How To: Make Mushrooms into “Meat”

Welcome to the all new how-to series! Where we’ll break down all of the how-to musts for plant based cooking and vegan living. Today, we’ll start with how to transform mushrooms into the perfect vegan “meat.” 🌱

Learning to like mushrooms

Full disclosure, I used to hate mushrooms. I have a problem with weird textures, and I just couldn’t eat mushrooms. But since going vegan, I eat more foods than ever before. Our taste buds can actually learn to like new foods.

If you’re also learning to like mushrooms, start small and work your way up. I recommend starting with baby bella or portobello mushrooms. In my opinion, they have the best texture and flavor. Chop mushroom pieces up small and put them into a dish. Make a mushroom soup and puree it. Put mushrooms in a food processor and grind into a fine texture. Season mushrooms well and use familiar flavors. It’s all about training those taste buds!

Note: mushrooms do not contain a lot of protein. If you’re worried about getting enough protein into your diet, it’s a good idea to add some beans and grains to your dishes. Just remember, most adults in developed countries consume 2-3 times the amount of protein they actually need. (And, the vast majority of vegans do not have a protein deficiency).

Types of common mushrooms (and how to use them)

Mushrooms are the perfect whole food vegan meat substitute. They are meaty, hearty, and quite versatile. Mushrooms add the perfect umami flavor to dishes and are rich in vitamins and minerals.

Common types of mushrooms include:

• Button (baby mushrooms, white mushrooms)
  • one of the most common and most versatile
  • use: cook with or without stems and use on pizzas, in pasta sauces, etc.
• Chanterelle 
  • bright yellow color
  • sweet and peppery flavor
  • use: mix in with vegan tofu eggs or breakfast casseroles
• Cremini (baby bella)
  • look like brown button mushrooms or small portobellos 
  • use: in soups, tacos, vegan omelettes 
• Enoki 
  • clusters of mushrooms with long, thin stems and small cap
  • common in Asian cuisines
  • can be eaten raw or cooked
  • use: in salads, sandwiches, soups, or sauces 
• King Oyster Mushrooms
  • look like oyster mushrooms but with an edible thick, white stem
  • firm meaty texture
  • use: shred stem or use tops as scallop substitute (see below!)
• Morel
  • rare and expensive (short growing season)
  • not farmed and are typically “hunted” during the growing season
  • nutty and earthy flavor
  • use: coat in flour or batter and fry in vegan butter
• Oyster
  • mild but sweeter flavor
  • use: in stir fries or mushroom soups
• Porcini
  • common in Italian cooking
  • nutty flavor
  • commonly sold dried
  • use: rehydrate in water or grate dried porcinis on top of dishes
• Portobello 
  • mild flavor, meaty texture
  • use: burger or steak replacement; or stuff and bake them
• Shiitake
  • common in Asian cuisines
  • smoky, earthy flavor
  • sold fresh and dried
  • use: remove stems and cook in curries or miso soups

Mushrooms into “meat”

Now, let’s turn those mushrooms into hearty and delicious meat substitutes! 

Mushroom Mince 

“Mince” mushrooms in a food processor or chop finely. Then saute with onions, garlic, and your favorite spices to make a ground beef-type texture. Use mushroom mince for vegan meatballs, bolognese, or taco meat.

Tip: for taco “meat,” I like to use baby bella mushrooms, pecans, and tempeh as the base. Toss each into the food processor until a fine, meat-like texture forms. Saute all together in a pan with onions, garlic, chili powder, cayenne, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. Seriously, it’s far more delicious than any ground beef taco meat you’ve ever had!

Recipe: Vegan Taco Mince

Portobello Steaks and Burgers

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Incredibly versatile, portobellos can be prepared with a dry rub or marinated. Grill, bake, or saute, then serve with a chimichurri sauce, BBQ, or on a bun with all the vegan burger toppings you can think of. 

Tip: most recipes call for removing the “gills,” or black ribs underneath the mushroom. They are safe to eat, so mostly this is for aesthetic purposes, as sometimes it can turn the dish a dark color. Also, some people complain of a bitter flavor from the gills. Personally, I don’t mind them, so I generally leave them on. Additionally, most mushroom stems are edible, so it’s up to you whether or not you remove them. With portobello and baby bella mushrooms, I tend to remove the stems and use them to flavor broths or chop them up finely in a dish. My husband will even eat the stems whole after grilling them. These are all personal preferences.

Recipes: 

Grilled Portobello Mushroom Steaks (marinated)

Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burgers

Baked Portobellos

Shredded Mushrooms

Shredded mushrooms make the perfect pulled pork or BBQ substitute! Shredding the stems of king oyster mushrooms creates the ideal texture.

Tip: using two forks, shred mushrooms as you would any type of meat. King oyster mushrooms can often be difficult to find, so I have prepared a variety of different mushrooms using this method, and they have all worked pretty well. (In my opinion, oyster and enoki work best). Cook shredded mushrooms, then use them in BBQ, sandwiches, or carnitas. These are the perfect pulled pork, chicken, or beef substitute!

Recipes:

Vegan Mushroom pulled “pork”

Vegan Mushroom Carnitas Tacos

Mushroom Scallops

Mushrooms can even be the perfect scallop substitute! King Oyster mushrooms work best and often can be found in Asian specialty markets. I tried cremini, oyster, and king oyster mushrooms. King oysters definitely provide a more authentic texture and appearance, but work with what you have!

Tip: score mushroom caps, season with salt and pepper, then saute in olive oil or vegan butter over medium-high heat, until browned on both sides. Serve over pasta, orzo, polenta, gazpacho, or pea puree. 

Recipe: Vegan King Oyster Scallops

For more amazing mushroom recipes, be sure to check out my Pinterest mushroom page.

What are your favorite mushroom dishes? Let me know in the comments below! And be sure to follow my social media this week for lots of vegan mushroom deliciousness! 😋

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