A savoury appetiser like no other… easy vegan stuffed portobello mushrooms caps filled with flavour-packed quinoa, spinach, roasted tomatoes and a toasted walnut ‘parmesan’ crumb featuring nutritional yeast! This will be the perfect healthy vegetarian Christmas or thanksgiving side recipe to add to your feast to impress your guests. Time to get cooking!
Everyone is going to love these vegan stuffed portobello mushrooms!…
- hearty
- flavourful
- high protein
- crunchy salty topping
- nutty
- simple
FAQ & Portobello Mushroom Preparation Tips
Don’t soak the mushrooms in water when cleaning them and bake them at a high temperature (~200 degrees celsius). Mushrooms naturally release some liquid when cooked so keep any excess juices to add to the quinoa filling for extra flavour.
Washing mushrooms under running water adds excess moisture which can make the mushrooms even more watery or soggy when cooked. For this reason it is best not to submerge your mushrooms in water if using them for stuffed mushrooms.
Wipe your mushroom caps and gills clean with a damp paper towel to remove any excess any dirt.
You can peel your mushrooms if desired but it is definitely not necessary when making stuffed mushrooms (especially if they are organic and cleaned well using the technique suggested in the recipe and above)
If you want larger stuffed mushrooms for a more substantial aspect of a main meal then you can use portobello or BBQ flat mushrooms. For a mini appetiser or snack option you can use button mushrooms for this stuffed mushroom recipe (and the quinoa stuffing will obviously go further/fill more mushrooms.)
These make a great side dish or savoury appetiser in a thanksgiving or Christmas feast alongside roast vegetables, salads, or even eaten as the main course themselves.
Substitutions & alterations
- Fresh chives can be substituted with spring onions (also known as green onions) or a small handful of freshly chopped herbs such as parsley, coriander, oregano or basil (dried herbs are also an option if that’s all you have access to.)
- Walnuts can be substituted with another nut or seed of choice, such as brazil nuts, cashews, almonds or hazelnuts.
- Vegetable stock can be used instead of (or in combination with) the water used for cooking the quinoa to add extra flavour.
- Cherry tomatoes can be substituted for any other variety of tomato. If using larger tomatoes such as truss or roma tomatoes, chop them into smaller pieces to place on top of the stuffed mushrooms.
- Nutritional yeast can be omitted from the walnut topping if required, however it is defintely the key element in creating a delicious savoury, umami and ‘cheese-y’ flavour for the parmesan crumb.
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Quinoa Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms (vegan, gluten free)
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa rinsed and drained
- 6-8 portobello mushrooms
- 1 cup spinach packed
- salt and pepper to taste
- 9 cherry tomatoes cut in half (see substitutions)
- 2 whole chives sliced (see substitutions)
Walnut 'Parmesan' Crumb
- 2 tbsp walnuts
- 2 tsp nutritional yeast see notes
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees C (fan-forced) and line a baking tray with paper (or reusable mat, see notes*)
- Place the rinsed quinoa and 1 cup of room temperature water into a medium saucepan on a medium-high heat. Bring to a boil then reduce to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until tender and all the liquid has been absorbed.
- Whilst the quinoa is cooking, carefully remove the stems from the mushrooms. Wipe the mushroom caps clean with a damp paper towel and place gill side up on the lined baking tray along with the tomatoes (with their open-face side up.) Place tray in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
- Stir the spinach and chives into the cooked quinoa (the spinach should wilt down from the heat of the quinoa) and season with salt and pepper to taste. Drain off any excess liquid from the mushrooms into the quinoa mixture and stir through.
- Use a rolling pin on a chopping board (or mortar and pestle, blender/foodprocessor) crush the walnuts into smaller pieces then mix with the salt and nutritional yeast to create the crumb topping.
- Fill each mushroom cap with quinoa mixture (about 1-2 tbs in each), top with a couple of roasted tomato halves and sprinkle with the walnut crumb. Bake for a further 5-8 minutes or until the crumb topping is lightly golden brown.(optional) Garnish with fresh chives/herbs.
Notes
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Looks like a pretty easy recipe too! I’ll pin it to save it for later. Thanks for sharing!
These vegan stuffed mushroom are so delicious (and healthy)! Thank you for sharing this easy appetizer idea!
Looks delicious!
i would like some
Yum! These look delicious! I’m a sucker for portabellos 🙂
yumm! We eat mushrooms alot- will have to try this!
Nice vegan recipe