavor and crunch. In advance, you can roast the mushrooms, roast the pepitas, and cook croutons. (But, it does taste delicious warm!)
Make Salad Dressing:
Whisk the tahini, olive oil, lime juice, cumin, pepper, salt, and black pepper together in a small bowl.
Too thick? Add a splash more water or olive oil.
Too sharp/acidic? Add a tiny bit more tahini or a splash of warm water.
Needs more kick? Stir in a bit more serrano or cayenne.
Roast mushrooms:
Preheat oven to 375F. Cut cleaned and dried mushrooms into desired size. On a sheet pan, toss lightly with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a touch of cumin. Arrange mushrooms in a single layer. Roast for 20-30 minutes until slightly crispy and browned.
Roast Pepitas:
On a pan, toss pepitas very lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper, and a touch of cumin. Roast at 375F for 10 minutes.
Homemade croutons (optional):
Cut rustic bread, baguette or sourdough into 1 inch cubes. Toss on sheet pan with EVOO, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook at 375F for 10m or until slightly crisped. You want them still soft on the inside because they will harden when cooled.
Prepare Salad:
Toss lettuce with dressing in a large bowl. Add half of the mushrooms, pepitas, croutons (optional) and toss. Then add the remaining half on top of the salad, along with sliced avocado (for presentation, and so that all of the good stuff isn’t just sitting at the bottom of the salad bowl!). Top with some extra dressing.
Enjoy!