These vegan stuffed portobello mushrooms with spinach and farro are a delicious and easy-to-make festive main.
For me, a plant-based Thanksgiving isn’t necessarily about replacing the big hunk of turkey at the center of the plate with a meatless substitute. Rather, it’s about restructuring the plate altogether. It’s about challenging the standard meat-plus-starch-plus-veg formula and moving plant-based whole foods entirely into the spotlight.
With that said, I still think it’s important to have something that assumes the role of “heartiest thing on the table”. Enter these vegan stuffed portobello mushrooms. If you’re a fan of stuffed mushrooms, you’re going to love these because they’re basically a giant version of the classic appetizer. In fact, when Rene first tried one, his expert review was, “Whoa, there’s like a whole meal in here.” Indeed! Let’s dive in.
What’s In These Vegan Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
This dish consists of 3 elements: roasted portobello mushrooms, creamy farro filling with spinach, and crunchy breadcrumb topping.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Portobello Mushrooms: If possible, choose mushrooms that have their edges still intact – this will help contain the filling.
- Shallot: Feel free to substitute with yellow or red onion.
- Thyme: Any hardy dried herb will do – thyme, oregano, Italian seasoning, or Herbes de Provence.
- Miso: This umami-packed paste rounds out the sauce with a salty-savory taste. If you’re avoiding soy, sub with a tablespoon of nutritional yeast.
- Milk: I find the neutral flavor and rich texture of full-fat oat milk best for savory cooking. Unflavored unsweetened cashew milk is also great. Avoid almond milk here – it can be overpowering.
- Farro: For a gluten-free version, sub with brown or wild rice.
- Panko: These Japanese-style breadcrumbs are crunchier and fluffier than American-style. They’re available in most supermarkets, but if you can’t find them, regular will do.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Cook the Farro: To start, bring some water to a boil in a small pot. Add salt and farro, and cook until all the water is absorbed.
Prep the Mushrooms: Meanwhile, wipe the mushrooms with a damp paper towel. (Do not wash them under the tap – they’ll absorb water and take on an unpleasant gummy texture.) Trim off the stems (save them for scrap broth!). Using the back of a spoon, scrape out the gills from the underside and discard; these can be bitter and add a weird texture.
Roast the Mushrooms: Using your hands, massage the mushrooms with a bit of oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Place stem-side down on a parchment-covered baking sheet and roast in a preheated oven until they’re a little softened and wrinkly, but not totally cooked through – about 10 minutes for smaller mushrooms and 15-20 for larger.
Make the Filling: Meanwhile, cook a diced shallot with garlic and dried herbs. Stir in flour and cook for a minute. Then add the milk, miso, and lots of black pepper. Whisk until the flour and miso are dissolved. Simmer until the sauce is thick and creamy, about 5 minutes. Then wilt in the spinach a few handfuls at a time and turn the heat off. Stir in the cooked farro. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed.
Make the Topping: Combine panko breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, minced parsley, a bit of oil, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Rub the mixture with your fingers to distribute the oil.
Assemble and Bake: Flip the mushrooms stem-side up. Divide the filling evenly among the mushrooms and sprinkle with the panko mixture. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
Making These Portobellos In Advance
All 3 elements of these vegan stuffed portobellos can be made ahead. You can roast and cool the mushrooms, and make the filling, then keep them separately in the fridge for up to several days. The panko topping can also be made in advance. Only assemble and bake the mushrooms when you’re ready to serve them; otherwise, the topping will lose its crunch.
What to Serve With Stuffed Portobellos
These go great with salads and other crunchy green vegetables. Think kale caesar salad, mashed potatoes or celeriac puree, or this arugula salad with sweet potatoes.
More festive recipes…
- Caramelized Onion Galette
- Cashew Kale Caesar Salad
- Vegan Mushroom Bourguignon
- Thanksgiving Salad with Arugula and Sweet Potatoes
Let me know if you try this recipe! Give it a rating below and leave a comment, and don’t forget to tag your creation with @thenewbaguette on Instagram.
PrintVegan Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These vegan stuffed portobello mushrooms with spinach and farro are a delicious and easy-to-make festive main. (Note: this recipe has been updated from its original 2021 version.)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup farro
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 6 medium portobello mushrooms* (see note below)
- About 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 shallot, minced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme, oregano, or Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened oat or cashew milk*
- 1 tablespoon miso*
- One 5-ounce clamshell baby spinach
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon minced parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small pot. Add a pinch of salt and 1/2 cup farro, and cook until all the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, wipe the mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Trim the stems and scrape out the gills with the back of a spoon. Lightly drizzle mushroom tops with oil and massage with your hands to coat. Lightly sprinkle both sides with salt. Place on the prepared baking sheet stem-side down and roast until they’re a bit wrinkly, 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the shallot, 3 minced garlic cloves, and 1 teaspoon thyme with a pinch of salt. Cook until the shallot is translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon flour. Then add 1 1/2 cups milk, 1 tablespoon miso, and lots of pepper, and whisk until the flour and miso are dissolved. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Gradually wilt in the spinach. Turn the heat off and stir in the farro. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup panko, 1 tablespoon each nutritional yeast, parsley, and oil, and a pinch of salt. Rub together with your fingers to combine.
- Flip the mushrooms and distribute the filling evenly among them. Sprinkle with the Panko mixture and bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes minutes.
Notes
- If possible, choose mushrooms that have their edges still intact – this will help contain the filling.
- If you’re avoiding soy, substitute miso with a tablespoon of nutritional yeast.
- I find the neutral flavor and rich texture of full-fat oat milk best for savory cooking. Unflavored unsweetened cashew milk is also great. Avoid almond milk here – it can be overpowering.
- November 2022 update: As you may recall from the original version, this recipe used to contain vegetable broth (hence why it’s in the ingredient photo above). Since publishing, I’ve cooked this dish a lot and have realized the filling is tastier without it.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mushroom
- Calories: 205
- Fat: 8 g
- Carbohydrates: 27.5 g
- Fiber: 3.3 g
- Protein: 7.6 g
Keywords: stuffed, portobello, mushroom, vegan, spinach
Joyce says
There is no excuse for people perpetuating the myth that mushrooms are sponges.they do not get “ gummy” when washed.that is totally ridiculous..
Alexandra Shytsman says
Hi Joyce. While it may not be universally true for all mushrooms and all cooking techniques, in my experience, it’s best to avoid washing mushrooms whenever possible.