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Every housewife should know how to properly cook dried shiitake mushrooms, since this product is rich in vitamins and minerals. 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 the ability to prepare any dish, both the first or second, as well as a variety of snacks, salads and dressings.
Shiitake improves liver function
How to cook dried shiitake mushrooms
In our country, shiitake is often sold in dried form. 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 get fresh mushrooms and after cooking 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 take into account that the process should take place at a temperature not higher than 50-60 ∙°FROM.
Before heat treatment, dried shiitake should be prepared:
- soak in warm, slightly sweetened water for at least 45 minutes. Usually 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
A huge number of dishes, both meat and vegetarian, can be prepared from dry shiitake mushrooms, since this universal product is rich in protein, very nutritious, and successfully replaces meat. Usually, warm and cold salads, mushroom broths and soups, as well as main dishes are prepared from pre-soaked dried shiitake mushrooms.
Shiitake salads
There are many recipes for dry shiitake salads. Despite the fact that this mushroom came to us from China, it goes well with many products familiar in our country: tomatoes, red and yellow peppers, avocado, sesame seeds, garlic, etc.
Dry shiitake and avocado salad
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 tablespoons l.
For refueling:
- lime or lemon juice - 1 tbsp. l .;
- soy sauce - 1 tbsp l.
Shiitake salad with avocado and vegetables
Cooking method:
- Soak the dried shiitake 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 lettuce leaves into small pieces with your hands.
- Put the salad greens on a flat plate, put the avocado and cherry tomatoes on top. Then gently transfer the fried mushrooms to the vegetables and sprinkle the finished dish with lime juice and soy sauce.
Before serving, sprinkle the salad with sesame seeds or pine nuts, garnish with fresh basil or cilantro leaves if desired.
Shiitake salad with 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 stems;
- frying oil - 3 tbsp. l.
For refueling:
- Dijon mustard - 1 tsp;
- vinegar (balsamic or wine) - 2 tbsp. l .;
- garlic - 1 clove;
- salt, pepper mixture.
Shiitake and Bean Salad
Cooking method:
- Soak the mushrooms, cut into thin strips and fry in olive oil for 6-7 minutes. As a result, they should be golden and crispy. Transfer to a clean container.
- Pour a few tablespoons of water into the same pan and steam the washed and cut green beans for 10 minutes.
- Throw the canned beans in a colander and drain the marinade.
- Cut the radish into strips, finely chop the onion.
- Prepare the dressing: mix the vinegar, mustard, garlic passed through a press, a mixture of pepper and salt.
In a salad bowl, mix all the ingredients except the mushrooms, add the dressing and place in portioned plates. Place the fried shiitake on top.
Shiitake soups
Mushroom soups are very useful 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 (with diabetes mellitus, 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;
- the 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 pan for 3 minutes, adding the onion, garlic and grated ginger.
- Pour 800 g of water into a saucepan, bring to a boil, toss in nori and shrimp. Cook for 5 minutes.
- After this time, add the fried mushrooms and simmer for another 3 minutes.
- While the mushrooms are cooking, scoop 100 ml of broth from a saucepan and dilute the miso paste in a separate bowl.
- Pour the paste into a saucepan and immediately remove it from the heat.
The preparation of such a soup takes a minimum of time, so the recipe is ideal if you need to cook 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.
Shiitake mushroom soup with tofu cheese
Cooking method:
- Pour two glasses of water into a saucepan, lower the peeled ginger root and put on fire.
- After 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 hats into several pieces and send them to the pan. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- While the mushrooms are boiling, cut the tofu into cubes, nori into strips. Once the mushrooms are ready, put the tofu and nori into the pot and cook for another 3-4 minutes, then remove from heat.
To avoid the taste of the dish too spicy, it is best to get the ginger root as soon as the soup is ready.
Shiitake main courses
Dried shiitake mushrooms make the second courses even tastier and more aromatic than white ones.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 .;
- cilantro greens - a few twigs.
Shiitake second courses for lovers of oriental cuisine
Cooking method:
- Soak dry mushrooms for 5-6 hours.
- Cut the beef (preferably tenderloin) into cubes or strips.
- Put 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 the 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 beef pieces are golden brown, add the chopped mushrooms and onions, mix, squeeze the garlic into the same place and pour in the soy and hot sauce. Leave to simmer for 6-7 minutes.
- Place the rice noodles in a container and pour warm water for 4-5 minutes. Add ready-made noodles to mushrooms and meat in a pan and, stirring, keep the dish for a few more minutes.
Garnish with cilantro, onion or basil when serving.
Soba noodles with shrimps and shiitake mushrooms
Ingredients (for 1 serving):
- shiitake - 3 pcs.;
- royal boiled-frozen shrimps - 4 pcs.;
- buckwheat soba noodles - 120 g;
- garlic - 1 clove;
- ginger - 15 g;
- ground chili to taste;
- soy sauce - 1 tbsp l .;
- lemon juice - 1 tsp;
- vegetable oil - 2 tbsp. l .;
- a pinch of sesame seeds.
Shiitake with noodles and shrimps
Cooking method:
- Soak the shiitake overnight. After that, cut into several pieces or leave whole.
- Defrost the king prawns, peel, removing the head, shell and intestines.
- Grate the ginger root, chop the garlic.
- Boil the noodles by throwing them in boiling water for five minutes, drain and rinse.
- Pour oil into a preheated pan and fry the grated ginger and garlic for 30 seconds, then remove them.
- Put the mushrooms in the pan immediately and cook for 5 minutes, then add the soy sauce, cover and set aside after 2 minutes.
- In a separate frying pan, fry the shrimps, sprinkling them with lemon juice, no more than 5-6 minutes.
- Add buckwheat noodles, fried mushrooms to the ready-made shrimps, and heat all the ingredients under a lid for 1 minute.
Place dish on a plate and serve hot, sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions.
Calorie content of shiitake mushrooms
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 eaten by people who are overweight. However, you should be aware that 100 grams of dried Chinese shiitake mushroom contains 331 calories, since the concentration of nutrients is higher due to the lack of moisture. It is important to take this into account when calculating the calorie content of the finished dish.
Conclusion
Cooking 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 the ingredients of the dish, as well as good compatibility with many products familiar to the Russian person.
