Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms
Gluten and Grain-Free
Stuffed mushrooms are “classically” made with a cheese and bread crumb filling. We’ll skip both of those. You won’t miss them! Buttery toasted nuts with delicious warming spices, and a bit of red wine or Saba create a mouth-watering filling that melts in your mouth.
This recipe is fuss-free, using fresh, whole-food ingredients that are pantry- and budget- friendly:
Cremini Mushrooms: Meaty and umami in flavor already, so when they are stuffed with delicious ingredients, the flavors become out of this world.
Nuts: Walnuts and Pine Nuts add the perfect creamy, crunchy texture that helps make these stuffed mushrooms far from mushy! They add a bit of healthy fats, fiber and nutrients to the dish.
Onion, Garlic, and Celery: Enhance flavor and texture with these veggies that pair well together, especially when cooked with a little bit of red wine or Saba.
Savory Herbs and Spices: Nutritional Yeast, Rosemary, Thyme, Paprika, Sage, and Black Pepper add flavor to this dish.
Low-Sodium Gluten free Organic Tamari: Ties flavors together and adds a bit of ‘meaty’ flavor as well.
Dry Red Wine or Saba grape must: Saba is reduced grape must (unfermented grape juice) from Italy. This brown, syrupy substance has a sweet, concentrated, almost prune-like flavor. Depending on region, dialect, or translation, it can go by several names: saba, sapa, vin cotto or mosto cotto. Both dry red wine and Saba add a bit of acidity and astringency that balance out all of the flavors in the dish.
50 MIN DURATION
15 MIN PREP TIME; 35 MIN COOK TIME
YIELD 12 MUSHROOMS
PREPARATION
This recipe can easily be doubled (or cut in half) to suit your serving needs. If you’d like, you can also pre-make the filling and marinate the mushroom caps overnight.
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Prep: Preheat the oven to 400oF and use a 9×9” baking dish.
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Marinate the Mushrooms: Place the mushroom caps in a large glass bowl and drizzle 1 tablespoon of tamari over them; use a spatula to gently toss them in the mixture, until evenly coated. Set aside and let marinate while you prepare the filling, tossing occasionally.
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Toast the Nuts: Bring a medium pan to medium-high heat; Add the pine nuts and walnuts to the pan and toast for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. The nuts should be fragrant and slightly golden when finished; set aside.
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Process the Filling: Add the onion and celery to a food processor and process until they are very finely chopped, almost at a chunky paste. Remove from the food processor and set aside. Then, add the toasted nuts, garlic, nutritional yeast, rosemary, thyme, paprika, sage, and black pepper to the food processor. Pulse until the nuts are very finely chopped, almost resembling coarse breadcrumbs. Reserve 3 tablespoons of this mixture to top the mushrooms; place the rest in a separate bowl apart from the onions/celery.
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Cook the Filling: Heat the vegan butter (or oil or 3 tablespoons of water) in a nonstick pan over medium high heat. Once warm, add the onion and celery mixture. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onion is translucent and slightly golden. Deglaze the pan with the remaining 1 tablespoon of tamari. Then, add the ground nut & spice mixture to the pan; cook for 1 minute, to allow the nuts and spices to toast. Add the red wine to the pan and stir well into the mixture; it should begin to stick together and form a thicker “paste.” Sauté for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and additional pepper to taste, if necessary.
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Fill the Mushrooms: Place each mushroom cap into the baking dish with the hollow side (where the stem used to be) facing up. Fill each mushroom with approximately 1 tablespoon of the cooked filling, using your fingers to press it in firmly (though some will remain on top). Sprinkle the reserved nut & spice “breadcrumbs” over each mushroom.
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Bake: Bake in the top rack of the oven for 27-29 minutes, until the mushrooms have fully cooked and the topping is golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving tray; serve warm, or as desired. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days and are best served warm.
CHEF’S NOTES:
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Substitutions: Walnuts and pine nuts can be replaced with another buttery nut, such as macadamia nuts, pecans, or brazil nuts. Red wine can be replaced with 2 teaspoons of red wine vinegar, organic apple cider, or aged balsamic + 1/2 cup (60 ml) vegetable broth or Saba.
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If you do not have a food processor, you can use a knife to finely chop each ingredient.
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It is especially important for herbs and spices like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg to be organic or biodynamic for better results and taste. Commercial herbs and spices are commonly contaminated and often stale, losing their nutritional value. Kitchen gardens and quality certified local sources are always preferred. Buy organic ingredients collectively, divide among friends for better value and fresher, more nutritious and delicious food Think globally; act locally as Rene Dubos, a scientific father of planetary sustainability suggested.
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Fresh ground black pepper and nutmeg improve taste and digestibility. Must be fresh ground to be beneficial.
