Ingredients

• ROASTED MUSHROOMS

  • 2 tablespoons minced red onion
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons dry white wine
  • 1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1½ tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 tablespoon prepared garlic paste
  • 3 Portobello mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• DRESSING

  • 2/3 cup soy sauce
  • 1 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2½ tablespoons tahini
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 3/4 cup peanut oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• SALAD

  • 1 package instant ramen noodles
  • 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
  • 1 bag Asian salad mix
  • 2 cups chopped lacinato kale, tightly packed
  • 3 roasted Portobello mushrooms (recipe above)
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
  • 1/2 cup sliced scallions
  • 1/2 cup sweet & crunchy peanuts, preferably Planters
  • 2 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

• Preparation

  For the roasted mushrooms:

  Place the onion, olive oil, wine, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and garlic paste in a gallon zip top bag, seal and shake to mix. Add mushrooms to the marinade, seal and turn to coat both sides. Place in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 hours.

  Preheat the oven to 400°F. Put the mushroom caps, gill side up, on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet, and bake until tender, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let cool and slice into strips.

  For the dressing:

  Combine soy sauce, vinegar, egg yolks, tahini and honey in a blender and puree. With the blender still running, slowly add in peanut oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

  For the salad:

  Crush the ramen noodles (reserve flavor pack for another use). Toss together chicken, asian salad mix (reserve included dressing and seasoning pack for another use), cooled and sliced portobello mushrooms, cilantro leaves, scallions and sweet and crunchy peanuts. Toss with 1/2 cup of dressing and top with toasted sesame seeds.

This is a light and simple recipe that requires very little cooking. The sweet peanuts, crisp kale and raw ramen noodles give this salad an incredibly satisfying crunch.

Technique tip: Don't rinse the mushrooms to clean them. Use a damp paper towel to brush off the dirt. You can also use leftover dressing as a marinade for chicken pork or steak.

Swap option: You can substitute 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard for the egg yolks.