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This garlicky, savory-sweet enoki mushroom salad is cold, bold, and full of punchy flavor. It has that slightly tangy, aged black vinegar note—kind of like what you’d taste at an authentic mainland Chinese restaurant. Add the hot oil-poured aromatics and crunchy peanuts, and it becomes totally addictive.
My husband absolutely loves this salad. It’s one of the few dishes I know he’ll finish in one sitting every single time I make it.
What Is Liang Ban Cai (Cold Tossed Salad)?
In Taiwanese and Chinese cooking, salad doesn’t usually mean raw greens. Instead, we make liang ban cai (涼拌菜) —cold-tossed dishes where the veggies are quickly blanched or sautéed, then chilled and mixed with a bold, flavorful dressing.
This style of salad is all about contrast: soft vs. crunchy, savory vs. tangy. Ingredients are lightly cooked to keep their texture but mellow out the raw edge. Then we add aromatics like garlic and chili, pour hot oil over to release the fragrance, and finish with a savory-sour sauce.
It’s simple, super flavorful, and unlike anything you’ve tasted before—but at the same time, it’s totally addictive. It brings that little wow to your taste buds and makes you want another bite right away.
Main Ingredient Notes
- Enoki mushrooms: These mushrooms have a fun, needle-like shape and a slightly crunchy bite. They’re great at soaking up flavor and bring an interesting texture to cold salads.
- Spinach: This isn’t traditional, but I love adding it. It blends beautifully with the mushrooms after blanching and adds a fresh, soft texture that makes the salad more balanced and nourishing.
- Garlic, scallion, and chili: These aromatics are the flavor base. The hot oil pour-over brings them to life and gives the salad real depth. This step makes a huge difference.
- Neutral oil: Use an oil that’s good for high heat. The hot oil activates the aromatics and infuses the whole dish with a warm, toasty flavor.
- The sauce: A savory mix of soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar (or aged balsamic for GF), oyster sauce, and a touch of sugar. It’s salty, tangy, and just slightly sweet—super balanced.
How to make enoki mushroom salad
- Start with boiling water so everything’s ready to go
Get your water going first so you can blanch the mushrooms and spinach back-to-back without waiting around.
- Prep the enoki mushrooms based on the texture you want
Trim off the bottom 1 inch, gently separate the strands, then rinse under tap water and let them drain. If you like chunkier bites, just break them into a few sections. For a more delicate texture, pull them apart more.- TIP: The more you separate them, the less likely they’ll clump after blanching.
- Clean and cut the spinach so it blends well with the mushrooms
Cut the spinach into long pieces (about 5 inches) to match the enoki. Swish it in cold water to remove any dirt, then let it drain.
- Mince the aromatics so they release max flavor
Finely chop the garlic, slice the scallions (keep white and green parts separate), and dice the chili pepper. This step makes sure the hot oil hits every bit evenly. - Mix the sauce now so it’s ready when you need it
In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, vinegar, oyster sauce, and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Set it aside—it’ll go in right at the end.
- Blanch the mushrooms and spinach just until tender
Blanch the enoki for 1 minute, rinse under cool water, and drain. Then do the same with the spinach using the same pot. Don’t overcook—this keeps the texture bouncy and not mushy. - Heat the oil slowly so it’s hot but not smoking
Add your oil to a small saucepan and heat it uncovered over medium-low. It should take about 5 to 6 minutes to shimmer. This step builds the flavor base. - Squeeze out excess water to avoid a watery salad
Use your hands to gently press out as much water as you can from the mushrooms and spinach. Transfer to a large heatproof bowl.- TIP: This step makes a big difference—leftover water will dilute the sauce.
- Pour hot oil over aromatics to unlock their flavor
Add the garlic, white scallion parts, chili pepper, and sesame seeds to the bowl. Carefully pour the hot oil right on top—it’ll sizzle and smell amazing. - Toss with sauce and adjust to taste
Give the sauce a quick stir, pour it in, and gently toss everything together. Taste and see if it needs a small pinch of salt. - Finish with garnish and serve at room temp
Top with roasted peanuts and the green scallion parts. Serve it right away or let it sit for a few minutes so the flavors meld.
Ways to serve and customize this salad
This chilled enoki side dish is bold and flavorful, so it pairs best with something lighter or a little sweet to balance it out. I often serve it with a bowl of rice cooker white rice or cold Taiwanese sesame noodles. If we’re hungrier, golden fried rice is always a hit.
For a full meal, I’ll add a protein like Taiwanese popcorn chicken, teriyaki salmon bites, or broiled cod with miso. And when it’s hot out, I love pairing it with other cold dishes like smashed cucumber salad, silken tofu with sesame dressing, or Bok choy slaw.
Want to mix in more veggies? Just stick with thin, similar shapes so they blend well with the enoki. Some of my go-tos:
- Julienne carrots (blanch 30 secs)
- Matchstick cucumber (Persian or Japanese)
- Pressed tofu or smoked bean curd (thinly sliced and blanched)
This is something I picked up from how we build salads and stir-fries in Chinese cooking—when everything is close in shape and texture, the sauce coats better and every bite feels more harmonious. It’s a small thing, but it really makes the dish come together.
Enoki mushroom salad recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 200 gram Enoki mushrooms
- 8.2 oz spinach 1 bundle
- 0.5 oz garlic cloves 3 medium
- 1 bulb scallion
- 1 small red fresno chili pepper
- 2.5 tbsp avocado oil or any neutral flavored oil
- 1 tbsp roasted white sesame seeds
Sauce:
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1.5 tbsp Chinese black vinegar or aged balsamic for GF
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- ½ tsp sugar or to taste
- Small handful roasted peanuts
- salt to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Boil the water: Bring a medium pot of water to boil.
- Enoki: While the water heats, cut off the bottom 1-inch of the cluster. Gently separate the strands with your hands. If you enjoy fuller, chunkier bites, you can just break them into a few sections. But if you prefer more delicate, stringy bites, go ahead and separate them into thinner strands.
- Clean: Rinse the mushrooms under tap water. Set aside to drain.
- Spinach: Dice the spinach into large sections to match the length of the enoki, about 5-inch sections. Plunge into a bowl of cold water a few times to rinse away the dirt. Set aside to drain.
- Garlic, Scallion, Chili: Finely mince the garlic, dice scallion in small rounds and separate white and green parts, remove the chili seeds and dice to small bits.
- Sauce: In a small bowl, combine the ingredients from soy sauce to sugar. Stir well until the sugar is dissolved. Set it aside ready to use.
- Blanch: Blanch the mushrooms for 1 minute. Scoop it out, rinse under tap water. Set aside to drain. Use the same pot of water to blanch the spinach for 1 minute, rinse, and drain.
- Heat up the oil: In a separate small heavy bottom saucepan, add the oil and preheat it, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the oil is hot and simmers, about 5-6 minutes.
- Squeeze out the liquid: Ring out the liquid of spinach and enoki. Transfer them into a large heat proof mixing bowl.
- Aromatics & hot oil: Add garlic, white scallion parts, red chili pepper, and sesame seeds. Pour the hot oil directly on top of the aromatics to activate the flavor.
- Sauce seasoning: Stir the sauce in the bowl again then pour it over. Gently toss to incorporate. Taste and see if you need a sprinkle of salt.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle over roasted peanuts and reserved green scallion parts. Serve at room temperature.
Notes
- How to select enoki mushrooms: Look for firm, bright white clusters with tightly packed stems. The mushroom caps should look perky and fresh, not soft or sticky. Avoid any that feel slimy, look gray, or have dark or wilted tips—those are signs they’re no longer fresh.
- Storage (after cooked): Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container. Best enjoyed within 1-2 days.
- Extra spicy: If you like it spicy, swap in 1 small Thai red chili pepper.
- Gluten-free tip: For gluten-free Chinese condiments, check out my Chinese pantry staples guide.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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