Mushroom and Lamb's Lettuce Salad

This mushroom and lamb's lettuce salad is crisp, earthy, and distinctly Central European. Tender mâche, paper-thin mushrooms, julienned carrots, roasted pumpkin seeds, and pumpkin-seed oil create a salad with far more character than its short ingredient list suggests.

Ingredients

• 2 handfuls lamb's lettuce or mâche
• 6 white mushrooms
• 6 young carrots
• Dijon mustard
• 4 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• 8 tablespoons pumpkin-seed oil
• 1 to 2 dashes hot pepper sauce
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Roasted pumpkin seeds

How to make mushroom and lamb's lettuce salad

1. Prepare the greens

Trim the lamb's lettuce, wash it carefully, and dry it thoroughly. Clean the mushrooms without soaking them.

2. Shave the carrots

Peel the carrots, then use the vegetable peeler to shave them into thin ribbons. Stack the ribbons and cut them into fine strips. Do not salt yet; this keeps them crisp.

3. Mix the dressing

Whisk the white balsamic vinegar with pumpkin-seed oil, a small spoonful of Dijon mustard, hot pepper sauce, salt, and pepper until emulsified.

4. Assemble

Coat the carrots and lamb's lettuce lightly in the dressing and arrange on plates. Slice the mushrooms as thinly as possible and place them over the salad. Finish with roasted pumpkin seeds.

Variations and serving ideas

Small porcini mushrooms can replace white mushrooms when available. Serve the salad as a starter or alongside roast chicken, schnitzel, or a savory tart.

Choose a gentle white balsamic

Gölles White Balsamic Wine Vinegar supplies the acidity without hiding the delicate lettuce and raw mushrooms. Browse the Gölles collection for more Austrian vinegars.