Anyone else love juicy, roasted Portobello mushrooms? This gorgeous recipe for Vegan Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms is loaded with veggies and flavor with just a few simple spices. I know you'll love it as much as I do!
This recipe is naturally vegan and gluten-free, and can be made low-carb by skipping the quinoa in the mushroom stuffing.
I'm a big fan of mushrooms, as you'll see from some of the recipes on my site (Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms, Vegan Cassoulet with Mushrooms, Mushroom Stroganoff). And this stuffed Portobello mushroom is one of my favorites when I am looking to treat myself. Something about Portobello mushrooms just feels so fancy, doesn't it??
This recipe makes a great vegan appetizer (great for a dinner party because it makes a bunch and you can pre-cook most of it and have them ready in just 5 minutes once guests arrive!). It also makes a great veggie-filled side dish, perfect for some vegan steaks.
You will love this recipe if you love:
- Healthy, veggie-loaded recipes with whole ingredients
- Naturally vegan dishes without any vegan substitutes
- Juicy, roasted mushrooms (yum!!)
- Recipes that use up leftover quinoa
- Recipes that can easily feed a crowd (this recipe makes 8 stuffed Portobellos!)
Let's get started!
How to clean Portobello mushrooms
Portobello mushrooms, like most mushrooms should ideally be cleaned by wiping with a damp paper towel or clean sponge or kitchen towel to remove any dirt. It is not recommended to wash/rinse the mushrooms in water because they absorb water and will be too watery during baking.
However, I always find that mushrooms contain too much dirt to just gently wipe them clean - that dirt is ALWAYS stuck on there! So I rinse them very briefly under water - not enough for them to absorb water but enough to loosen the dirt. Then I wipe them clean and let them sit on the counter, gill-side down (like an open umbrella) to let any excess water drip off and dry off.
Ingredients for vegan Portobello mushrooms
- 8 large Portobello mushrooms, wiped clean (with or without stems, see notes below)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 small red bell pepper, diced into small ¼ - ⅓ inch pieces
- 3 garlic cloves, minced or grated
- 1 zucchini, diced into small ½-inch pieces (or yellow squash)
- ½ cup corn, fresh or frozen
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach, packed
- 1 cup cooked quinoa (white, red, or tri-color)
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
You'll also need:
- A large baking sheet
- A large skillet
Ingredient notes and additions
→ Portobello mushrooms: If yours still have stems on them, you can use the stems in the filling mixture! Just snap them off at the base, dice them, and add them in in step 4 with the diced zucchini. Portobello stems are edible and just as nutritious as the caps themselves.
If you have large Portobello caps, you will need to pre-bake them for a few minutes while you prepare the veggie filling. Turn the caps upside down on your baking sheet (like an umbrella) to pre-bake, so that any juices run out during baking and don't make the mushrooms soggy.
→ You can use more spinach, if you like, since it cooks down a lot. You can also use frozen spinach - just thaw it, drain as much excess water as you can, and add it in with the cooked veggies mixture - no need to sauté it.
→ Smoked paprika is one of my all-time favorite seasonings. You can use regular paprika if you like, and you can add a pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper if you want a spicy stuffed mushroom.
→ Mix and match your veggies: This recipe is totally flexible and customizable. You can use diced yellow squash instead of zucchini. You can skip the corn, double the quinoa, use other color bell peppers, add some frozen peas... use what you have!
→ Add some cheese! You can add shredded vegan mozzarella on top of the stuffed peppers before baking, or sprinkle vegan Parmesan (homemade or buy some on Amazon - I love Parma! - a woman-owned small business) on top before serving.
→ Garnish with fresh diced parsley or scallions.
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2: Remove the stems from the Portobello mushrooms by snapping them off at the base. You can chop the stems and use them in step 4 of this recipe, if you want! Lightly season the insides of the Portobello caps with salt and pepper.
If you have large Portobello mushrooms, you'll need to pre-bake them: place them upside down on the baking sheet and bake for 3-5 minutes, or until slightly softened (not cooked all the way through!)
Step 3: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and the diced onion and pepper over medium heat until tender, about 5-10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and sauté for a few minutes until fragrant.
Step 4: Add diced zucchini and sauté until soft. If using Portobello stems, sauté them with the zucchini. Add the corn and fresh spinach and sauté for 2 minutes, or until the spinach wilts. Remove from heat.
Step 5: Add cooked quinoa, smoked paprika, dried oregano, and salt. Stir to combine and carefully taste to see if you need more salt. Set aside.
Step 6: Turn the Portobello caps right-side up and divide the filling between the 8 Portobello caps. You have the option to add vegan cheese on top. Bake for 5 minutes, or until the Portobello mushrooms are releasing juice and cooked to your liking. Serve warm, garnishing with fresh Parsley or sprinkling with vegan Parmesan.
Time-saving recipe tip
If you have people coming over for dinner, this is a GREAT recipe because you can pre-cook the veggie mixture in advance (and pre-bake the Portobellos if they're large) and then have these Portobello mushrooms appetizers ready in just 5 MINUTES! So awesome!
(Okay, okay, this tip doesn't save you time overall, but it does make life easier when cooking a large dinner for a crowd or if you like to prep ahead of time.)
If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!
Vegan Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 8 large Portobello mushrooms, wiped clean, stems removed (see notes below)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced into small ¼ - ⅓ inch pieces
- 3 garlic cloves, minced or grated
- 1 zucchini, diced into small ½-inch pieces (or yellow squash)
- ½ cup corn, fresh or frozen
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach, packed
- 1 cup cooked quinoa, white, red, or tri-color
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
Special equipment
- Large skillet
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- If you have large Portobello mushrooms, you'll need to pre-bake them: place them upside down on the baking sheet and bake for 3-5 minutes, or until slightly softened (not cooked all the way through!)
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and the diced onion and pepper over medium heat until tender, about 5-10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and sauté for a few minutes until fragrant.
- Add diced zucchini and sauté until soft. If using Portobello stems (see notes), sauté them with the zucchini. Add the corn and fresh spinach and sauté for 2 minutes, or until the spinach wilts.
- Remove from heat and add cooked quinoa, smoked paprika, dried oregano, and salt. Stir to combine and carefully taste to see if you need more salt.
- Turn the Portobello caps right-side up on the and divide the filling between the 8 Portobello caps. Bake for 5 minutes, or until the Portobello mushrooms are releasing juice and cooked to your liking.
I'm so happy to hear that!! Enjoy!