I knew Enoki mushrooms had finally made it to the mainstream in the US when our vegan friend, Mitch, (you can see him in the camping photos with Bill), claimed that he loved this “newfound” mushroom.
For me, there is nothing new about Enoki mushrooms (a.k.a. enokitake). We’ve always loved them! Enoki is the Japanese name for them. We Chinese call them “golden needle mushrooms” (金针菇, jin-zhen-gu) or “lily mushrooms.”
Buying Enoki Mushrooms
Enoki mushrooms are usually vacuum-packed, in packages of about 7 ounces apiece, and they have a pretty long shelf life when refrigerated.
When fresh, the color should be white, and the stems should be firm. Trim away about 1-inch of the roots, give them a quick rinse, and you are ready to go!
When used in soups and hot pots, it’s a sidekick, but when blanched (or steamed) and dressed in a yummy sauce, it becomes a main character!
A Vegan Dish
I remember first eating Enoki mushrooms sold in cans or as a condiment in glass jars with chili oil. I instantly took a liking to them for their crunchy texture. It’s hard to fathom something this skinny and mushroom-y giving a hearty veggie-like crunch.
But these days, fresh Enoki have become pretty widely available (to Mitch’s credit, it’s true that it was only fairly recently that this has been the case), and it’s most often used in soups and hot pots.
We’re familiar with the vegan struggle through our friend Mitch, but one reader recently commented that he has to scrape our site for vegan recipes.
So I decided to post a few vegan recipes to amend the situation, with this Enoki Mushroom with Garlic and Scallion Sauce being the second recipe. The first was my Kung Pao Mushrooms, and there are more to follow!
Even though this is a vegan dish, I can say that it’s just as good as our steamed whole fish! If you were to ask me to rate this dish on taste, texture, simplicity, and health factor, it’s a winner through and through–the fact that it’s a vegan recipe is just a bonus!
Recipe Instructions
Be gentle when handling these enoki mushrooms. Trim away about 1-inch of the root section.
Use your fingers to tear the enoki mushrooms into small bite size bundles and line them up neatly. Rinse clean and drain.
Prepare a wok with boiling water, and blanch the enoki mushrooms in two batches, cooking each batch for about 1 minute.
Drain off the water and transfer the mushrooms to your serving plate.
In a small saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, and cook for about 10 seconds (no need to brown the garlic).
Now add the light soy sauce, sugar, and scallions.
Bring the sauce to a boil, and turn off the heat. Don’t overcook the garlic and scallions–we want that fresh and sweet taste! Slowly pour the sauce over the enoki mushrooms, and serve.
As Ina would say, how easy was that?!
Enoki Mushrooms with Garlic & Scallion Sauce
Ingredients
- 14 ounces enoki mushrooms (400g)
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 scallion (finely chopped)
Instructions
- Be gentle when handling these enoki mushrooms. Trim away about 1-inch of the root section. Use your fingers to tear the enoki mushrooms into small bite size bundles and line them up neatly. Rinse clean and drain.
- Prepare a wok with boiling water, and blanch the enoki mushrooms in two batches, cooking each batch for about 1 minute. Drain off the water and transfer the mushrooms to your serving plate.
- In a small saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, and cook for about 10 seconds (no need to brown the garlic). Now add the light soy sauce, sugar, and scallions. Bring the sauce to a boil, and turn off the heat. Don’t overcook the garlic and scallions--we want that fresh and sweet taste! Slowly pour the sauce over the enoki mushrooms, and serve.
nutrition facts
Great tasting and easy recipe. Thanks for sharing.
You are very welcome, Mai, so glad you enjoyed it.
Definitely trying!
Hey Judy, thank you for the great recipe! Can I cook the mushroom a few hours ahead and keep it in my refrigerator? I know it only takes 10 minutes. But it would add stress when preparing for a big dinner:) Thanks!
Hi Brin, I have a suggestion if you are ok with using a microwave. You can prepare enoki by trimming off the ends, washing them, and pulling them apart into bite size pieces. Then plate them, cover, and microwave for about 90 seconds. Then you can take it from there by following the recipe.
what can i pair this with for a dinner?
Hi Missie, a couple other meat or vegetable dishes and a side of steamed rice would round this out nicely!
Loved this recipe and how quick and easy it was!
Lovely!!!
Hello, love your recipes. Could this sauce been made the night before and be as good?
Yes, you can, Jack. You might want to save the scallions to add when serving.
I was thinking of using wild enoki. What do u think?
I haven’t seen any wild enoki for sale. Did you forage it yourself? I can’t comment, as I don’t know enough about wild mushrooms.
Yes I foraged them. Will let you know how it goes.
Using foraged enoki it was great. I suspect this sauce would be good on any variety of thing. Yum! Thank you.
Wow, that’s great! I was nervous for you as I know foraging mushrooms can be dicey.
This is so tasty, quick and easy. We love Asian foods and we loved this recipe! Thank you from a grateful vegan!
Hi Joan, please do try our other vegan recipes, as we have many. They are so tasty :-)