How to cook dry shiitake mushrooms: recipes, photos

Every housewife should know how to properly cook dried shiitake mushrooms, since this product is rich in vitamins and useful trace elements. In ancient China, shiitake was used for medicinal purposes, as it was believed that they 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 cook any dish, both the first or second, as well as a variety of snacks, salads and dressings.

Shiitake improve 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 purchase fresh mushrooms and after preparing the dish 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 consider that the process should take place at a temperature not higher than 50-60 ^∙°C.

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 dried mushrooms;
• Remove and pat dry with 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

You can cook a huge number of dishes from dried shiitake mushrooms, both meat and vegetarian, since this versatile 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.

Salads with shiitake

There are a huge number of salad recipes with dry shiitake. 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, avocados, sesame seeds, garlic, etc.

Salad with dry shiitake and avocado

Ingredients (per person):

• dried mushrooms – 6-7 pcs.;
• avocado – 1 pcs .;
• cherry tomatoes – 5 pcs.;
• lettuce leaves – a bunch;
• sesame or pine nuts – 25 g;
• olive oil – 2 st. l.

For the filling:

• lime or lemon juice – 1 tbsp. l.;
• soy sauce – 1 tbsp. l.

Salad with shiitake, avocado and vegetables

Method of preparation:

1. Soak dried shiitake for 5 hours, cut the caps into several pieces and fry in olive oil for 7 minutes.
2. Peel the avocado, remove the pit and chop into strips. Cut cherry tomatoes into quarters or halves. Tear the lettuce leaves into small pieces with your hands.
3. Put the lettuce on a flat plate, spread the avocado and cherry tomatoes on top. Then carefully 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, if desired, garnish with fresh basil or cilantro leaves.

Salad with shiitake and canned beans

Ingredients (for 3 portions):

• dried shiitake – 150 g;
• canned beans – 100 g;
• fresh or frozen green beans – 200 g;
• radish – 150 g;
• green onions – several stalks;
• oil for frying – 3 tbsp. l.

For the filling:

• Dijon mustard – 1 tsp;
• vinegar (balsamic or wine) – 2 tbsp. l.;
• garlic – 1 tooth;
• salt, a mixture of peppers.

Salad with shiitake and beans

Method of preparation:

1. Soak the mushrooms, cut into thin strips and fry in olive oil for 6-7 minutes. As a result, they should turn out golden and crispy. Transfer to a clean container.
2. Pour a few tablespoons of water into the same pan and steam the washed and cut into several pieces green beans for 10 minutes.
3. Drain the canned beans in a colander and let the marinade drain.
4. Cut the radish into strips, finely chop the onion.
5. Prepare dressing: mix vinegar, mustard, minced garlic, pepper mixture and salt.

Mix all ingredients except mushrooms in a salad bowl, add dressing and arrange in portioned plates. Lay the fried shiitake on top.

Soups with shiitake

Mushroom soups are very useful because they contain amino acids necessary for the body and perfectly restore strength. Therefore, shiitake-based first courses can be safely included in a vegetarian or diet menu (for diabetes, 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 tooth;
• ginger root – 20 g;
• white part of green onions – several stems.

Shiitake and miso soup

Method of preparation:

1. Chop the onion, pass the garlic through a press, grate the ginger root, cut the nori into strips.
2. Soaked shiitake cut into thin slices and fry in a pan for 3 minutes, adding onion, garlic and grated ginger.
3. Pour 800 g of water into a saucepan, bring to a boil, throw in nori and shrimp. Boil for 5 minutes.
4. After this time, add the fried mushrooms and simmer over low heat for another 3 minutes.
5. While the mushrooms are cooking, scoop 100 ml of broth from the pan and dilute the miso paste in a separate bowl.
6. Pour the pasta into the pot 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

Ingredients (for 2 portions):

• shiitake mushrooms – 5-6 pcs.;
• miso paste – 1 tbsp. l.;
• tofu cheese – 120 g;
• Nora leaf – 1 pc.;
• ginger – 15-20 g.

Soup with shiitake mushrooms and tofu

Method of preparation:

1. Pour two glasses of water into the pan, lower the peeled ginger root and put on fire.
2. After the water boils, add the miso paste. Stirring, completely dissolve it and wait until the mixture comes to a boil again.
3. Cut soaked shiitake caps into several pieces and send to the pan. Cook for 10 minutes over low heat.
4. While the mushrooms are cooking, cut the tofu into cubes, nori strips. As soon as the mushrooms are ready, add tofu and nori to the pan and cook for another 3-4 minutes, then remove from heat.

So that the taste of the dish does not turn out to be too spicy, it is better to get the ginger root as soon as the soup is ready.

Second courses with shiitake

From dried shiitake mushrooms, second courses are even tastier and more aromatic than from white ones. Oriental cuisine lovers 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 meat

Ingredients (for two servings):

• dried mushrooms – 10 pcs.;
• rice noodles – 150 g;
• fresh beef – 200 g;
• bow – 1 head;
• soy sauce – 3 st. l .;
• chili sauce – 1 tsp;
• garlic – 2 tooth;
• vegetable oil – 3 tbsp. l .;
• green cilantro – a few branches.

Second courses with shiitake for lovers of oriental cuisine

Method of preparation:

1. Soak dry mushrooms for 5-6 hours.
2. Beef (better if it is tenderloin) cut into cubes or strips.
3. 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.
4. Pour oil into a hot frying pan, wait until it heats up and fry the meat over high heat for about 4 minutes.
5. As soon as the pieces of beef acquire a golden crust, add the chopped mushrooms and onions, mix, squeeze the garlic into the same place and pour in the soy and hot sauce. Leave to languish for 6-7 minutes.
6. Place rice noodles in a container and pour warm water for 4-5 minutes. Add the prepared noodles to the mushrooms and meat in the pan and, stirring, keep the dish for a few more minutes.

When serving, garnish with cilantro, onion or basil.

Soba noodles with shrimp and shiitake mushrooms

Ingredients (for 1 serving):

• shiitake – 3 pcs.;
• royal boiled-frozen prawns – 4 pcs.;
• buckwheat soba noodles – 120 g;
• garlic – 1 tooth;
• ginger – 15 g;
• ground chili pepper – to taste;
• soy sauce – 1 st. l .;
• lemon juice – 1 tsp;
• vegetable oil – 2 tbsp. l.;
• a pinch of sesame.

Shiitake with noodles and shrimps

Method of preparation:

1. Soak shiitake overnight. After that, cut into several pieces or leave whole.
2. Defrost king prawns, peel, removing the head, shell and intestines.
3. Grate the ginger root, chop the garlic.
4. Boil the noodles by throwing them into boiling water for five minutes, drain and rinse.
5. Pour oil into a preheated pan and fry the grated ginger and garlic for 30 seconds, then remove them.
6. Immediately put the mushrooms in the pan and cook for 5 minutes, then add the soy sauce, cover and set aside after 2 minutes.
7. In a separate pan, fry the shrimp, sprinkling them with lemon juice, no more than 5-6 minutes.
8. Add buckwheat noodles, fried mushrooms to the prepared shrimp, and heat all the ingredients under the lid for 1 minute.

Put the dish on a plate and serve hot, sprinkled with sesame seeds and green onions.

Shiitake mushroom calories

100 g of fresh shiitake mushrooms contains only 34 calories, 0,49 g of fat and 6,79 g 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. This is important to consider when calculating the calorie content of the finished dish.

Conclusion

Cooking dried shiitake mushrooms is no more difficult than any other mushroom dishes. The only downside is the need to pre-soak them, 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 people.