Vegan Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms are just the impressive plant based main dish you’re looking for. They’re loaded with flavor, naturally vegan and gluten-free and this vegan stuffing is the best way to enjoy large portobello mushrooms. If you’re jonesing for a hearty vegan main dish…look no further. This is it!
Looking for other impressive vegan main dishes–try my vegan shepherd’s pie with sweet potato mash, stuffed butternut squash or vegan stuffed cabbage rolls!
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Why I love this recipe
Mushroom recipes give off the best savory umami flavor which is so important when you’re having a plant based main dish. When I have baby bella mushrooms, I always make these gluten-free stuffed mushrooms—they are the perfect appetizer. But, when I want even more of a good thing, this full sized portobello mushroom recipe is the main course for me.
You guys have been asking for more vegan main dish recipes that are savory and delicious, low carb, easy to make and satisfying….these are all of that and so much more!
Stuffed portobello mushrooms rank right up there with my favorite vegan stuffed veggies like stuffed bell peppers, meaty vegan stuffed zucchini or stuffed tomatoes. Vegan comfort food at its finest, if you ask me.
Mushroom Ingredients
- If you’re making this as a main course, you’ll want to buy large stuffing mushrooms. Medium sized cremini mushrooms, white mushrooms, or baby bella mushrooms would work well for a hearty appetizer or side dish.
- Look for mushroom caps without brown spots and that are not bruised or moist.
- Mushrooms that are consistent in color, firm and smooth will be freshest.
- Store them in their original packaging or in a brown paper bag in the fridge.
Stuffing Ingredients
- Bell pepper: Use red bell pepper if you’re making is as a Vegan Christmas Main Dish for an elegant and festive plant based holiday dinner.
- Cauliflower rice: Gives great texture, while keeping these low carb and gluten-free without using bread crumbs.
- Fresh spinach: I used baby spinach. You will chop finely, so it’s ok to substitute with kale, full leaf spinach or another green.
- Parsley: Substitute with any fresh herbs like basil, oregano, sage or thyme.
- Garlic: Use minced or pressed fresh garlic for the best flavor. you can substitute garlic powder, if needed, but not garlic salt.
- Olive oil: You can also use veggie broth or water to saute the stuffing ingredients.
Vegan Parmesan Cheese Ingredients
- Pine nuts: they’re soft enough to grind easily. Substitute with raw cashews or sunflower seeds.
- Nutritional yeast: gives these dairy-free stuffed mushrooms a real cheese flavor.
- Italian seasoning: if you don’t have any, use a combination of dried oregano, basil, thyme and/or marjoram.
- Salt: helps with the cheesy vibe.
- Vegan parmesan cheese or vegan mozzarella cheese have too many processed ingredients in them for me. I think this mixture is an easy way to get the same cheesy flavor with more simple ingredients.
How to make Stuffed Mushrooms
How to Prep Mushrooms for Baking
- Clean the mushroom using a damp paper towel to brush the dirt off.
- Pop the mushroom stems out by wiggling it sideways. Set aside to chop and saute with the other stuffing vegetables.
- Use a spoon to scoop out the gills. This is optional, but the gills are a bit bitter and fibrous on larger mushrooms so I recommend removing them.
- Scooping out the gills will also leave a large space for the stuffing!
Par-bake the Mushrooms
Place the prepped mushroom caps, scooped out side down, on a wire rack that’s placed on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 12 minutes so they begin to soften. Sometimes mushrooms will release a lot of liquid when they’re cooking–this is why they are upside down and on a rack, so they don’t become soggy.
Make the parmesan “cheese”
Place pine nuts, Italian seasoning, nutritional yeast and salt into a spice grinder.
Pulse a few times until everything is thoroughly mixed, and resembles ground parmesan cheese.
Make the filling
Dice the onion and bell pepper. Chop the set aside mushrooms stems into small pieces. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and saute in olive oil until beginning to soften.
Turn down to medium heat, add the garlic and stir as it becomes fragrant. Then stir in the cauliflower rice and cook until it’s heated through.
Turn off the heat and stir in the spinach and parsley until wilted.
Set aside 1 tablespoon of the vegan cheese for the topping and mix the rest into the sauteed veggies.
Stuff and Bake
Turn the baked mushroom caps over and then evenly distribute the filling into the cavity. Sprinkle the remaining vegan parmesan over them and place them back into the oven for 20 minutes until golden brown.
How to Store and Reheat
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Freezing will cause the mushrooms to change texture…I do not recommend.
- If you have any extra stuffing, it can be frozen in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
- Reheat in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes, or until heated through.
Debra’s Pro Tips
- If you par bake the mushrooms upside down by accident and they accumulate liquid, pour that into the filling and let the liquid cook out for added flavor.
- This is a great vegan main dish for a holiday meal…or make baby bellas for a fun game day delicious appetizer.
- Stir in a pinch of red pepper flakes or chipotle chili powder into the filling for a little spice.
- A damp towel is the best way to clean the mushrooms. DO NOT clean under running water. Mushrooms are like sponges, so do not immerse in water as they will absorb it and get unnaturally plump….and soggy.
- Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms are ideal for a plant based main course, a delicious side dish or serve them as a hearty appetizer.
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 4 large portobello mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt divided
- ½ tsp black pepper divided
Stuffing
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 1 cup cauliflower rice
- ¼ cup baby spinach chopped
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped
"Cheese"
- ⅓ cup pine nuts
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp coarse sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Prepare rimmed baking sheet with parchment and then add a wire rack.
Prep Mushrooms to stuff:
- Clean mushrooms. Use a damp (not wet) paper towel to brush off any dirt/debris. Twist the stem out and set aside to add to veggie mix.
- Use a spoon to scoop out and then discard the gills.
- Place mushrooms on rack with the inside(where the stem was) facing down. Drizzle the cap with olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper (reserve the rest of the seasoning for the filling).
- Bake for 12 minutes, to soften.
Make the "cheese"
- Place pine nuts, nutritional yeast, Italian seasoning and salt into a spice grinder and pulse until it resembles ground parmesan cheese. You can also use a coffee grinder or small food processor for this.
Make the Filling
- Dice the onion, bell pepper and mushroom stems. Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Swirl in olive oil and cook veggies, stirring often. Sprinkle iwth salt and pepper. Continue to saute until veggies begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir constantly for about a minute, until fragrant. Stir in cauliflower rice and mix until fully incorporated. Turn off heat.
- Stir in spinach and parsley until wilted. Then add all but 1 tablespoon of the "cheese" to the mixture.
Fill and Bake
- After 12 minutes, remove mushrooms from oven and flip over. Scoop filling into the cavities, sprinkle with the set aside 1 tablespoon of the cheese and any remaining salt and pepper.
- Bake for 20 minutes until mushrooms are tender and topping is golden brown.
Notes
Nutrition
Note
The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.
Kim Koons
I am so impressed with your recipes, photos and thorough explanation of the process. The result was delicious!
Debra Klein
Thanks so much…and delicious is always a good result!