Mushrooms – such a divisive vegetable! Some love it and some hate it, there doesn’t seem to be a middle ground for it. For my part, I adore mushrooms! Not only are they delicious, but also versatile, easy to cook with and there’s so many varieties! Stuffed mushrooms are definitely one of the easiest mushroom recipes. They are easy, low-effort and, most importantly, really tasty! This vegan stuffed mushrooms recipe is a great side dish for any dinner or lunch, and great for the holidays. If you need a last-minute Christmas side-dish, you’ve found the perfect recipe!
Types of mushroom for cooking
There exist many different types of mushrooms which are used for cooking. Some of the most popular ones include white button, cremini, portobello, shiitake, oyster, king trumpet, chanterelle and porcini mushroom. And this isn’t even the full list! Thus, if you think you don’t like mushrooms, maybe try a different variety from the one you are used to. Mushrooms come in many different forms and flavors. Do you have a favorite mushroom? I personally love them all, but I have a soft spot for enoki and chanterelle mushrooms!
For this vegan stuffed mushrooms recipe, I am using portobello mushrooms. The bigger the mushroom, the more space for filling, so make sure to get big ones for this recipe!
Are mushrooms vegetables?
We can consider mushrooms to be a vegetable although, technically, they aren’t. Officially, mushrooms are classified as fungi. Mushrooms do not have roots, leaves and they do not need light to grow, thus distinguishing them from vegetables and making them a fungi. Nevertheless, mushrooms are nutritionally considered a vegetable, as they have many of the same nutritional attributes as vegetables. Botanically, they are therefore considered a fungi, but nutritionally, a vegetable. So if you have been calling mushrooms a vegetable, you technically aren’t wrong and can continue doing so!
Are mushrooms vegan?
Interestingly, this is a question that often arises: are mushrooms vegan? Well, yes they are! The confusion about mushrooms not being vegan often comes from them being living fungi. Some people quickly assume that, as they are living, they are thus not vegan. They think that eating mushrooms would equal killing a living organism. But mushrooms are living PLANTS, and not animals. Veganism is about excluding all forms of cruelty and exploitation against animals, therefore vegans do not consume meat, dairy or eggs. As mushrooms are not animals but plants, they qualify as vegan. That is great news for us, as mushrooms are delicious and can be found in MANY vegan recipes!
Stuffed mushrooms vegan recipe
Making vegan stuffed mushrooms is quite simple and straight-forward. Let’s have a walk through this easy stuffed mushrooms recipe!
Our first step is going to be to preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F for our American friends) and clean our mushrooms. To clean your mushrooms, I recommend using a small brush, such as a pastry brush or even a toothbrush! By using a brush, you can easily get the dirt off your mushrooms. It is not recommended to wash your mushrooms under water in the sink, as they easily absorb water. By washing them like that, they will later on take a longer time to cook and struggle to absorb flavors. If you do not have any brushes, you can gently rub off the dirt with a wet finger, and then dry them with a paper towel.
Once your mushrooms are clean, remove the stalk. When the stalk is removed, your mushroom should look like a small bowl. Chop half of the stalks finely.
Time to prepare the filling! In a heated pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sautee your chopped onion and mushroom stalks (both chopped and unchopped). When the mixture has cooked down and looks about done, add your salt and spices, and mix. When the mixture is done cooking, remove your pan from the heat and let the filling cool down.
With the rest of your oil, grease up a baking tray or baking dish. Get your mushrooms and place them with the top down, and fill the crevasse with your filling. Once your mushrooms are stuffed, top them with some vegan mozzarella cheese and fresh parsley. Add the unchopped mushrooms stalks to the baking dish.
Time to cook your mushrooms! They should take about 8 to 10 minutes to cook, but that will depend on the size of your mushrooms. You know they are ready when the mushrooms have a light brown color. When they look nicely golden, get them out of the oven, and your vegan stuffed mushrooms are done! You can serve them warm or cold, although they are particularly delightful when warm.
Stuffed mushrooms
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 250 g mushrooms
- ¼ cup onion finely chopped
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sea salt or to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ⅙ tsp basil dry
- ⅙ tsp oregano dry
- ⅙ tsp nutmeg powder
- 40 g vegan mozzarella
- 10 leaves fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°c. Clean the mushrooms well. Remove the stalks and chop half of them finely.250 g mushrooms
- Heat a pan and pour 1 tbsp oil. Sautee the chopped onion and then throw in the stalks of the mushrooms and sautee them as well. Add the dry spices and the salt and mix in. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.1/4 cup onion, 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/6 tsp basil, 1/6 tsp oregano, 1/6 tsp nutmeg powder
- Grease your baking tray with the remaining oil. Place your mushrooms with the opening on top. Fill them up with the mixture you just prepared. Spread the cheese on top along with some fresh parsley. Place the remaining stalks into the tray as well.250 g mushrooms, 3 tbsp olive oil, 40 g vegan mozzarella, 10 leaves fresh parsley
- Bake for about 8-10 minutes. Make sure to check once in between because the baking time depends on the size of the mushroom. Once light brown, remove from the oven.
- Serve hot or cold. Enjoy!
Nutrition
