Raw Cashew Sour Creamed Mushroom Salad

I have fond memories of spending spring and summer school breaks out in the country at a relative's house. I always loved to be in the garden, chasing geese and hen, and hanging out on a plum tree, eating fresh fruit. After summer rain, the folks went out in the field to pick mushrooms.

Although, I loved the shape, color and scent of different mushroom varieties, as a kid, no one could make me eat them in any form. I was terrified of getting ill from poisonous species. One day, I said my prayers, and ate some plain white mushrooms. I absolutely loved the taste, but I didn't want to react; I wanted to make sure I survived the night. After this experience, nothing could stop me from eating these tasty little things.

This salad is one of my all time favorites, somewhat of a traditional Hungarian dish. The original recipe uses all cooked or canned mushrooms and standard mayonnaise blended with sour cream. During my second pregnancy, I was craving different foods from my childhood, including this mushroom salad. Because I was already on a vegan, raw food diet, I decided to try a raw version of it. Frankly, I love it more than the original version. Green onions and bell peppers are some of the staples of a spring Hungarian dish; they give it a fresh, light flavor, and the tarragon gives it an earthier flavor. Tarragon is a fairly strong spice, with a combination of mint, licorice, pine and peppery taste. If you prefer other herbs or spices, substitute tarragon with fresh organic dill. The cashew sour cream has a tangy flavor just as the standard sour cream, however it keeps the dish light and easily digestible, unlike it's original counterpart.

It always amazes me, how a few ingredients can bring forth such an abundance of flavors. As a busy mama, the less ingredients a recipe has, the faster it can be made and eaten. And taking care of a toddler and infant leaves me pretty hungry at times.

What you need

1 box of organic white mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 organic red bell pepper, chopped
6 organic green onions, chopped
2 tbsp tarragon, chopped

Wash mushrooms, bell pepper, green onions and tarragon, well. Chop and add to a bowl. Leave out a tablespoonful of bell peppers, green onions and a teaspoon of chopped tarragon. You will use it to garnish your salad.

I just had to take a picture of all the ingredients in one bowl, the aroma of all these fresh items was irresistible.

You will use your high-speed blender to make the Raw Cashew Sour Cream mixture.

Raw Cashew Sour Cream

1 cup raw organic cashews
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Juice of one lemon
2 tbsp of chopped red onions
1/2 tsp salt

In a high-speed blender, add apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, red onions and salt. Blend until smooth, then add cashews 1/2 cup at a time. The end result should be a smooth, sour cream-like texture. If the cream is too thick, add water to it a 1/4 cup at a time, to assure smooth blending.

Add the sour cream mixture to bowl with the rest of the ingredients, and gently combine. Sprinkle top with the remainder of 1 tablespoon of green onions, 1 tablespoon of chopped red bell peppers, and 1 tsp tarragon.

I usually serve this salad with raw crackers, or in raw collard greens, as wraps. Enjoy.

In a near future post, I will provide my favorite green crackers recipe made of green vegetable pulp left over from our daily juicing.