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Every housewife should know how to properly prepare dried shiitake mushrooms, since this product is rich in vitamins and beneficial microelements. In ancient China, shiitakes were used for medicinal purposes because they were believed to have a rejuvenating effect on the body, stimulate blood circulation and improve liver function. Today, these mushrooms are valued for their rich taste and ability to prepare any dish, both the first or second course, as well as a variety of appetizers, salads and dressings.
Shiitake improves liver function
How to cook dried shiitake mushrooms
In our country, shiitake is often sold dried. They can be stored for a long time in a hermetically sealed package or container without losing their taste and nutritional qualities.
However, if you managed to purchase fresh mushrooms and after preparing the dish there is still a lot of unused product left, you can dry shiitake mushrooms at home.To do this, it is enough to have an oven or a special dryer for vegetables and fruits. It is important to consider that the process should take place at a temperature no higher than 50-60 ∙°WITH.
Before heat treatment, dried shiitakes should be prepared:
- Soak in warm, slightly sweetened water for at least 45 minutes. Usually the mushrooms are left in water for 4-5 hours or overnight. In this case, the water level should be three fingers higher than the dried mushrooms;
- remove and dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
The photo shows dried shiitake mushrooms after soaking in water for 5 hours. It can be seen that they are saturated with moisture and now they can be cut into strips or finely chopped.
Shiitake mushrooms after soaking
What to cook with dried shiitake mushrooms
You can prepare a huge number of dishes, both meat and vegetarian, from dried shiitake mushrooms, since this universal product is rich in protein, very nutritious, and successfully replaces meat. Typically, warm and cold salads, mushroom broths and soups, as well as main courses are prepared from pre-soaked dried shiitake mushrooms.
Shiitake salads
There are a huge number of recipes for salads with dry shiitake. Despite the fact that this mushroom came to us from China, it goes well with many common products in our country: tomatoes, red and yellow peppers, avocados, sesame seeds, garlic, etc.
Salad with dry shiitake and avocado
Ingredients (per person):
- dried mushrooms – 6-7 pcs.;
- avocado – 1 pc.;
- cherry tomatoes – 5 pcs.;
- lettuce leaves - a bunch;
- sesame seeds or pine nuts – 25 g;
- olive oil – 2 tbsp. l.
For refueling:
- lime or lemon juice - 1 tbsp. l.;
- soy sauce – 1 tbsp. l.
Salad with shiitake, avocado and vegetables
Cooking method:
- Soak dried shiitakes for 5 hours, cut the caps into several pieces and fry in olive oil for 7 minutes.
- Peel the avocado, remove the pit and chop into strips. Cut the cherry into quarters or halves. Tear the lettuce leaves into small pieces with your hands.
- Place salad greens on a flat plate and place avocado and cherry tomatoes on top. Then carefully place the fried mushrooms on the vegetables and sprinkle the finished dish with lime juice and soy sauce.
Before serving, sprinkle the salad with sesame seeds or pine nuts and, if desired, garnish with fresh basil or cilantro leaves.
Salad with shiitake and canned beans
Ingredients (for 3 servings):
- dried shiitake – 150 g;
- canned beans – 100 g;
- fresh or frozen green beans – 200 g;
- radish – 150 g;
- green onions - several stalks;
- oil for frying – 3 tbsp. l.
For refueling:
- Dijon mustard – 1 tsp;
- vinegar (balsamic or wine) - 2 tbsp. l.;
- garlic – 1 clove;
- salt, pepper mixture.
Salad with shiitake and beans
Cooking method:
- Soak the mushrooms, cut into thin strips and fry in olive oil for 6-7 minutes. As a result, they should turn out golden and crispy. Transfer to a clean container.
- Pour a few tablespoons of water into the same frying pan and steam the washed and cut green beans into several pieces for 10 minutes.
- Place the canned beans in a colander and let the marinade drain.
- Cut the radishes into strips, finely chop the onion.
- Prepare the dressing: mix vinegar, mustard, pressed garlic, pepper mixture and salt.
Mix all ingredients except mushrooms in a salad bowl, add dressing and place into serving bowls. Place fried shiitakes on top.
Shiitake soups
Mushroom soups are very healthy because they contain amino acids necessary for the body and perfectly restore strength. Therefore, first courses based on shiitake can be safely included in a vegetarian or dietary menu (for diabetes, chronic gastrointestinal diseases, oncology).
Traditional soup made from dried shiitake and miso paste
Ingredients (for 3-4 servings):
- shiitake – 250 g;
- boiled frozen shrimp – 200 g;
- miso paste – 50 g;
- nori leaves – 3 pcs.;
- vegetable oil – 3 tbsp. l.;
- garlic – 1 clove;
- ginger root – 20 g;
- white part of green onions - several stems.
Shiitake and miso paste soup
Cooking method:
- Chop the onion, pass the garlic through a press, grate the ginger root, cut the nori into strips.
- Cut the soaked shiitake into thin slices and fry in a frying pan for 3 minutes, adding onion, garlic and grated ginger.
- Pour 800 g of water into a saucepan, bring to a boil, add nori and shrimp. Cook for 5 minutes.
- After this time, add the fried mushrooms and simmer over low heat for another 3 minutes.
- While the mushrooms are cooking, scoop 100 ml of broth from the pan and dissolve the miso paste in a separate bowl.
- Pour the pasta into the pan and immediately remove it from the heat.
Preparing this soup takes a minimum of time, so the recipe is ideal if you need to prepare something in a hurry.
Soup with dried shiitake and tofu cheese
Ingredients (for 2 servings):
- Shiitake mushrooms – 5-6 pcs.;
- miso paste – 1 tbsp. l.;
- tofu cheese – 120 g;
- nori sheet – 1 pc.;
- ginger – 15-20 g.
Soup with shiitake mushrooms and tofu cheese
Cooking method:
- Pour two glasses of water into a saucepan, add the peeled ginger root and put on fire.
- Once the water boils, add the miso paste. While stirring, dissolve it completely and wait until the mixture comes to a boil again.
- Cut the soaked shiitake caps into several pieces and place in a saucepan. Cook for 10 minutes over low heat.
- While the mushrooms are cooking, cut the tofu into cubes and nori into strips. As soon as the mushrooms are ready, add the tofu and nori to the pan and cook for another 3-4 minutes, then remove from the heat.
To prevent the taste of the dish from becoming too spicy, it is better to remove the ginger root as soon as the soup is ready.
Main courses with shiitake
Dried shiitake mushrooms make main courses even tastier and more aromatic than white mushrooms. Fans of oriental cuisine will appreciate the traditional Chinese dish of rice noodles and shiitake or Japanese soba noodles with shrimp and mushrooms.
Rice noodles with dry shiitake and beef
Ingredients (for two servings):
- dried mushrooms – 10 pcs.;
- rice noodles – 150 g;
- fresh beef – 200 g;
- onion – 1 head;
- soy sauce – 3 tbsp. l.;
- chili sauce – 1 tsp;
- garlic – 2 cloves;
- vegetable oil – 3 tbsp. l.;
- green cilantro - several sprigs.
Main courses with shiitake for lovers of oriental cuisine
Cooking method:
- Soak dry mushrooms for 5-6 hours.
- Cut the beef (preferably tenderloin) into cubes or strips.
- Place a deep frying pan on the fire and, while it is heating up, cut the shiitake into thin strips and the onion into cubes.
- Pour oil into a hot frying pan, wait for it to heat up and fry the meat over high heat for about 4 minutes.
- As soon as the pieces of beef become golden brown, add chopped mushrooms and onions, stir, squeeze in the garlic and pour in the soy and hot sauce. Leave to simmer for 6-7 minutes.
- Place the rice noodles in a container and cover with warm water for 4-5 minutes. Add the prepared noodles to the mushrooms and meat in the pan and, stirring, cook for a few more minutes.
When serving, garnish with cilantro, onion or basil.
Soba noodles with shrimp and shiitake mushrooms
Ingredients (for 1 serving):
- shiitake – 3 pcs.;
- boiled-frozen king prawns – 4 pcs.;
- buckwheat soba noodles – 120 g;
- garlic – 1 clove;
- ginger – 15 g;
- ground chili pepper - to taste;
- soy sauce – 1 tbsp. l.;
- lemon juice – 1 tsp;
- vegetable oil – 2 tbsp. l.;
- a pinch of sesame.
Shiitake with noodles and shrimp
Cooking method:
- Soak the shiitake overnight. After this, cut into several pieces or leave whole.
- Thaw the king prawns, peel them, removing the head, shell and intestines.
- Grate the ginger root and chop the garlic.
- Cook the noodles by throwing them into boiling water for five minutes, drain and rinse.
- Pour oil into a preheated frying pan and fry the grated ginger and garlic for 30 seconds, then remove them.
- Immediately place the mushrooms in the pan and cook for 5 minutes, then add soy sauce, cover and set aside after 2 minutes.
- In a separate frying pan, fry the shrimp, sprinkling them with lemon juice, for no more than 5-6 minutes.
- Add buckwheat noodles and fried mushrooms to the prepared shrimp, and heat all the ingredients under the lid for 1 minute.
Place the dish on a plate and serve hot, sprinkled with sesame seeds and green onions.
Shiitake mushroom calories
100 grams of fresh shiitake mushrooms contain only 34 calories, 0.49 grams of fat and 6.79 grams of carbohydrates.Therefore, this product can be safely consumed by people who are overweight. However, you should know that 100 grams of dried Chinese shiitake mushroom contains 331 calories, since the concentration of nutrients is higher due to the lack of moisture. This is important to take into account when calculating the calorie content of the finished dish.
Conclusion
Preparing dried shiitake mushrooms is no more difficult than any other mushroom dish. The only drawback is the need to soak them in advance, which makes it impossible to quickly prepare something for the sudden arrival of guests. However, this inconvenience is compensated by the excellent taste of mushrooms and their ability to emphasize the aroma of all ingredients of the dish, as well as good compatibility with many products familiar to Russian people.
