Fake beef salad

The false beef salad has become a quick dish for when I want to prepare something hearty without meat and without the hassle of hard-to-find ingredients. The first time I made it was on a weekend when I only had what was left in the fridge: some potatoes, carrots, a few oyster mushrooms, and some pickled cucumbers. It's a salad you can return to anytime you want to bring something familiar to the table, but with a different texture.

Quick Info

Total time: about 1 hour
Preparation time: 15-20 minutes (including cutting and preparing the ingredients)
Cooking time: 15 minutes for each category of vegetables/mushrooms
Servings: 6-8 people
Difficulty: easy
Recipe type: cold salad, suitable for appetizers or snacks at festive meals

Ingredients

4 medium potatoes
4 carrots
300 g oyster mushrooms
4 pickled cucumbers
For the mayonnaise:
2 whole eggs
600 ml sunflower oil
2 tablespoons mustard
For decoration:
black olives
slices of pickled cucumbers
peppers (pickled or roasted)
parsley leaves

Preparation method

1. Wash the potatoes well, leave them with the skin on, and boil them in water over medium heat, without a lid. You need about 15 minutes, but it depends on their size. You can check them with a fork.

2. Peel the carrots and boil them separately, also in salted water. They should boil for about 15 minutes, just until a fork can go in easily but they don't disintegrate.

3. Clean the oyster mushrooms. You can cut them lengthwise if they are very large, otherwise, you can leave them whole. Boil them for about 15 minutes in salted water, over medium heat and without a lid.

4. While the vegetables and mushrooms are cooling, finely chop the pickled cucumbers. Put them in a strainer to drain excess juice.

5. For the mayonnaise, you need a tall bowl suitable for an immersion blender. Put the two whole eggs, oil, and mustard in. Insert the immersion blender to the bottom of the bowl and turn it on. In a few seconds, you'll see it emulsify. Slowly lift the blender to incorporate all the oil. It takes no longer than 3 minutes. Taste and see if you want more mustard or salt. Put it in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

6. When the potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms have cooled, peel them (the potatoes and carrots), then cut everything into cubes of the same size. The smaller they are, the more uniform the salad will be in the end.

7. In a large bowl, mix the potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, and chopped cucumbers. Start adding mayonnaise, but keep 3-4 tablespoons for decoration at the end. Mix to coat everything, but don’t add all the mayonnaise at once – it can be adjusted to taste.

8. Taste and see if you want more mayonnaise or pickles. Adjust the salt if necessary, but usually, the pickled cucumbers add enough salt.

9. Transfer the salad to a platter or a mold. Level the surface with the back of a spoon. Spread the reserved mayonnaise on top.

10. Decorate with olives, strips of pickled cucumbers, slices of peppers, and parsley leaves, as you have on hand.

11. Refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes before serving. It sets much better, and the flavors combine.

Why I make this recipe often

This salad is quick to prepare, the ingredients are simple and easy to find. You don’t need to spend much time in the kitchen, and there’s no risk of it not turning out. It’s good to make in advance, it doesn’t stick in the fridge, and it doesn’t dry out. You can’t go wrong even when you have guests.

Tips and variations

Tips

Use vegetables of similar sizes; they cook evenly.
Drain the pickled cucumbers well; otherwise, the salad will be too watery.
Don’t add too much mayonnaise at first – it’s easy to add more, but hard to take it out.
Quick mayonnaise with an immersion blender works best at room temperature.

Substitutions

Oyster mushrooms can be replaced with champignon, but the texture differs.
You can use store-bought mayonnaise if you’re in a hurry, but the taste won’t be as fresh.
Peppers can be replaced with roasted bell peppers if you have nothing else.

Variations

Add boiled peas if you want more color and sweetness.
You can add some chopped fresh parsley directly into the salad.
Pickled cucumbers can also be combined with some pickled green tomatoes if you have them on hand.

Serving ideas

It’s suitable on a platter, as an appetizer, or in small bowls as a snack.
It also works on toasted bread as a spread.
It can be shaped in a round mold if you want a more festive presentation.

Frequently asked questions

1. Can I use other types of mushrooms instead of oyster?

Yes, champignon works too. Oyster mushrooms have a firmer texture after boiling. With champignon, the salad will be a bit softer, but that’s fine if that’s what you have.

2. How do I prevent the salad from being too watery?

Drain the pickled cucumbers and mushrooms very well after boiling. If there’s still liquid left at the end, you can eliminate it with a strainer.

3. Does the quick mayonnaise really emulsify without separating the eggs?

Yes, if you respect the ratio of eggs to oil and use the immersion blender directly on the bottom of the bowl, the mayonnaise will emulsify in seconds. The eggs can be straight from the fridge, but it works better if they are at room temperature.

4. How long does the false beef salad last in the fridge?

It keeps well for 2-3 days in a covered container. The taste remains okay, it doesn’t change significantly, but the texture may become a bit softer after a day or two.

5. Can I add other pickles or peas?

Yes, you can add boiled peas or other pickles, but be careful to drain them well so they don’t spoil the salad’s consistency.

Nutritional values (estimate)

Serving (approx. 200g): 350-400 kcal
Fats: 30-35g (mostly from mayonnaise and oil)
Proteins: 4-5g (from eggs, mushrooms, vegetables)
Carbohydrates: 16-20g (vegetables and pickles)
The values are indicative and vary depending on the type of mayonnaise and the amount used. For exact values, each ingredient must be weighed and calculated.

Storage and reheating

The salad keeps in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days. Reheating is not recommended. It does not freeze. The texture may become softer after a day, but the taste remains good. Stir gently before serving if it has been sitting for a while.

 Ingredients: carrots 4 pieces, potatoes 4 pieces, pleurotus mushrooms approx. 300 g, pickled cucumbers 4 pieces, for mayonnaise: eggs 2 pieces, sunflower oil 600 ml, mustard 2 tablespoons, for garnish: black olives, pickled cucumbers, bell peppers, parsley leaves.

 Tags:  beef salad