Vegan stuffed portobello mushrooms are a low-calorie meal that's definitely not low on flavor! The combination of baked mushrooms filled with creamy pesto cashew cream and juicy cherry tomatoes is extremely satisfying and delicious!
Do you love stuffed mushrooms as much as I do? The combination of baked mushrooms filled with a savory filling is so enticing that I always want to eat the whole tray! Why not skip the small mushrooms that are usually served as an appetizer, and instead make a couple of large stuffed portobello mushrooms for a lighter meal!?
Mushrooms and pesto go so well together, especially with the addition of sweet cherry tomatoes. This is a super tasty dinner option that's easy to make, customizable, and low in calories, but it's definitely not low on flavor!
How to Pick Out a Good Portobello Mushroom
Look for large mushrooms that aren't bruised, shriveled, or slimy. The caps should feel firm to the touch and the edges should be intact. Also, check the inside gills to make sure that they're not wet or slimy. If possible, look for caps that already have the stem removed because you're going to remove them anyways for the recipe.
How Do You Prepare Portobello Mushrooms?
First, remove the stem by holding the mushroom in one hand and use your other hand to gently rock the stem back and forth until it breaks off. Next, use a grapefruit spoon to carefully scrape the gills out of the cap. Lastly, rinse the mushroom under cool running water to remove any dirt. Use a towel to absorb any excess water.
How to Make Vegan Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
First, you're going to remove the stems and gills from the mushrooms and give them a quick rinse.
Next, make the pesto cashew cream sauce in a small blender cup. Arrange the mushroom caps on a parchment paper lined tray and evenly fill the caps with the pesto cream.
Top the mushrooms with the halved cherry tomatoes and then bake it for 20-25 minutes, or until tender.
Is This an Appetizer or a Main Course?
I like to serve these baked portobello mushrooms as a light main course with a side of quinoa and a big salad. If you'd prefer to serve the mushrooms as an appetizer, I recommend that you use the smaller cremini mushrooms instead of the large portobello mushrooms so they're easy to eat with your hands.
Did you know that portobellos (aka portabellas) are just large cremini mushrooms? They taste the same!
What Goes Well With It?
- Lemon Tahini Courgette Salad
- Brown Rice
- Avocado Arugula Tomato Salad
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Roasted Lemon Garlic Asparagus
How Long Does it Last in the Fridge?
The vegan stuffed portobello mushrooms will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days before they start to get a little mushy.
Can You Freeze It?
Yes, you can freeze the cooked stuffed mushrooms. To do so, wait until the mushrooms have cooled completely and then arrange them on a parchment-lined tray. Place the tray in the freezer for 3-4 hours or until the mushrooms are frozen solid. Then transfer the frozen mushrooms to a reusable freezer bag or freezer-safe glass container.
To reheat, take the container out of the freezer and put it into the fridge to defrost for 24 hours. Place the mushrooms on a parchment-lined tray and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until hot int he center.
Ways to Adapt this Recipe
- Small Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms: You could use cremini or button mushrooms to make small stuffed mushrooms instead of using the large portobello mushrooms.
- Portobello Mushroom Burgers: After you stuff and roast the portobello mushrooms, you could use it as the burger patty. Add lettuce, maybe a slice of vegan cheese, and a toasted burger bun....voila!
- Baked Portobello Mushroom Pizza: Before you bake the mushrooms, add shredded vegan cheese (I like Violife or Follow Your Heart shredded vegan mozzarella) on top of each mushroom. It's like a mini pizza!
- Add Quinoa: To make it a more substantial meal, serve the mushrooms over cooked quinoa. You could also double the sauce and mix it with 1 ½ cups of cooked quinoa and then fill the caps with the pesto quinoa mixture.
- Grill the Mushrooms: You could grill the mushrooms before stuffing them and then finish it off by broiling the mushrooms in the oven for 2-3 minutes on high heat to warm the filling.
- Add More Toppings: Jazz this recipe up with even more toppings and flavor! You could add shredded vegan parmesan cheese (I love the Violife parmesan rind), buttery bread crumbs, or a drizzle of thick balsamic glaze.
Notes & FAQ's
- Should you wash the mushrooms? I prefer to give the mushrooms a quick rinse under cool water to remove the dirt. I haven't found that doing this causes the mushrooms to become spongy or water-logged. If you don't want to do this, you can just use a damp paper towel and wipe off the dirt.
- Can you eat the gills? The gills are edible but I prefer to remove them with a grapefruit spoon because they tend to taste a little too earthy. If you don't want to waste the gills, you can add them to this pureed vegan mushroom soup.
- Can you use store-bought pesto? If you don't want to make the pesto cream sauce, you can use premade pesto (I recommend the one from Sprouts or Trader Joe's). You could use the pesto as-is or you could mix it with a plant-based unsweetened yogurt (I would use Kite Hill unsweetened plain greek yogurt) to make it creamy.
- What to do with the woody stem? Don't throw it out, you can mince it and add it to this mushroom barley soup. If you aren't going to use it immediately, you can freeze it for a future recipe.
- Cherry Tomato Substitutions: Instead of cherry tomatoes, you can also use grape tomatoes or just dice up whatever tomatoes you have on hand.
Success Tips
- Pick out large portobello mushrooms that feel firm and have smooth skin and the edges are intact.
- Don't substitute dried basil, it's important that you use fresh basil for flavor, color, and texture of the pesto cashew sauce.
- To save time, place all of the cherry tomatoes on a small plate and then place a second small plate on top of the tomatoes. Place your hand gently on the top plate and press down lightly. Use your other hand to slide a sharp knife through the center of the two plates to cut all of the tomatoes at once!
- Store the leftovers in the fridge for 2-3 days or freeze it for a future meal.
More Vegan Mushroom Recipes You'll Love!
Roasted Balsamic Portobello Mushroom Quinoa Wraps
Vegan Jackfruit Mushroom Stroganoff
Roasted Butternut Squash Mushroom Pitas
Roasted Portobello Mushrooms with Green Pea Pesto Lentils
Vegan Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Equipment
- Small Pan
- Small Blender Cup
- Blender
- Large Baking Tray
Ingredients
Pesto Cashew Cream -
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 12-15 medium fresh basil leaves (about 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil)
- 1 garlic clove
- ⅛ tsp Himalayan pink sea salt more to taste
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ⅓ cup unsweetened coconut milk (from a carton) or water
Stuffed Mushrooms -
- 3 large portobello mushrooms
- pinch sea salt and black pepper
- 1 pint rainbow cherry tomatoes halved
- 3 medium fresh basil leaves (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Boil the cashews in water for 10 minutes. Drain the water and add the cashews to a small blender cup.
- Add the fresh basil, garlic clove, salt, black pepper, unsweetened coconut milk and lemon juice to the blender cup with the cashews and blend on high until the sauce is smooth and creamy. (If you have trouble blending the ingredients because the sauce is too thick, add one tbsp at a time more of coconut milk (or water) until you reach the desired consistency.)
- Remove the stems from the mushrooms and use a grapefruit spoon to gently scrape out the gills. Quickly rinse the mushroom caps with cool water and then dry them with a towel.
- Arrange the mushroom caps on a parchment paper lined baking tray. Season each mushroom on the inside of the cap with a scant pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
- Depending on how big each mushroom is, fill each cap with 2-3 tbsp of the pesto cashew cream sauce and then top with halved cherry tomatoes. Don't be skimpy on the tomatoes, fill in all the gaps! Roast the mushrooms for 20-25 minutes.
- Garnish with more fresh basil and enjoy!
Notes
- Pick out large portobello mushrooms that feel firm and have smooth skin and the edges are intact.
- Don't substitute dried basil, it's important that you use fresh basil for flavor, color, and texture of the pesto cashew sauce.
- To save time, place all of the cherry tomatoes on a small plate and then place a second small plate on top of the tomatoes. Place your hand gently on the top plate and press down lightly. Use your other hand to slide a sharp knife through the center of the two plates to cut all of the tomatoes at once!
- Store the leftovers in the fridge for 2-3 days or freeze it for a future meal.
Nutrition
*This recipe was originally shared on 9/20/16, but I updated it with better recipe instructions on 5/17/20.
