Low Carb Paleo Chimichurri Mushrooms with Citrus Salad

Your tastebuds will be wide awake with this dish! Whole portobello mushrooms are cooked on the stovetop and blanketed in a spicy green chimichurri sauce. Served on the side to cool things off is a citrus baby spinach salad dressed with lemon and orange juice. Better still, this recipe is low carb, vegetarian and paleo. That means the recipe is made with all-natural and whole ingredients that are minimally processed or not processed at all. You can choose all organic ingredients to make the recipe, or just choose the best-looking produce you can find at your grocery store. You’ll be making a healthier choice either way.

Make the dish less spicy

You may find the chimichurri sauce too spicy for your pallet. To make the dish less spicy, you can omit the jalapeno or reduce the amount you use. To substitute the pepper taste, use green bell pepper. You can also omit the crushed red pepper flakes that are used to season the portobello mushrooms.

Storage and meal prep tips

If you have leftovers, you can keep the mushrooms and chimichurri sauce stored together in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Leftover salad will become soggy if stored any longer than 24 hours. If you want to use this recipe for meal prepping, just keep fresh-chopped greens stored in a container and dress them when you’re ready to eat.

EVOO health benefits

EVOO is short for extra virgin olive oil. It’s believed consuming up to 1 tablespoon of olive oil a day can offer antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory benefits. The healthy fats in olive oil can fight bad cholesterol. Using EVOO in your cooking and diet can also fight inflammation which contributes to cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

Net Carbs

7.2 g
Fiber

3.1 g
Total Carbs

11 g
Protein

4.3 g
Fats

59.2 g

571 cals

Quantity

Serving Size

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Portabella mushrooms, raw

6 oz
Extra virgin olive oil

4 tbsp
Salt

0.13 tsp
Black pepper

0.13 tsp
Onion powder

0.25 tsp
Garlic powder

0.25 tsp
Cumin, ground

0.25 tsp
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

0.25 tsp
Lemon juice

1 wedge - juice from one wedge or slice
Cilantro

1 oz
Jalapeno peppers, raw

0.5 large - approx 4" - 6" long
Garlic

1 clove
Lime juice, fresh

0.25 cup
Salt

0.13 tsp
Baby spinach

1.5 oz
Extra virgin olive oil

4 tbsp
Salt

0.13 tsp
Lemon juice

1 wedge - juice from one wedge or slice
Orange juice

0.13 each - juice from one orange
Walnuts

0.5 oz

Step 1

Prepare whole portobello mushrooms by removing the stems and the dark brown undersides. You can use a spoon to scrape off any loose pieces. Rub approximately 1 TB of extra virgin olive oil into each side of each mushroom (2 TB per mushroom). You can add more EVOO if necessary to make sure the mushrooms are covered in oil.
Step 2

Season the undersides of the mushrooms with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, and crushed red pepper. Heat a non-stick pan on high heat on your stove. Once the pan is hot, place the seasoned side of a mushroom down in the pan and cook until charred.
Step 3

Flip the mushroom over and place a lid on the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and keep cooking until the mushroom softens and grills flat in the pan. Squeeze the lemon juice over the mushroom and cook until it’s darkened to your liking. Repeat steps 2-3 for each mushroom.
Step 4

To make the chimichurri sauce, add whole cilantro leaves, chopped jalapeno, garlic clove, lime juice, and salt to a blender or food processor. Blend the ingredients until the cilantro is entirely broken down. You can add more lime juice to thin out the sauce if needed.
Step 5

To make the citrus salad, chop baby spinach or a spinach and arugula blend and add it to a bowl. Toss the greens with extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt (and pepper if desired). Then, toss the greens once more with fresh lemon juice, orange juice, and chopped walnuts.
Step 6

To assemble your plate, serve a mushroom with chimichurri sauce and approximately 1 ¼ oz salad. If you have extra chimichurri sauce, you can toss it with your salad too. When storing leftovers, keep the mushrooms separate from the salad.