Home from the beach and CRAVING a light, healthy lunch. That was my inspiration today.
Armed with a Portobello mushroom and a red pepper I picked up at the grocery store yesterday, I whipped up a fun, tasty, filling spinach salad. Honestly, I can't believe how flavorful and satisfying this meal was. Don't let the longer ingredient list scare you. It was a cinch to make and took all of 10 minutes.
Here's what I did…
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon apple chider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Generous pinch of Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cups Spinach Leaves (85g)
- 1-2 slices of Vidalia onion
- 1 Large Portobello Mushroom Cap
- ½ red bell pepper cut into strips
- ½ tablespoon parmesan cheese
Instructions
Whisk the vinegars, honey, olive oil salt, pepper, garlic powder and thyme. Set aside.
Pile 2 cups of raw spinach on a plate. Set aside.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Separate the onion into rings, dip into the vinegar mixture and brown in the skillet.
While the onion is browning, slice the mushroom cap into strips about ½ inch thick and place in the vinegar mixture.
Once the onion is soft and browning on the edges remove from the heat and top the pile of spinach with them.
Place the marinated mushroom strips in the skillet. Dip the pepper strips into the vinegar mixture and add them to the skillet as well.
Cook the mushrooms about 2-3 minutes a side. Remove them and add them to the top of the spinach.
With the pepper strips still in the skillet add the rest of the vinegar mixture. It should immediately boil up and thicken into a reduction.
Remove from the heat. Top the spinach with the peppers and drizzle the thickened vinegar mixture over the salad. Sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese.
Just look at that flavor!
It was seriously good! I loved getting a bite with a little of everything.
D-lish!
📖 Recipe
Marinated Portobello Mushroom Spinach Salad
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon apple chider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Generous pinch of Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cups Spinach Leaves 85g
- 1-2 slices of Vidalia onion
- 1 Large Portobello Mushroom Cap
- ½ red bell pepper cut into strips
- ½ tablespoon parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Whisk the vinegars, honey, olive oil salt, pepper, garlic powder and thyme. Set aside.1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon apple chider vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, Generous pinch of Kosher salt and ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Pile 2 cups of raw spinach on a plate. Set aside.2 cups Spinach Leaves
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Separate the onion into rings, dip into the vinegar mixture and brown in the skillet.1-2 slices of Vidalia onion
- While the onion is browning, slice the mushroom cap into strips about ½ inch thick and place in the vinegar mixture.1 Large Portobello Mushroom Cap
- Once the onion is soft and browning on the edges remove from the heat and top the pile of spinach with them.
- Place the marinated mushroom strips in the skillet. Dip the pepper strips into the vinegar mixture and add them to the skillet as well.½ red bell pepper cut into strips
- Cook the mushrooms about 2-3 minutes a side. Remove them and add them to the top of the spinach.
- With the pepper strips still in the skillet add the rest of the vinegar mixture. It should immediately boil up and thicken into a reduction.
- Remove from the heat. Top the spinach with the peppers and drizzle the thickened vinegar mixture over the salad. Sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese.½ tablespoon parmesan cheese
Lisa
I just made this tonight for my daughter and me. It was amazing! So simple to make, but the taste was outstanding. We loved how the veggies got a little charred in the pan. I did warm the spinach a bit and it was wonderful. Thanks for sharing! Pinned it!
DeeDee
This sounds delicious! I just bought a big ol' bag of mixed greens (red and green chard, spinach, and something else) from Costco, and a box of mini portobello mushrooms, and I wasn't sure how I was going to make a variety of things from them. I googled "portobello mushrooms and spinach, and voila! I was led to this recipe. I will definitely try this tonight. Thanks for the ideas!
Gina
What a flavorful dish! The balsamic, spices and cheese all really compliment each other. Definitely one I will be using again and again.
I ended up doubling the dressing so I had more on the salad. I served it as a side dish for a Balsamic Roast Pork Tenderloin. The reduced down dressing made for a great dipping sauce for the pork.
Thanks for the recipe!
margie
Loved how it looked in fact its what drew me to the dish... I make pretty much this on the grill and love it.... Here is another awesome way to do the mushroom...de-gill the mushroom with a knife cut small dashes where the gills were about half an inch apart.. Place a toasted pine but in every other hole in the rest place a small wedge of smoked Gouda.. Oil good and grill oh my gosh its good.
Christy VB
This is delicious! I added the spinach to the pan at the end for just a minute and had a warm spinach salad. Awesome. As a dinner suggestion, my husband put his on top of pasta instead of red sauce. Great idea!
roni
Donna and Michele - I just use the nutritional info to calculate the points. With Weight Watchers pointplus there's a little interpretation involved. I wrote about it a little here...
http://ronisweigh.com/2011/02/weight-watchers-pointsplus-recipe-calculations-any-insights.html
Michele
I have the same question about the points. This looks really good but it seems like it should be less.
Donna~
Just wondering where the five points are comming from, seems like there should be less. It looks really good and cant wait to try it. I love your web site and all of your recipes are so good. Thank you for the WW points. new friend 🙂
SS
I have been waiting to make this salad since I originally saw the post. It was worth the wait! and so delicious. Warming the marinade was great idea~will make it again and again.
roni
Wait a minute here PLN, you are offended that people like Rene expressed their opinion the same way you expressed yours on my original post? Interesting.
I agree with Lindsey. If you would have just said something like,
"Hey, did you considered white balsamic instead of the dark. That would make it look more appealing to me."
this wouldn't be a big deal at all. But you didn't. You, instead, expressed your thoughts in harsh tone. Not that I really care, I tried to joke back defending my dish just to lighten the comment mood trying to prevent THIS exact thing from happening.
If you are that offended to leave my site forever because a fellow reader disagrees with you then there's nothing I can say to change your mind. Thanks for the suggestion (I've never bought white balsamic) and I hope you enjoyed my site while you were here.
-Roni
Lindsey
I just had to comment because I think it's hilarious that PLN would even bother to not only leave a rude comment but to return and play the "I'm leaving!" card.
PLN, your comment was rude because of the tone, not the fact that you made a suggestion.
PLN
Fine Roni (and other offended people), if you can't handle criticism or constructive suggestions, since no one seemed to get beyond it to read the rest, over one simple word like 'muck' then censor and delete the opinion and comment. It wasn't as rude and very unecessary as having everyone jump all over me for it. Other than Valerie in the first comment I'm the only one who actually made a suggestion for something I was interested in. So I guess no one wants to hear there is such a thing as white balsamic vinegar either. It says right above this comment box, 'Please leave a comment!' I guess that only means complimentary ones or ones that say nothing and add nothing to the discussion. That's why I read the comments is for other people's suggestions or problems. So to Rene, especially with the "PLN – keep your comments to yourself :)" You just managed to lose Roni someone from her hard work assembling this website even more than she did with her shot at me too. Yes, I hear the good riddance.
Maria
I think it looks amazing! And if PLN doesn't like it.....here's a thought....DON'T MAKE IT. No reason to get on here and be mean....my goodness that was rude. Thanks for sharing Roni, love the recipies.
Rene
Geez, some people don't know when go keep their traps shut. Looks good to me and I'm not a big mushroom fan. The hubby is and I bet he would love it. PLN - keep your comments to yourself 🙂
MPG
I for one LOVE the look of this salad. Makes it look really satisfying, even if some people may describe it as mucky. I've been so bored with salads lately, but this seems like a creative way to use ingredients I really like, but don't know how to incorporate in a creative/delish way.
Stacey
I love this idea. I usually do something similar with grilled veggies, but I never thought of just doing it quick in a pan. I'm planning on making this very soon!
roni
Well PLN, I happen to like muck and that was some delicious muck! 🙂
PLN
Nope, it doesn't look appealing at all and looks like brown muck. I love things marinated but as soon as you put in balsamic (dark kind) that's what it turns into. If you are going to marinate part of it do the mushrooms so it blends in but leave the peppers, especially) alone so you have some vibrancy to appeal. Has far too many carbs and calories for one salad for this diabetic too.
Krista S.
Wow, that really looks amazing and I don't even like mushrooms. I might have to try this!
Valerie
That looks A-MAY-ZIIIIING - emphasis on the ZING! I'll bet it would be really good with the spinach sauteed as well. Toss on some bacon bits and that would be an awesome side dish or even a topping for a steak. I love putting hot items on top of spinach. There's a Mexican restaurant that we eat at often. They have a portabello stack (marinated in balsamic vinegar and pineapple juice)that has black bean puree and sauteed veggies and avocado-corn relish that is fab.