Elevate your culinary game with these mouthwatering vegan mushroom recipes that prove mushrooms are the ultimate meat substitute.
Mushrooms are undoubtedly the unsung heroes of vegan cooking. With their meaty texture and versatile flavour, they seamlessly step in as a substitute for meat in a variety of dishes.
From hearty pot pies to savoury Reuben sandwiches, comforting ramen, and even satisfying gyros, mushrooms can do it all!
But what makes mushrooms such a perfect meat replacement? It all boils down to their unique characteristics. Unlike other vegetables, mushrooms have a hearty texture that mimics meat, providing a satisfying bite and mouthfeel.
Mushrooms are also packed with umami, the savoury fifth taste, which adds depth and richness to dishes, reminiscent of meaty flavours.
How to choose the right mushroom
When it comes to choosing the best mushrooms for vegan cooking, several varieties stand out for their availability and meat-like qualities. Portobello mushrooms, with their large size and robust flavour, are perfect for grilling or using in place of larger cuts of meat.
Button mushrooms, often referred to as cremini or baby bella mushrooms, offer a meaty texture and earthy flavour that pairs well with a wide range of dishes such as stews. They’re also widely available in supermarkets year round making them an accessible option.
For a more delicate texture, oyster mushrooms are an excellent choice, adding a subtle sweetness to recipes. Oyster mushrooms can be shredded to create meaty delights such as pulled pork to use in vegan tacos, or can be sliced into rounds to create impressively realistic vegan scallops.
Whether you’re a seasoned vegan cook or just dipping your toes into plant-based cuisine, incorporating mushrooms into your recipes is a delicious and nutritious way to create satisfying meals without meat.
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Larger portobello mushrooms are a great alternative to larger cuts of meats like steaks or even burgers, while smaller button mushrooms are perfect for adding to stews. Photo © Risto Arnaudov via Getty Images
Are mushrooms high in vitamin D?
Besides their robust flavour and meat-like texture, mushrooms are packed with health benefits too: they’re a natural source of vitamin D, a vital nutrient that’s essential for helping your body to absorb calcium.
While most foods lack this essential nutrient, mushrooms have the unique ability to produce vitamin D when exposed to sunlight or ultraviolet light1. This makes them a convenient and accessible way to boost your intake of vitamin D.
To maximise the vitamin D levels in your mushrooms at home, simply place them in direct sunlight for about 15-30 minutes before cooking or consuming2. This simple step enhances their nutritional value, ensuring you reap the full benefits of this essential nutrient.
So, whether you’re sautéing them for a savoury dish or tossing them into a salad, incorporating vitamin D-rich mushrooms into your meals is an easy way to ensure you’re get a healthy dose of this crucial nutrient.
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To boost their vitamin D levels, leave your mushrooms on a sunny windowsill before consuming. Mushrooms contain a chemical called ergosterol that reacts with UV rays to generate more vitamin D. Photo © lenalir via Getty Images
1. Vegan Pulled BBQ King Oyster Mushroom Tacos
This recipe for pulled vegan oyster mushroom tacos cleverly uses king oyster mushrooms to replicate pulled pork.
You can use the entire mushroom in this recipe because the stalk isn’t tough, and they’re great at soaking up the smoky BBQ flavours to each bite is full of flavour.
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2. Vegan Mushroom & Ale Hotpot with Baby Hasselback Potatoes
When it’s cold and dark outside, you want something hearty and filling to tuck into, especially one that provides your body with much-needed vitamin D.
This recipe used a mix of button and field mushrooms which are widely available in supermarkets and have a robust texture that holds up well in roasted dishes like hotpots.
3. Vegan Peking Mushroom Pancakes
Sticky and sweet chestnut mushrooms perfectly replace the traditional crispy duck in these delicious, hoisin drizzled pancakes.
Interestingly, chestnut mushrooms and white button mushrooms are actually the same type of mushroom, just a slightly different strain.
Chestnut mushrooms tend to have a more developed flavour and texture than plain white mushrooms, and are perfect for lending a ‘meatiness’ to recipes like this one. They also have a better nutritional profile, with more vitamins and nutrients than white mushrooms – particularly vitamin D.
4. Vegan Mushroom Reuben Sandwich
To make this vegan Reuben sandwich, you’ll need large flat mushrooms like field mushrooms or portobello mushrooms to mimic the thick texture of corned beef.
As well as being filled with spicy mushrooms, this epic vegan sandwich has pickled red cabbage, dairy-free cheese and vegan-style Russian dressing.
5. Vegan Mushroom & Ale Stew
This hearty stew sums up everything that’s great about winter cooking. The thick broth is full of mushroomy goodness, complimented by herbs such as thyme and rosemary.
The whole button mushrooms and soya mince combination creates a meaty flavour that makes this meal really hearty and filling. With help from the Guinness, the stock is deep and rich, perfect for simmering the soya mince in to give it a hint of umami.
6. Creamy Vegan Wild Mushroom and Watercress Soup
As well as containing a mix of wild mushrooms, this creamy vegan mushroom soup has an extra ingredient to load it up with flavour – mushroom ketchup!
As the name suggests, it’s like ketchup but made from mushrooms, but did you know that before tomatoes were used, ketchup actually used to have mushrooms as a base?
Reminiscent of Worcestershire sauce, the condiment tastes earthy and slightly salty, adding a deep, rich flavour to this comforting soup.
7. Vegan Guinness & Mushroom Pot Pie
Mushrooms are perfect for creating a ‘meaty’ texture in vegan stews and pies such as this meat-free take on the classic steak and Guinness pie.
As an added bonus, this version is both quick to make and slightly healthier due to its ‘pot pie’ lid which uses ready-made vegan puff pastry as a midweek cheat. Serve it up with a healthy dollop of mustard mash and peas for a comforting dish that’s perfect served with a pint.
8. Vegan Mushroom Risotto with Leek and Asparagus
Strapped for time to cook a quick and nutritious meal? Give this vegan risotto a go! Made with mushrooms, leeks, and asparagus, this risotto has plenty of flavours and textures to enjoy.
You can use mixed mushrooms in the risotto itself, and top it off with wild mushrooms like chanterelles if you’re lucky enough to find them. Just make sure you double-check any wild mushrooms you find before consuming them to ensure they’re safe to consume.
9. Creamy Vegan Garlic Mushrooms with Griddled Polenta
Creamy garlic mushrooms served with crispy grilled polenta is quite simply heaven on a plate. Even basic white mushrooms will taste great in this recipe, but you’ll get a deeper, more earthy flavour if you use a good mix of mushrooms such as porcini, chestnut, oyster, or shiitake mushrooms.
Play around with different combinations to find a depth of flavour that’s right for you.
10. Vegan Miso, Tofu and Mushroom Takikomi Gohan
Takikomi Gohan is a traditional Japanese rice dish that consists of sushi rice cooked in dashi, a mushroom-based stock used in Japanese cuisine.
Because it’s made from ingredients like shiitake mushrooms and seaweed, dashi is loaded with health benefits so is a great way to add extra nutrients to dishes, as well as an incredible umami flavour.
11. Vegan King Oyster Mushroom ‘Scallops’ with Pea Purée and Caper Beurre Noisette
Mushrooms aren’t just a great alternative to red meat, varieties like king oyster mushrooms can also be used to make impressive seafood dishes like scallops too.
Thanks to their soft stalks, king oyster mushrooms can be cut into rounds to create surprisingly realistic scallops. Infused with the flavour of capers and dill, they even taste the part too.
12. Creamy Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms
When you want to keep it simple, stuffed mushrooms topped with crispy breadcrumbs are the answer. For this recipe, you’ll need large mushrooms like field or portobellos that can be stuffed to the brim.
With a rich filling of leeks, dairy-free cream cheese and mustard, beautifully seasoned with garlic and tarragon, this dish is sure to appeal to herbivores and meat eaters alike.
13. Vegan Seared Tempeh with Celeriac Purée & Wild Mushrooms
If you’ve got guests you want to impress, this dish wins hands down in our eyes.
Combine the nutty flavour of celeriac together the earthy goodness of wild mushrooms with some seared tempeh and you have a meal that’s packed with protein, nutrients and a rich, umami flavour.
14. King Oyster Mushroom and Leek Pearl Barley Risotto
This hearty and healthy twist on risotto is filled with the rich, earthy flavour of king oyster mushrooms. Instead of using the classic arborio rice, pearl barley forms the perfect base for this flavourful vegan risotto.
Not only is it filling and more nutritious than rice, but it’s easier to make, too as it doesn’t require as much attention as rice so can be left to simmer gently on the stove.
15. Mushroom, Leek and Smoked Tofu Pot Pie with Chive Mash
Nestled beneath a crisp pastry crust, smoked tofu, leeks and mushrooms come together to create comfort food magic. This pie is so marvelously meaty, you’ll wonder why anyone would use meat!
You can use any mushrooms you’d like in this recipe, but we’d recommend using button mushrooms as they’re cheaper and more widely available.
16. Vegan Mushroom Suet Pudding with Horseradish Sauce
This suet pudding is real comfort food with its rich mushroom filling paired with a fiery horseradish cream. It’s perfect for a Sunday lunch paired with vegetables when you want to enjoy some pub-style grub in the comfort of your own home.
This recipe takes some time to cook, but it’s completely worth the effort for the warming, hearty result.
17. Vegan Mushroom & Walnut Meatballs with a Marinara Sauce
These meatless balls have mushrooms to thank for the meaty texture, as well as omega-3-rich chia seeds that take the place of eggs. Served in a classic marinara sauce with a healthy helping of spaghetti, this guaranteed to become a family favourite!
If you’ve got any leftover meatballs, you can enjoy them for lunch the next day by using them along with the sauce to create a vegan meatball sub.
18. Vegan Teriyaki-Glazed King Oyster Mushrooms with Sticky Rice
Sitting atop a fluffy bed of sticky rice, these sweet and succulent teriyaki-glazed mushrooms make for a quick and easy vegan dinner that’s packed with flavour and nutrients.
Serve it up with a side of stir-fried vegetables for add texture and flavour and get ready to enjoy your new favourite midweek meal.
19. Vegan Portobello Mushroom Gyros with Tzatziki
Take your taste buds on a trip to Greece with this barbecue-friendly mushroom gyros. Gyros are typically made with lamb, beef or chicken, but this recipe swaps meat for tasty marinated mushrooms that give the dish its meaty texture.
You can use any mushrooms you like, but the thickness of portobello mushrooms is ideal for recreating kebab meat.
20. Vegan Bak Chor Mee
Bak Chor Mee is a hearty staple in Singapore that’s usually made up of dry noodles, minced pork (or in this case, vegan sunflower mince) and braised mushrooms.
This Bak Chor Mee recipe uses chewy noodles tossed in a sesame, soy and stewed mushroom sauce, topped with beansprouts, coriander, spring onions and chopped red chilli to create a dish that’s fully loaded with flavour.
21. Easy Vegan Mushroom & Pak Choi Ramen
This is our take on a delicious vegan ramen soup that’s ideal for when you fancy eating a filling and healthy vegan dinner.
We’ve used chestnut mushrooms in this recipe as they’re generally more flavoursome and contain higher levels of vitamin D. If you struggle to find them, button mushrooms are a great, easy-to-find alternative.
Mushrooms aren’t just a delicious ingredient, they’re packed with goodness too. Find out more about the health benefits of mushrooms
