I was craving a smoky aspect for my salad, so I wanted to try this shiitake mushroom ‘bacon.’ It is a great substitute for bacon especially for this salad. Serves 1.

INGREDIENTS:

Shiitake Bacon:
½ tsp of olive oil
2 cups shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2-3 tsp coconut aminos or tamari
1½ tsp maple syrup
1 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp smoked paprika
JF Spicy Salt, to taste
Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
 
Cobb Salad:
2 cups red leaf lettuce
½ avocado, cut into chunks
¼ cup red onion, chopped
¼ cup tomatoes, de-seeded and chopped 
¼ cup beets, chopped
⅛ cup chives, chopped
1 jammy egg
JF Simple Mustard Vinaigrette, to taste
JF Spicy Salt, to taste
Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

PROCESS:

Shiitake Bacon
Preheat the oven to 400º. Pour the olive oil in a large cast iron pan on medium high heat. Add the mushrooms, coconut aminos, maple syrup, liquid smoke, and paprika. Stir constantly to combine everything and coat the mushrooms. Add a small dash of JF Spicy Salt and some fresh cracked black pepper to taste. Sauté for 3-5 minutes until they start getting a little bit crispy. Finish them in the oven for 10-12 minutes.
 
Cobb Salad
In a large salad bowl, place the red leaf lettuce. Top with avocado, red onion, tomatoes, beets, chives, the medium boiled egg, and the shiitake bacon. Dress the salad with my JF Simple Mustard Vinaigrette. Season with JF Spicy Salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste.
 
Recipe adapted from The Minimalist Baker.