Autumn Salad with Shiitake Mushroom Dressing

Want a salad that will fill up your mushroom cravings? Here is an easy way to make your own Autumn Salad with Shiitake Mushroom Dressing.

For the Salad:
 6 oz arugula
 2 large portobello mushrooms, grilled and sliced
 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed (to yield about 2 cups of squash cubes)
 2 roasted red beets (instructions below)
 ½ cup walnuts
 ½ cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
 Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Optional:
 2 candy cane beets, shaved with a vegetable peeler
For the Dressing:
 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced
 3 cloves roasted garlic
 ½ cup Rachael Ray Vegetable Stock
 1 tsp minced fresh ginger
 ¼ cup Colavita Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil for the dressing base, plus 1 tablespoon to sauté the mushrooms
 3 tbsp Colavita Prosecco White Wine Vinegar
 1 tsp honey
 sea salt

For the Salad:
1

First roast the squash and beets. Heat your oven to 400°F. Remove the leafy stems from the beets, and slice them in half. Wrap each beet loosely in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

2

Place the butternut squash cubes on the same baking sheet. Drizzle them with a little Colavita Olive Oil. Bake the beets and squash in the oven until soft—about 40 minutes.

3

Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Once they are cooled, peel the skins from the beets, and slice them into small wedges.

4

Heat 1 tablespoon Colavita Olive Oil in a grill pan or skillet over medium heat. Grill the portobello mushrooms for about 5 minutes on each side, until they are wilted and browned. Remove from the pan and when cooled, slice into long strips.

5

In a large salad bowl, combine the mushrooms, beets, squash, walnuts, arugula and gorgonzola cheese. Season with salt and pepper and mix to combine. Drizzle with shiitake dressing a little at a time and serve!

For the Dressing:
6

In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the 1 tablespoon Colavita Olive Oil. Add the roasted garlic cloves and sauté 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and salt and sauté another 3 minutes until the mushrooms start to wilt.

7

Add the vegetable stock and ginger and simmer until almost all the liquid is evaporated - about 7 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool.

8

In a food processor or blender, blend the mushroom mixture with the remaining. cup Colavita Olive Oil, Colavita Prosecco Vinegar and honey until creamy.