Marinated Mushroom & VLC Veg Salad

This salad focuses on using a selection of very low carb (VLC) vegetables to get a large portion of salad with a minimal amount of net carbs. A single serving of this salad contains only 4.5g net carbs, nearly 6 grams of fiber, and is a good source of iron, potassium, folate, and vitamins B2, B5, E, and K. When I first conceived of this salad, I was a bit concerned that the high content of celery would overpower the dish. However, the mustard and thyme vinaigrette that marinates the mushrooms pairs perfectly with the celery, the marinated mushrooms add morsels of salty acidity, and the creamy avocado balances out the kick of the mushrooms. All and all, this turned out to be a very tasty and wonderfully nutritious salad.
Yield: 4 salads | 1⅓ cup (280g) marinated mushrooms (⅓ cup [70g] per salad)
Macros (per dressed salad): 370 calories | 10g protein | 33g fat | 4.5g net carbs
Macros (per mushroom-less salad): 190 calories | 9g protein | 14g fat | 3.5g net carbs ✎
Macros (per ⅓ cup [70g] mushrooms): 175 calories | 1g protein | 18g fat | 1g net carbs
Prep: 30 minutes + marinating mushrooms for roughly 8 hours/overnight
Storage: marinated mushrooms, unchopped avocado, and remaining salad ingredients (chopped and combined) separately, refrigerated. Store undressed/avocado-free salad for up to 3 days and the marinated mushrooms for up to 10 days. Add avocado and mushrooms/dressing when ready to eat. Fully prepared salad can be stored, refrigerated, for a few hours.
Marinated Mushroom Ingredients:
  • 4 ounces (113g) mushrooms, quartered (about 1½) ✎ ​
  • ⅓ cup (80ml/72g) light olive oil or neutral-flavored oil of choice​
  • ¼ cup (60ml) red or white wine vinegar or vinegar of choice
  • 1 tablespoon (15g) Dijon mustard 
  • 1 tablespoon (13g) granulated allulose or equivalent in sweetener of choice (optional)
  • 2 cloves (6g) garlic, crushed (equals 1 teaspoon)
  • 1½ teaspoons dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional or to taste)​
Other Salad Ingredients:​
  • ½ cup (80g) pumpkin seeds, toasted ✎
  • 3 cups (90g) baby or chopped lettuce/mixed greens
  • 1½ cups (152g) diced celery (about 4 medium stalks)
  • ½ cup (70g) diced radishes (about 10 medium radishes)
  • 1 medium (136g) avocado, chopped​
  • ½ medium (150g) English cucumber, diced (about 1¼ cups)
Directions:
  1. Prepare the mushrooms and put them in a container or jar that holds about 1½ cups (360ml). Add the remaining mushroom marinade ingredients to the jar/container, seal with a well-fitted lid, and shake to combine. Refrigerate for about 8 hours or overnight. Shake a couple of times throughout this time period if possible. 
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), spread the pumpkin seeds out in a single layer on a baking sheet/pan, and toast for 5 to 7 minutes. Monitor carefully to prevent burning. Cool once toasted.
  3. ​Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables and avocado as per the ingredient list and put these in a large salad bowl or medium-sized mixing bowl.
  4. Add the pumpkin seeds and mushrooms, along with their marinade/dressing, and toss the salad thoroughly to fully dress all components.
  5. Divide the salad equally between 4 dinner bowls.
  6. Enjoy soon after preparing.
Mustard & Thyme Vinaigrette: if interested in making just the vinaigrette that marinates the mushrooms, omit the mushrooms, increase the oil to ½ ​cup (120ml/108g), and reduce the salt to a heaped ¼ teaspoon. Whisk or shake all ingredients together in a small bowl or jar. If time permits, refrigerate for about an hour to allow flavors to meld.
Yield: ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons (210ml), equal to 14 tablespoons
Macros (per tablespoon): 70 calories | 0.1g protein | 8g fat | 0.2g net carbs
Boost the Protein: add 1½ cups (258g) cooked, cooled & drained soybeans to the salad.
Macros (per dressed salad): 480 calories | 22g protein | 39g fat | 6g net carbs

Boost the Protein & the Carbs (Soy-Free): increase the pumpkin seeds to ¾ cup (120g) and add a 15-ounce [425g] can of drained and rinsed pinto beans (about 1½ cups [256g]) to the salad.
Macros (per dressed salad): 500 calories | 18g protein | 38g fat | 15g net carbs
✎ Notes:
  • The macros for the mushroom-less salad also exclude the marinade/dressing. You can add your own dressing to the salad, or use the recipe I've provided for just the Mustard & Thyme Vinaigrette. 
  • I like to use baby white button mushrooms for this recipe. I halve instead of quarter the smaller ones.
  • Toasting pumpkin seeds is optional, but I highly recommend the crunch and depth of flavor toasting brings. They can also be bought toasted in some supermarkets or online.
  • Macros for this recipes are calculated with American national nutritional data (i.e. NCCDB & USDA entries in Cronometer) for all ingredients apart from the allulose (Health Garden) and pumpkin seeds (Bob's Redmill).
  • Macro numbers are rounded. Numbers equal to or greater than 10g are rounded to the nearest whole number (e.g. 10g, 11g, 12g, etc.) and numbers below 10g are rounded to the nearest 0.5g (0.5g, 1g, 1.5g ... 9g, 9.5g). Any numbers below 0.5g are given as is (e.g. 0.1g, 0.2g, etc.). Calories are rounded to the nearest multiple of 5.