This shimeji mushrooms recipe is a great side dish. The garlic, butter, and soy sauce flavors play so well with the shimeji.
I love shimeji mushrooms! They are such a great addition to meals. I like to cook them as a side dish, but you can also use them in stir-fries, soups, stews, and sauces.
When raw, they are crunchy and have a bitter taste, but once cooked, they have a mild, nutty, umami flavor that goes well with fish, vegetables, beef, and chicken.
In Brazil, we eat them in Japanese restaurants all the time, and they're made just like this one. They're so good!!
Ingredients and substitutions
This shimeji recipe is very simple, and you won't need many ingredients. Here's what you'll need:
- Shimeji: I'm using the white shimeji, also known as beech mushroom or Bunapi-shimeji; but if you want to use the brown variety, also known as brown beech or Buna-shimeji, it's totally fine.
- Olive oil: For sautéing the mushrooms.
- Soy sauce: Gives a great flavor to this dish. It can be substituted with coco aminos.
- Rice vinegar: Enhances the dish's flavor, and it can be substituted with white vinegar or cooking wine.
- Butter: Will be used for flavor. Don't use margarine.
- Garlic: Used for flavor. No substitution for this.
- Chives: You could sub it with scallions or green onions.
How to Cook Shimeji
It's so easy to make this shimeji mushrooms recipe! We just sauté the shimeji for a few minutes with the other ingredients, and it'll be ready in less than 10 minutes. Here are the step-by-step photos.
Health Benefits
Shimeji mushrooms have fantastic health benefits. They are rich in antioxidants, protein, potassium, and fiber. Some studies show that it can prevent parasitic infections and the proliferation of various cancer cells. In addition, it has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and antifungal properties. Here's a great article about all the benefits of the shimeji mushroom if you'd like to learn more about it.
FAQ
Yes, you can. There is a myth that you can't wash mushrooms, but it's really just a myth. Of course, you don't want to soak them because they will absorb a lot of water this way, but just a quick rinse is totally fine. They're already full of water inside, so give them a quick shower in your sink, dry them with a paper towel, and it'll be okay.
Here's a great video where Alton Brown, from Food Network, talks more about washing mushrooms.
Make sure they aren't mushy or slimy and don't have dark or moldy spots. If they smell funky like ammonia or fish, don't buy them. Good mushrooms should have a nice plump texture, uniform color, and pleasant smell.
Because they contain a significant amount of water, they will give off moisture; so if you trap them in a plastic bag, they'll rot very quickly. Therefore, the best way is to store the mushrooms in a paper bag and put them inside a plastic bag. The paper bag will absorb the moisture, while the plastic bag will ensure that the shimeji won't absorb the odors from the fridge.
After cooking, you can store them in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for about 5 days.
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Shimeji Mushrooms recipe
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 5 oz Shimeji mushrooms (150 g) (white or brown)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- chives (to your liking)
- salt (if necessary)
Instructions
- In a medium skillet, add the olive oil over medium heat and wait for it to be hot. Cut the base of the shimeji (that binds them all together), separate each one, and add them to the skillet. Sauté the mushrooms until they start to get some golden spots.
- Add soy sauce and rice vinegar, and cook for about 3 more minutes. Push them all to one side of the pan and add the butter and garlic to the other side. Sauté the garlic until fragrant, and then stir everything together. Cook for one more minute or until the shimeji reaches the desired color and consistency.
- Transfer the mushrooms to a serving dish and sprinkle with chives.Serve it while still hot.
Nutrition Estimate:
All nutritional information above is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Nutritional content may vary according to brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, substitutions, optional ingredients, etc. Simple Living Recipes is not responsible for any miscalculation or misinformation in the nutrition label.
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tenten says
I tried this style of mushroom, shimeji, for the first time and they tasted amazing, this recipe had a slightly bitter and salty flavor. I also paired this as a side dish for my lentil rice stirfry, and it paired great. <3
Thank you so much for sharing, I will definitely try this recipe again:)
Lilian Vallezi says
Hi!! I'm so glad you liked this recipe and that it paired well with your stir-fry!
Shimeji mushrooms are naturally bitter when raw, so if you want to reduce the bitter taste, just cook them a little longer.😉
Thanks for your feedback!
Lilian