Mushroom and Chicken Larb

Larb is a boldly flavored Thai salad traditionally made with minced pork or chicken, paired with a tangy lime dressing and served with lettuce leaves for scooping. In this plant-forward version of the recipe, we use a blend of minced mushrooms and chicken. The spicy, savory, tart and zingy flavors of this refreshing and incredibly delicious salad really pack a punch!

 
 

Yield: Serves 4-6

Method

  1. For the Dressing: Mix together the sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice and white pepper in a small bowl.

  2. Toss the red onion slices with lime juice and let sit while you prepare the larb.

  3. In a hot dry wok, toast the rice until lightly golden and aromatic. Crush in a mortar and pestle to a coarse powder. Set aside.

  4. Heat 1 oz. of the vegetable oil in the hot wok until just beginning to smoke. Add the mushrooms and stir fry until cooked, brown and dry.

  5. Add the ground chicken to the mushrooms and continue to stir fry until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Scrape all of the mushroom chicken mixture from the wok until the wok is quite clean. Place back on the burner.

  6. Add the remaining oil to the wok and add the garlic, ginger, shallot, lemongrass, Makrut lime leaves, and ½ the chile (you can add the rest to taste at the end). Stir fry until very fragrant, being careful not to burn.

  7. Add the mushroom/chicken mixture back to the wok with the aromatics and continue to stir fry until very hot.

  8. Stir the dressing into the mushroom/chicken mixture. Add the herbs and taste. Adjust seasoning with more fish sauce, lime juice or chili if desired.

  9. Mix the ground rice powder to the larb and serve in a large bowl surrounded with slices of cucumber, topped with the lime-onions and lettuce leaves on the side for scooping. Garnish with cilantro, mint, and lime wedges.

Ingredients

Dressing

2 Tbsp. palm sugar, finely chopped or brown sugar

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 Tbsp. fish sauce

2 oz. lime juice

1 tsp. white pepper

 

½ ea. red onion, thinly sliced                   

1 ea. lime, juiced

 

3 Tbsp. thai sticky or short grain rice, uncooked      

 

2 oz. vegetable oil   

1lb. button (or shiitake) mushrooms, coarsely chopped

1 lb. ground chicken                                             

1 Tbsp. garlic, finely chopped  

2 Tbsp. ginger, finely chopped

2 ea. shallots, large bulbs, finely chopped   

2 ea. lemongrass, finely chopped                         

5 ea. makrut lime leaf, finely chopped                  

½ - 1 ea. thai bird’s eye chile, finely chopped (or substitute 1 Fresno chile)

 

½ cup scallions, thinly sliced                                   

½ cup cilantro, shredded                                         

¼ cup mint, shredded                                              

¼ cup  thai basil, shredded                                      

 

3 ea. persian cucumber, sliced                               

12 - 20 ea. baby romaine or other lettuce leaves                  

Cilantro and mint to garnish, as needed

Lime wedges to garnish, as needed

This recipe and video were produced by The Culinary Institute of America as an industry service,
thanks to the generous support of the Mushroom Council.