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    Home » Recipes » Thai

    Mushroom Larb

    Published: Jun 25, 2020 by Jess & Dan · Modified: Aug 21, 2020 · This post may contain affiliate links

    135 shares
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    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    Pinterest image of this salad on baby gem lettuce with a hand about to pick up a lettuce leaf

    We love mushrooms. Sometimes I have to stop myself adding them to recipes where there are already enough ingredients! So, we’re super happy to bring you this delicious mushroom larb! Larb is a type of Thai salad that isn’t usually vegan or vegetarian, but ours is both, of course.

    On a white oval plate there's 3 baby gem lettuce leaves filled with salad and there are mint sprigs around the outside
    Mushroom Larb is a spicy Thai salad inspired by the traditional Laos recipe!

    We haven’t published a lot of salads, however, with the heat wave we’re experiencing in the UK right now, we’re super motivated to create more salads.

    Let us know if you like this salad in the comments section below, and we’ll create more!

    We also made a video step-by-step tutorial for this recipe, hope it's helpful:

    What is larb?

    In all honesty, mushroom larb (or any type of larb) isn’t originally a Thai dish – it’s actually known as the ‘unofficial’ national dish of Laos, a neighbouring South East Asian country to Thailand. However, as with a lot of dishes, it easily crossed the border into Thailand and took on a new lease of life.

    It became part of Thai traditional cuisine in the Isan region, which is in the North-East region of Thailand, which borders Laos along the Mekong River. It’s an area where a lot of people are of Laos (pronounced ‘Lao’) ethnicity so it makes sense that a traditional Laos dish like this one would cross the border.

    Larb is served at room temperature, either with salad leaves or with glutinous rice. It’s usually a meaty dish, but our version is full vegan and veggie. Skip to the bottom to get the full recipe!

    Top Tip: if you love this recipe, check out our e-cookbook Vegan Thai Food Made Easy. It's packed with 21 original Vegan Punks recipes featuring curries, curry pastes, stir fries and even the most popular Thai dessert, as well as 3 BONUS recipes!

    What is mushroom larb?

    Traditionally, Larb is made with meat or fish, and is seasoned with chilli, fish sauce, lime juice, toasted rice (we’ll get to this later) and fresh mint and coriander.

    In this version, we’re going to use two types of mushrooms – chestnut and shiitake. We chose chestnut mushrooms because they’re pretty firm and hold up well when chopped really small. Shiitake mushrooms have a stronger flavour, are also sturdy, but also have an earthy, umami flavour that work really well with the other flavours.

    A white oval dish with larb on it with mint leaves scattered for decoration

    Mushroom larb seasoning mix

    The mushroom larb seasoning mix is really simple. It follows the classic Thai flavours of salty, sweet, spicy and sour. The mushroom larb seasoning mix includes:

    Soy Sauce (salty)
    Lime Juice (sour)
    Sugar (sweet)
    Chilli flakes (spicy)

    It’s quite a spicy salad, but you can adapt the quantity of chilli flakes in this dish if you would rather it was more herby than spicy. 

    In actual fact, the Thai version of larb doesn’t use lime juice or soy sauce, but when we were taught to cook this dish in Northern Thailand these ingredients were used. So, to keep things simple we have used lime juice and soy sauce in our recipe. However, other variations from Thailand include adding cumin powder, star anise and cloves. 

    It’s often the case that the dishes we veganise use animal ingredients (and this is one of them), so this dish is in no way traditional. However, we have made a vegan version, so that everyone can try the flavours in this recipe. So, we’d say this one is inspired by the traditional ways of making the salad!

    Ingredients for mushroom larb

    This recipe will only take around 20 minutes to make – and most of that time will be spent chopping the mushrooms! This is what you’ll need for the mushroom larb (head to the full recipe below for full measurements and instructions):

    Chestnut mushrooms
    Shiitake mushrooms
    Shallots
    Mint
    Coriander
    Toasted rice
    Chilli flakes
    Soy sauce
    Lime juice
    Sugar
    Baby gem lettuce

    Ingredients laid out and labelled on a wooden tray
    A snap shot of the ingredients you will need for vegan Mushroom Larb salad

    How to make larb

    First of all, wash the mushrooms, then chop into really really small pieces, almost minced (like in the picture). We used a Nicer Dicer to get them chopped evenly and to such a small size, but you can use a normal knife instead, it just might take a little longer!

    Finely diced mushrooms in a (Nicer Dicer) plastic tub

    Once the mushrooms are chopped, grab a large frying pan and add a splash of vegetable oil. Heat the oil up then add the mushrooms. The mushrooms should cook until water is released, and start to shrink.

    Once cooked, drain excess liquid using a sieve and set aside for a moment.

    In a large bowl, place the mushrooms, chopped shallots, mint, coriander, chilli flakes and toasted rice. Mix well.

    In a large blue bowl there is some cooked off diced mushrooms, fresh coriander, roasted rice, fresh mint, sugar and chilli flakes

    Then add the soy sauce, lime juice and sugar. Once it’s all mixed up, it’s ready to serve! It’s really as easy as that.

    To serve, peel away whole leaves of baby gem lettuce and place the mushroom larb onto each leaf. You should serve three lettuce leaves full of mushroom larb per person as a light lunch!

    Mushroom larb FAQs

    What is toasted rice?

    Toasted rice is a staple cooking ingredient in Thai and Laos cooking. It adds a nutty aroma to dishes, such as larb, and a little crunch too. It can also be used as a thickening agent in soups.

    It’s really easy to make. Just grab a frying pan, place a thin layer of rice into the pan (without oil) and roast over a medium heat. Keep an eye on the rice to make sure it doesn’t burn. Shake the pan every few minutes to ensure every rice grain is roasted. After around 10 minutes it should be pretty well toasted and a nice golden colour.

    Once ready, transfer to a spice grinder, cup blender or pestle and mortar. Bash or blitz until it resembles a powder, like a coarse flour.

    What can I use instead of toasted rice?

    If you don’t have toasted rice, you could substitute peanuts or cashews. Make sure to crush them so they’re not in big pieces, they will then add the crunch. This isn’t a traditional method and so the final dish won’t be something you’d find in Thailand or Laos, but it will still taste good!

    Can I use any type of mushroom?

    We would recommend using chestnut and shiitake (fresh) in this dish. However, suitable alternatives include: portobello, button, white and king oyster mushrooms. Steer away from the more ‘jelly’-like mushrooms like ear, and also enoki mushrooms wouldn’t really work, as they’re too small and straw-like.

    Mushroom larb on a white oval plate with a fork on the plate, a jar of roasted rice, mint and mushrooms in the background
    An easy to make, Thai inspired mushroom larb! Hope you love it.

    Learn all about Thai cuisine, the cooking techniques, ingredients and equipment in our guide on how to make the best vegan Thai food.

    If you like this Thai salad, you may also like to try our Vegan Papaya Salad. And if you're enjoying mushrooms in salad try this Mushroom, Lemon and Lentil Salad from the lovely Delicious Everyday blog.

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    Square photo of mushroom larb on a leaf of baby gem sprinkled with chilli flakes

    Mushroom Larb

    This is a vegan and vegetarian friendly mushroom larb. A delicious mix of mushrooms, fresh herbs and the crunch of toasted rice!
    4.84 from 6 votes
    Save Saved! Print Pin Rate
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: Thai
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 72kcal
    Author: Jess & Dan

    Ingredients

    Metric - US Customary
    • 1 tbsp toasted rice see notes
    • 250 g chestnut mushrooms – diced finely
    • 250 g shiitake mushrooms – diced finely
    • 2 shallots – chopped
    • 2 tbsp mint – chopped
    • 2 tbsp coriander – chopped
    • 1 tsp chilli flakes
    • 2 tbsp soy sauce
    • 2 tbsp lime juice
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 2 baby gem lettuce

    Instructions

    • Firstly make the toasted rice if you don't have any – see the recipe notes on how to make it (it's quick!).
      1 tbsp toasted rice
    • Heat up a large frying pan or wok, add a splash of oil and cook the mushrooms until they're tender and have released some liquid – this should only take a few minutes with how small they're chopped.
      250 g chestnut mushrooms, 250 g shiitake mushrooms
    • Once cooked, drain the excess liquid from the mushrooms by pouring the contents of your wok into a sieve.
    • In a large bowl, mix the chopped shallots, mint, coriander, chilli flakes and toasted rice with the mushrooms.
      2 shallots, 2 tbsp mint, 2 tbsp coriander, 1 tsp chilli flakes, 1 tbsp toasted rice
    • Add the soy sauce, lime juice and sugar and mix really well.
      2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp lime juice, 1 tsp sugar
    • It's that simple! Serve on whole leaves of baby gem lettuce – three lettuce leaves loaded up with mushroom larb per person makes for a delicious light lunch.
      2 baby gem lettuce

    Video

    Notes

    • To make toasted rice: take around a quarter of a cup of rice, and a frying pan. Without any oil, put the frying pan over a medium heat and place the rice in the pan. Keep an eye on the rice to make sure it doesn’t burn. Shake the pan every couple of minutes to ensure every rice grain is roasted. After around 10 minutes it should be pretty well toasted and a nice golden colour. Put the toasted rice into a blender/food processor, or pestle & mortar, and blitz or bash it into a course powder. This will keep in a tub for at least a few months.
    • Instead of roasted rice, you can used crushed cashews or peanuts. It won't quite be the same, but it will be tasty still!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 72kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 523mg | Potassium: 569mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 272IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe? Tag us today!Mention @vegan_punks or tag #veganpunks!
    135 shares
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lee

      August 21, 2022 at 1:32 pm

      5 stars
      Had this as a starter last night for our Thai themed evening and just had leftovers for lunch. Couldn't work out how to blitz the toasted rice so it went in whole. Think I would use chopped nuts in future as would be more filling but perfect for a starter and very yummy. Easy recipe to follow.
      Our vegan family loved it 😋
      Thank you Vegan Punks

      Reply
      • Jess & Dan

        August 21, 2022 at 1:50 pm

        So glad to hear this Lee! Totally get what you mean about the toasted rice – it's a bit niche. Very finely chopped nuts work well too. I'd probably choose walnuts. Your Thai themed evening sounds wonderful, and we're so pleased that our recipe worked well as part of it! Jess 🙂

        Reply
    2. Judy

      June 30, 2021 at 5:43 pm

      5 stars
      Fabulous recipe! I used toasted cashews instead of the rice. Put in a little extra chili flakes 'cause that's how we roll in Texas. This was the perfect light meal for a hot summer day. Thanks so much for this.

      Reply
      • Jess Saunders

        July 01, 2021 at 2:12 pm

        Yay, thanks so much for this review Judy! We're so pleased you enjoyed it, and great to know that you liked it with cashews instead of the rice. 😊 Jess x

        Reply
    3. Heather

      July 04, 2020 at 7:16 pm

      5 stars
      Wow I've just made this mushroom larb, actually eating it now😂. It's so yummy and so freaking quick to make especially if you use little chopper to chop the mushrooms🍄! I used frozen ones that I just defrosted then blitzed. Will definitely be making this on repeat. 🥰 I added some sunflower family sunflower mince (vegan made from sunflower seeds) for my daily protein. Yum Yum Yum 🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗

      Reply
    4. Kevin

      June 25, 2020 at 7:25 pm

      5 stars
      sensational

      Reply
    5. Kevin

      June 25, 2020 at 7:24 pm

      5 stars
      Sensational!

      Reply

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    Hey there! Thanks for checking out Vegan Punks. We're Dan and Jess – a husband and wife team who love creating and sharing vegan recipes. We draw on our experiences of travelling the world and learning about different cuisines. That's why you'll find plant-based versions of traditional dishes from all around the globe on our blog. And, of course, all with a pinch of punk attitude.

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    135 shares
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