Enoki Mushrooms

Enoki mushrooms are a beautiful type of mushroom that’s extraordinarily delicious! Here’s a recipe for how to cook this tasty fungi.

Here at A Couple Cooks, we’re unabashed mushroom lovers. So we were thrilled to get our hands on some Enoki mushrooms! This type of mushroom is common in Japanese and Chinese cuisine, but it only recently started to be easy to find at non-specialty American grocery stores. The enoki mushroom is incredibly delicious and absolutely worth experimenting with in the kitchen! Sauté up a bunch, or add them to a bowl of ramen or hot pot. Here’s a bit more about why you should grab some enoki mushrooms when you see them!

What’s an enoki mushroom?

You may have seen enoki mushrooms in photographs of ramen or hot pot: it looks like long, white noodles. Here’s what you need to know about this variety:

• The enoki mushroom is an edible mushroom that looks like long strings; almost like noodles! Enoki mushrooms are common in Japanese cuisine, where they’re known as enokitake, and Chinese cuisine where they’re known as golden needle or lily mushrooms.
• Where to find it? You can find this type of mushroom at some grocery stores, health food stores, or Asian grocery stores. You can also find it at farmer’s markets.
• What does an enoki mushroom taste like? This mushroom has a delicate, savory flavor and a crunch from the thin strands. You can eat it sauteed or raw in salads, or throw it raw into ramen and hot pot and it cooks up right in the broth.

How to store and clean them

Once you get your enoki mushrooms, what’s the best way to keep them fresh? And how to clean them before cooking them?

• Store the mushrooms in a paper bag in the refrigerator (not produce drawer). The best way to store mushrooms is in a paper bag, which allows them to breathe. Leave them in the main part of the refrigerator to get good airflow, not the produce drawer.
• Clean them with a quick rinse. Give the mushrooms a quick rinse to get off any dirt (don’t soak them or they can become soggy).

How to cook this enoki mushroom recipe

Ready to get cooking? Try this Sauteed Enoki Mushroom recipe! It makes a pan of ultra savory, umami-packed mushrooms that are absolutely irresistible. In fact, I couldn’t stop eating them. After Alex took these photos, I kept sneaking back to the pan and ended up eating them all before he could dig in. Even better, this delicate type of mushroom takes only 2 minutes to cook! Here’s what you’ll do (or skip to the recipe below):

• Slice off the root at the bottom of the bunch. You’ll notice the enoki mushrooms are connected into a bunch with a bottom root. Cut that off before you use them!
• Cook 1 minutes over medium heat. We like using sesame oil for sautéing here: the standard kind, not toasted (which is used in small quantities for adding flavor).
• Add garlic and cook 30 seconds, then add soy sauce. This type of mushroom is so delicate, it’s almost done! Just another 30 seconds and it’s done. Add tamari or soy sauce, and they’re ready to eat!

Eat these enoki mushrooms as a side dish, with a stir fry, or throw them into noodles like sesame soba noodles. Keep reading for other ways to serve them…

More ways to serve enoki mushrooms

Don’t want to make sauteed enoki mushrooms? There are lots of other ideas where you don’t even need to cook them separately. Here’s what to do:

• Ramen: Throw into ramen broth in the last few minutes cooking. Try Easy Vegetarian Ramen, Vegan Mushroom Ramen, Tofu Ramen, or Miso Ramen.
• Hot pot: Try them in a hot pot and drop them right in.
• Salad: Try them raw in a Golden Needle Mushroom Salad.

Ready to try the recipe? Scroll to the recipe below!

This enoki mushroom recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

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More types of mushrooms

There are so many other types of mushrooms to try! Sample them all:

• Cremini Mushrooms (aka Baby Bella) & Button Mushrooms are versatile for soups, pizza, and pasta
• Oyster Mushrooms have delicate flavor and are great sauteed
• King Oyster Mushrooms are large and meaty, great as a meat substitute
• Lion’s Mane Mushrooms are fantastic fried up and eaten in a sandwich (they’re very meaty!)
• Maitake Mushrooms (aka Hen of the Woods) have feathered edges and an earthy, peppery flavor
• Beech Mushrooms are small, delicate and savory
• Portobello Mushrooms are a treat stuffed, grilled or in a burger topped with caramelized onions