Small Batch Latvian Cold Mushroom Salad

This creamy Latvian-inspired mushroom salad proves that simple pantry ingredients can become something truly special. Made with canned mushrooms, hard-boiled egg, crispy bacon, and a creamy lemon dressing, this cold mushroom salad is perfectly portioned for two and tastes even better after a few hours in the refrigerator. Best of all, it comes from a beloved church cookbook and a mushroom salad recipe that's been shared around tables for generations.

Why You'll Love This Mushroom Salad

One of the things I love most about this mushroom salad recipe is that it makes just enough. When you're cooking for two, you don't always want a giant bowl of salad lingering in the refrigerator for a week. This small-batch mushroom salad gives you enough to enjoy with dinner, save a little for lunch the next day, and nothing goes to waste.

But that's not the only reason it's become one of my favorite recipes.

• Perfectly portioned for two. No overflowing leftovers or wasted ingredients.
• A treasured family recipe. Passed down through generations of the Minneapolis Latvian community and shared from a beloved church cookbook.
• Ready in about 15 minutes. With canned mushrooms and one hard-boiled egg, it's a quick side dish that's easy to pull together.
• Made with pantry staples. Most of the ingredients are likely already in your kitchen.
• Packed with savory flavor. Smoky bacon, creamy mayonnaise and sour cream, fresh lemon juice, and a blend of seasoning salts make every bite rich and satisfying.
• Even better the next day. A few hours in the refrigerator gives the flavors time to meld, making it an ideal make-ahead salad for entertaining or meal prep.
• Versatile enough for any meal. Serve it alongside my grilled pork chops or steak, mayo-marinated chicken, turkey avocado burger, or enjoy it with a simple green salad for a light lunch.
• Easy to double for gatherings. While this recipe is designed for two, it can easily be doubled or tripled for potlucks, holiday buffets, and family get-togethers. Just increase the servings in the recipe card, no math required!

It's one of those recipes that's just as welcome on a holiday buffet as it is alongside grilled steak on an ordinary Tuesday night. Once you taste it, you'll understand why this humble mushroom salad has remained a favorite for generations.

The Story Behind This Latvian Mushroom Salad

At a recent dinner party, everyone contributed a dish to create a beautiful shared meal. My friend Laura arrived carrying what she casually called her "famous Latvian Mushroom Salad," known in Latvian as Sēņu Salāti.

The recipe comes from the pages of the Minneapolis Latvian Church Cookbook, a cookbook her mother gave her in the early 2000s. Laura's grandparents, parents, aunts, and uncles all belonged to the church, which still holds services today, with portions of the service still conducted in Latvian.

I loved flipping through the cookbook. Each page is printed in two languages, with the recipes written in Latvian in the left-hand column and English in the right-hand column-a beautiful reminder of the community's commitment to preserving its heritage while passing these treasured family recipes on to future generations.

The mushroom salad itself became legendary thanks to one church member, Milda Dauka, who faithfully brought it every year to the church bazaar. It quickly became one of the recipes everyone hoped would appear on the buffet.

The cookbook actually includes two versions of the salad-one made with eggs and one without. Laura and I both agree that the version with eggs wins. It has all the creamy comfort of egg salad while letting the mushrooms remain the star of the show.

Ingredients You'll Need

Note: You will find the measurements and other helpful ingredient tips in the recipe card below.

Canned Mushrooms (Yes, Really!)

If you've only made mushroom salad with fresh mushrooms, you might be surprised to see canned mushrooms here.

There's a good reason.

When Latvian immigrants brought this recipe to America decades ago, canned mushrooms were inexpensive, readily available, and considered a pantry staple. Fresh specialty mushrooms simply weren't easy to find year-round.

I used two 4-ounce cans-one cremini and one portobella-but either variety works beautifully. Their tender texture blends perfectly into this creamy salad.

Other important cold mushroom salad ingredients

• Hard-Boiled Egg - Some traditional Latvian mushroom salads skip the eggs entirely. I'm firmly on Team Egg. The chopped egg gives the salad that familiar egg salad texture while adding richness and protein.
• Bacon - One slice of crispy bacon adds an incredible smoky flavor and just enough crunch. I love frying my own bacon, but there's no shame in using real bacon bits. In fact, the original cookbook recipe actually calls for Hormel bacon bits.
• Sour Cream and Mayonnaise -Using both mayonnaise and sour cream creates a dressing that's lighter than mayonnaise alone while giving the salad a tangy flavor that reminds me of a cross between mushroom salad and classic egg salad.

Let's Talk Salt

One thing I discovered while making this recipe is that the seasoning makes all the difference.

Many vintage recipes call for Lawry's Seasoning Salt, which was a pantry staple throughout the 1950s and 60s. If you have it, use it.

The real game changer, though, is hickory smoked salt. It deepens the mushroom flavor and gives the salad an almost wood-fired richness.

I also finish the salad with a sprinkle of black salt, which adds beautiful contrast and a subtle earthy flavor.

Don't skip the lemon pepper, either. It brightens the creamy dressing and balances the richness.

How to Make Mushroom Salad

Drain the canned mushrooms well and gently pat them dry with paper towels.

Using a knife or food processor, chop the mushrooms,hard-boiled egg and bacon.

If using a food processor, pulse about 10-15 times until finely chopped. You can also chop everything by hand if you prefer a little more texture.

Transfer the mushroom-egg mixture to a medium sized bowl. Sprinkle the chopped mixture with fresh lemon juice. Fold in the mayonnaise, sour cream, shallot, hickory salt, black salt and Lawry's seasoning salt.

Taste. Adjust Seasoning. Then taste again.

This salad really comes alive with enough smoked salt, so don't be afraid to add a pinch at a time until the flavors pop. Then taste again.

Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least two hours.

The flavors continue to develop overnight, making this one of those rare salads that's actually better the next day.

Just before serving, sprinkle with a little black salt and garnish with a fresh sprig of thyme.

How to Make the Perfect Hard-Boiled Egg

For creamy yellow yolks without the gray ring, place your egg in a small saucepan and cover with cold water by about an inch.

Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then immediately cover the pan, remove it from the heat, and let the egg sit for 10-12 minutes.

Transfer the egg to an ice bath for five minutes before peeling. The quick chill makes peeling easier and keeps the yolk bright yellow.

What to Serve with Mushroom Salad

This creamy mushroom salad makes an excellent side dish or light lunch. Try serving it with:

• Your Mayo-Marinated Chicken
• Grilled steak or pork chop
• my favorite turkey avocado burger
• Rye bread or toasted sourdough
• Crackers as an appetizer

Love this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review in the comments below! And don't forget to subscribe to Our Table 4 2 for even more cooking for two recipes and tips.

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