Spinach and mushroom toast with turmeric and fennel seeds is one of (my) life's greatest pleasures. While I now make this dish with real butter, it's actually a breakfast I came up with in my vegan years. It's a real savoury delight to start your day with, and nutrient-rich to boot.
Step 1
Wash and slice your mushrooms. Everyone has their own method for the former. Whatever way you do it, just avoid soaking them or using excessive amounts of water. I like to briefly run them under a cold tap while removing any patches of dirt with my fingers
Step 2
Mash your garlic clove with some sea salt and the flat edge of a knife - or finely chop it if you prefer - then melt your butter on a low to medium heat, stirring it round with a wooden spoon so that the pan is nicely coated.
Step 3
Add about 10 grinds of pepper, followed by the mushrooms.
(Add your mushrooms one by one by hand to avoid crowding the pan. If the size of your pan means crowding is inevitable, that’s fine. I’d still add them by hand and make sure the larger pieces make good contact with the bottom of the pan.)
After a minute or two, turn the mushrooms over (with a spatula this time to save your hands) and stir in your garlic, turmeric and fennel seeds.
(Remember your spices need to fry too, so if for whatever reason your pan has dried out, add a little more butter or cooking oil of your choice.)
Step 4
Allow everything to cook for a further minute, stirring occasionally, while you put your toast in the toaster and add some salt (the mushrooms and spices should be pleasantly crackling, not fizzling wildly). Then toss in the spinach and cook everything together, stirring to make sure nothing sticks.
Step 5
Once the toast is ready, prep it with some butter or spread. (Hummus, which I was very partial to when I came up with this dish, also kind of works).
Once the spinach is nicely wilted, it’s time to serve up!
I like to sprinkle on a little Italian hard cheese before serving (doesn’t have to be expensive - grana padano will do) but if you’re vegan or out of cheese, it’s delicious as is.
- If you're feeling extra health conscious, nutritional yeast makes an acceptable substitute for hard cheese in this dish.
- To elevate the presentation and texture of your spinach and mushroom toast, use some crusty sourdough. Day to day though, I like to keep things cost-effective. Supermarket own brand bread works just fine.
