We’ve teamed up with Vermont Creamery to share the cozy new pasta we’re keeping on repeat all fall long: a mushroom-packed cacio e pepe riff, with an extra kick of flavor and creaminess from their Cultured Butter With Sea Salt.
For some people, it’s…
We've teamed up with Vermont Creamery to share the cozy new pasta we're keeping on repeat all fall long: a mushroom-packed cacio e pepe riff, with an extra kick of flavor and creaminess from their Cultured Butter With Sea Salt.
For some people, it's pumpkin-spiced products that signal fall’s arrival—but for me, it’s mushrooms. Of course you can get great mushrooms at the supermarket nearly year-round these days, but you won't see me reaching for earthy varieties (like chanterelles and creminis) to cook with until it's cool enough for a light jacket. Sautéed, roasted, fried—you'd be hard-pressed to find a substitute for umami-packed mushrooms that always lend depth to a dish.
This is the easiest Thai red curry ever with only simple 6 ingredients to make a delicious sauce. We also used ingredients that are common in Thai cuisine like tofu, wood ear mushrooms also known as black fungus, bamboo shoots, spring onions and red ch…
This is the easiest Thai red curry ever with only simple 6 ingredients to make a delicious sauce. We also used ingredients that are common in Thai cuisine like tofu, wood ear mushrooms also known as black fungus, bamboo shoots, spring onions and red chilis. It is a delicious, rich and creamy red curry dish...
This stuffed mushrooms recipe will make you say wow! It’s easy to put together and perfect for entertaining…or snacking.
Looking for a great healthy appetizer recipe for entertaining…or just snacking? Try this simple stuffed mushrooms recipe! These little bites have everything going on: they’re savory, meaty, and herby, with a tender exterior and a crunch in each bite. In fact, they came out even better than we expected! Even better, this recipe is incredibly easy: no need to sauté filling ingredients. Chop them up, fill, and bake!
Ingredients in this stuffed mushrooms recipe
You can make stuffed mushrooms a million different ways. Our favorite is our spinach artichoke stuffed portabello mushrooms, which are stunning and work as a side or vegetarian dinner. But what about when you want to stuff the little guys, like for party food? Enter this stuffed baby bella mushrooms recipe! We customized it to be quick and simple to put together. Here’s what you’ll need:
Cremini mushrooms, also called baby bella
Olive oil
Shallot
Walnuts (or omit and use more breadcrumbs, but we like the crunch!)
Parsley
Italian panko (see notes below)
Grated Parmesan cheese (the powdery kind)
Salt and pepper
Let’s talk through a few of the special ingredients, then we’ll get to the method!
Find cremini mushrooms, aka baby bellas
Cremini mushrooms are a small mushroom with a round brown top. Also known as baby bella mushrooms, it’s one of the most widely consumed mushroom varieties in the world. Here are a few fun facts about the cremini:
Cremini mushrooms are the same variety as button mushrooms and portobellos. White mushrooms, aka button mushrooms, are an earlier growth stage, so they have a milder flavor. Portobello mushrooms are the oldest stage, so they have the most meaty and savory flavor.
What do they taste like? Cremini mushrooms have an earthy, savory flavor that tastes like a milder version of a portobello and a more developed version of a white mushroom.
Can you substitute white mushrooms here? Yes! If you can’t find cremini or baby bella, go with white or button mushrooms.
Look for Italian style Panko or breadcrumbs
Another important part of this stuffed mushrooms recipe? Finding Italian-style panko. If you can’t find that, go to Italian breadcrumbs! Here’s what to know:
Panko is a Japanese-style breadcrumb mixture that is airier and lighter than traditional breadcrumbs: we like it here because it’s crunchier! But breadcrumbs work just as well.
“Italian” means herbs and salt are added. You should be able to find Italian panko or panko easily at your local grocery store.
What to do if you can’t find them? Use plain pankoor breadcrumbs and add salt and Italian seasonings. Mix the ½ cup panko with ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt and ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano and ¼ teaspoon each dried basil and thyme).
How to make stuffed mushrooms: a few tips!
We engineered this stuffed mushrooms recipe to be simpler than most. That means no sautéing filling ingredients: just chop them up and fill the mushrooms! Here are a few things to note about the method (or jump to the recipe below):
Use a parchment lined baking sheet, or brush it with oil. Parchment helps for easy clean up!
Chop the filling ingredients, then spoon them in! Drizzle a hint of olive oil over the tops to help with browning.
Roast until just tender. It should be 15 to 20 minutes depending on your oven. Roasting too long makes them soggy, so take care not to over bake.
Garnish if you like! We like adding a hint of paprika to the tops for color (not necessarily flavor). Smoked paprika does add a nice hint of smoke if you have it.
Leftover storage info
Once you pull these stuffed mushrooms out of the oven, they’re best right away! Because mushrooms contain a lot of moisture, they can become soggy over time. If you’re leaving out a tray at a party, try to minimize the time that they’re out if possible.
These mushrooms are best right away, but you can save leftovers! Store refrigerated for up to 2 days. They still taste amazing, though the texture is not crunchy. If you’d like, you can reheat them in a 350 degree oven to revive the crunchy texture!
More mushroom recipes
There are so many great mushroom recipes to try! Here are some of our top things to make with mushrooms, and a few unique varieties to try out:
Pat the mushrooms dry with a towel and place them in a large bowl. Mix them with 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or brush it with olive oil. Add the mushrooms in a single layer on top.
In a medium bowl, mix the minced shallot, chopped walnuts, minced parsley, Italian panko*, grated Parmesan cheese, and garlic powder. Spoon the filling into the mushrooms. Lightly drizzle the tops with olive oil (just a small drizzle).
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the mushrooms are cooked and golden brown on top. Serve immediately, garnished with a sprinkle of paprika and additional chopped parsley if you like. (Leftovers last 2 days refrigerated, but the filling is less crunchy. You can reheat them in a 350 degree oven until warmed through.)
Notes
*We recommend Italian panko or Italian breadcrumbs because they’re already seasoned. Panko is best since it’s the lightest and crunchiest. If all you can find is regular panko or breadcrumbs, mix ½ cup panko with ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt and ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano and ¼ teaspoon each dried basil and thyme).
Category:Appetizer
Method:Baked
Cuisine:Mushrooms
Keywords: Stuffed mushrooms, stuffed mushroom recipe, how to make stuffed mushrooms
A Big Little Recipe has the smallest-possible ingredient list and big everything else: flavor, creativity, wow factor. That means five ingredients or fewer—not including water, salt, black pepper, and certain fats (like oil and butter), since we’re gue…
A Big Little Recipe has the smallest-possible ingredient list and big everything else: flavor, creativity, wow factor. That means five ingredients or fewer—not including water, salt, black pepper, and certain fats (like oil and butter), since we're guessing you have those covered. Psst, did you hear we’re coming out with a cookbook? We’re coming out with a cookbook!
Not long after Madonna released her fourth studio album, Like a Prayer, portobellos got a glow-up.
This portobello mushroom pizza flips the typical pizza on its head! Use the mushroom as a crust for an easy dinner or side dish. Portobello mushroom pizza sounds like mushrooms are the toppings, right? Well, meet the new best way to use portobellos on pizza: as the crust! There’s no veggie that’s not delicious with pizza on top, and mushrooms are no exception. These meaty giant fungi make the perfect personal pizza size for all your favorite toppings. Use the idea as a tasty gluten free dinner, or a fun side dish. Here’s how to pull off this trick! Basic idea for portobello mushroom pizza The concept of portobello mushroom pizza is very simple: roast the mushrooms, add the toppings, and bake until the cheese melts. But as with any recipe, there are a few helpful hints to keep in mind for the process. Brush the portbello caps with oil and spices. Get them fully covered, then sprinkle with salt. Roast at 450 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, until nice and tender. Drain of all excess water! This is the most important part of the process. Mushrooms are full of water, and release water as they bake. Discard all […]
This portobello mushroom pizza flips the typical pizza on its head! Use the mushroom as a crust for an easy dinner or side dish.
Portobello mushroom pizza sounds like mushrooms are the toppings, right? Well, meet the new best way to use portobellos on pizza: as the crust! There’s no veggie that’s not delicious with pizza on top, and mushrooms are no exception. These meaty giant fungi make the perfect personal pizza size for all your favorite toppings. Use the idea as a tasty gluten free dinner, or a fun side dish. Here’s how to pull off this trick!
Basic idea for portobello mushroom pizza
The concept of portobello mushroom pizza is very simple: roast the mushrooms, add the toppings, and bake until the cheese melts. But as with any recipe, there are a few helpful hints to keep in mind for the process.
Brush the portbello caps with oil and spices. Get them fully covered, then sprinkle with salt.
Roast at 450 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, until nice and tender.
Drain of all excess water! This is the most important part of the process. Mushrooms are full of water, and release water as they bake. Discard all of the water to avoid watery pizza.
Top and bake again. Just a few more minutes in the oven is all they need: just to melt the cheese!
Key to the flavor: Pecorino Romano cheese
Here’s a tip we love to use for topping any type of pizza: use Pecorino Romano cheese! Pecorino Romano cheese is an aged Italian cheese that’s similar to Parmesan, but even saltier and more savory. Trust us: this will revolutionize your pizza! Put a few sprinkles on a portobello pizza and it’s gold.
What’s a Pecorino substitute? Parmesan cheese is pretty close, but doesn’t have quite the magic of Pecorino. If you do decide to use it, make sure to add another pinch of salt to the top of each pizza.
More topping ideas for portobello pizza
You can use any toppings you like on portobello mushroom pizza, of course! If you have 5 minutes, our Easy Pizza Sauce is incredible delicious. Then add whatever you like! This recipe is more of a concept than a strict guide to follow. A few topping ideas to try:
Pepperoni or Prosciutto
Artichoke hearts
Jarred bell peppers
Olives
Feta cheese
Herbs like basil, oregano or thyme
Toppings to avoid? Because portobellos do have extra moisture, avoid watery toppings like fresh mozzarella cheese or burrata.
How to serve a portobello mushroom pizza
Last important thing to note: this portobello mushroom pizza is not quite a meal in itself. Whatever way you serve it, a mushroom is not nearly as filling as a traditional pizza crust. So if you’re serving this as a main dish, make sure to add some hearty, filling side dishes. You also can serve the pizzas as a side dish. Here are some ideas for ways to serve portobello pizza as a main:
Not sure about you, but we’re a little obsessed with the meaty, succulent portobello mushroom. This mighty fungus is pretty darn special. Here are a few more of our favorite portobello recipes for ideas to serve it:
1/3 cup Pecorino Romano cheese (highly recommended*)
Toppings: sliced Fresno peppers, fresh basil, other toppings as desired
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Clean the portobello mushrooms and remove the stems. Place the mushrooms on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet gill side up. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil with the oregano and garlic powder. Brush the tops and bottoms of the mushroom caps with the oil, adding a little more to the bowl of spices if it runs out. Sprinkle the kosher salt evenly divided among the mushroom caps.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast the mushrooms for 10 to 15 minutes until tender. Once baked, drain the caps of all of the excess liquid (this step is important: otherwise the mushrooms are much too watery).
Turn down the oven heat to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread each cap with pizza sauce, then add mozzarella and Pecorino cheese, and desired toppings. Bake 6 to 8 minutes until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
Notes
*Pecorino has the best savory, salty flavor. If you can’t find it, substitute Parmesan cheese but add a few more pinches salt.
If you would like to make Orange Chicken, the most popular dish in Panda Express vegan at home, this is the recipe you need to try. We used the BEST plant-based alternative to crunchy fried chicken strips and covered them with a citrus-y, sticky, spicy…
If you would like to make Orange Chicken, the most popular dish in Panda Express vegan at home, this is the recipe you need to try. We used the BEST plant-based alternative to crunchy fried chicken strips and covered them with a citrus-y, sticky, spicy sauce. We made it allergy-friendly so everyone can enjoy this...
This vegan mushroom pasta recipe has been inspired by Hungarian Mushroom Paprikash, which is a sour cream-based smoked sweet paprika-infused sauce. You can expect a smoky, tangy, creamy, and delicious pasta dish with lots of button and shiitake mushroo…
This vegan mushroom pasta recipe has been inspired by Hungarian Mushroom Paprikash, which is a sour cream-based smoked sweet paprika-infused sauce. You can expect a smoky, tangy, creamy, and delicious pasta dish with lots of button and shiitake mushrooms. And for a bit of color sweet red bell peppers. You’ll love it. We do like...
You won’t want to stop eating this mushroom pasta recipe! Its savory, buttery flavor pops with garlic, lemon, and Parmesan. Calling all mushroom lovers! Here’s the meal for you: this Mushroom Pasta with Garlic Butter Sauce! It’s creamy and savory, harnessing the power of lemon, butter and Parmesan cheese. It makes the most of the intense umami of mushrooms: one of the most powerful ingredients in all of cooking. This dish has just the right proportion of ‘shrooms to pasta, so that each bite has a generous pop of flavor. We couldn’t stop shoveling in bites. In fact, our 4 year old told us he wanted to eat it forever (the best compliment). 3 elements to this mushroom pasta recipe This mushroom pasta combines three elements to get the very best, mushroom-studded pasta recipe you can find! Here are the essentials: Short cut pasta: Long noodles look lovely, they can clump together and make it hard to get bites mushrooms. Short cut is your best bet here. We used casarecce pasta, which has a lovely twisted shape. Other options: penne, rigatoni, bowties, orecchiette, and gigli. Sauteed mushrooms: This riff on our sauteed mushrooms brings peak flavor! Baby bella or cremini […]
You won’t want to stop eating this mushroom pasta recipe! Its savory, buttery flavor pops with garlic, lemon, and Parmesan.
Calling all mushroom lovers! Here’s the meal for you: this Mushroom Pasta with Garlic Butter Sauce! It’s creamy and savory, harnessing the power of lemon, butter and Parmesan cheese. It makes the most of the intense umami of mushrooms: one of the most powerful ingredients in all of cooking. This dish has just the right proportion of ‘shrooms to pasta, so that each bite has a generous pop of flavor. We couldn’t stop shoveling in bites. In fact, our 4 year old told us he wanted to eat it forever (the best compliment).
3 elements to thismushroom pasta recipe
This mushroom pasta combines three elements to get the very best, mushroom-studded pasta recipe you can find! Here are the essentials:
Short cut pasta: Long noodles look lovely, they can clump together and make it hard to get bites mushrooms. Short cut is your best bet here. We used casarecce pasta, which has a lovely twisted shape. Other options: penne, rigatoni, bowties, orecchiette, and gigli.
Sauteed mushrooms: This riff on our sauteed mushrooms brings peak flavor! Baby bella or cremini mushrooms have great flavor, but you can use other types too (see below). We also threw in a few breadcrumbs to add texture.
Garlic butter sauce: All you need is olive oil, butter and garlic to make a killer sauce. Add grated Parmesan cheese at the end and bam! You’ve got an incredible simple pasta sauce that pairs perfectly with these ‘shrooms.
Best types of mushrooms for pasta
What are the best mushrooms for pasta? Some of our favorites are the standards, but there are lots of more unique varieties to try as well. A mix of mushrooms makes for an even more interesting pasta! Here are our top types of mushrooms to pair with pasta:
Baby bella (cremini): Baby bella, aka cremini mushrooms, are a younger version of the portobello; they have a savory, meaty flavor and a lovely shape. They’re one of our top choices for mushroom recipes.
White button mushrooms:Button mushrooms are younger versions of the baby bella; they have less robust flavor, but work if it’s all you can find.
Shiitake:Shiitakes are great for mixing in for texture and have a super meaty flavor. Make sure to remove the tough stems before you use them.
Oyster:Oyster mushrooms also add great texture in a mix of mushrooms.
Maitake:Maitake or Hen of the woods mushrooms have a peppery flavor and feathery texture that works well in a mix.
How to cook pasta to al dente
The key to this mushroom pasta recipe? Cook the pasta to al dente. Al dente means “to the bite” in Italian: it’s pasta that’s cooked until it’s perfectly tender but with a firm center. Over-cook your pasta and it’s not only rubbery: it actually has less nutrients and makes you less full. Here are a few tips on how to cook pasta perfectly:
Check before the package instructions indicate. Most pasta packages have timing that results in overcooked pasta. Start tasting the pasta a few minutes before the package indicates.
Taste often! You want to catch it right when there’s a small white fleck at the core, or just when it disappears.
Move quickly! Pasta can go from al dente to overcooked in a matter of seconds.
Variation: Creamy mushroom pasta
Love creamy mushroom pasta instead? You can easily make this pasta creamy using our favorite trick: goat cheese! Crumble in up to 4 ounces soft goat cheese (chervre) at the end of the recipe. It combines with the butter sauce and forms a creamy sauce that perfectly coats the pasta. You could also make our Creamy White Sauce instead of the garlic butter sauce.
A note on portion size
This mushroom pasta recipe is for half pound of pasta. Depending on you and your family, this makes about 4 modest sized servings. But if you’ve got big eaters, you may want to increase the amount of pasta. Or, you may want to just make sure you have a few filling side dishes to go with it.
We served this with a few side dishes and it served 2 adults and 1 child. But if you’re serving it as your only vegetarian protein or for teenagers, you might want to make double the recipe and go for 1 pound.
Make it a meal: sides for mushroom pasta
How to make this mushroom pasta recipe into a filling meal? You’ll want to find side dishes that are veggie-filled to infuse fiber and vitamins, and protein-packed sides to make the meal more filling. Here are a few ideas:
2 tablespoons Italian breadcrumbs or panko (optional)
4 garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or sliced fresno pepper)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Creamy variation: 3 to 4 ounces soft crumbled goat cheese
Instructions
Cook the pasta (and save the pasta water!): Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Set the timer for a few minutes less than the package instructions and then taste: the pasta should be just done, still with some firmness. The pasta should also taste salty from the salted water. Drain the pasta and save out 1/2 cup pasta water (you’ll likely only need a few tablespoons).
Meanwhile, start the mushrooms: Clean the mushrooms, then slice them. Thinly slice the onion. In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Then mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Add 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and cook another 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is cooked out and the mushrooms are tender (taste to assess doneness). Add 1 tablespoon butter and lemon juice and increase heat to high. Cook 2 minutes until the edges of mushrooms are golden brown. Taste and add a few more pinches of salt until the flavor pops. Stir in the Italian breadcrumbs or panko and remove the mushrooms to a bowl.
Make the garlic butter sauce: Mince the garlic. In the same skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter over medium low heat. Add the garlic and red pepper and cook 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant and garlic just starts to turn golden. Remove from the heat before garlic browns.
Serve: Toss with the pasta, grated Parmesan cheese, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and just enough pasta water until saucy (we used 2 to 3 tablespoons pasta water). Taste again and add a few more pinches of salt if desired. If using, stir in the soft crumbled goat cheese at the end until it makes a creamy sauce. Enjoy warm.
Notes
*Double this amount for a larger, more filling plate of pasta. Or, complete your meal with a filling vegetable side dish or salad.
If you are looking for an easy and yummy meatless taco alternative, you need to try this flavorful and delicious Oyster Mushroom Tacos recipe. These mushrooms are just the best vegan alternatives to meat strips (both beef and chicken). Fill up your tac…
If you are looking for an easy and yummy meatless taco alternative, you need to try this flavorful and delicious Oyster Mushroom Tacos recipe. These mushrooms are just the best vegan alternatives to meat strips (both beef and chicken). Fill up your tacos with salsa, avocado, pan-roasted corn, black beans and enjoy a Meatless Taco...
This vegan mushroom soup is delightfully creamy and hearty, featuring loads of veggies and hearty whole grains! Here’s a soup that’s ultra cozy and deliciously hearty: Vegan Mushroom Soup! You won’t believe how creamy this is…without the use of dairy! Just like our fan favorite Wild Rice Soup, we’ve harnessed the magic of cashews to make a delightfully creamy base. Add to that spices, lots of veggies and whole grains, and it’s the perfect canvas to highlight deliciously savory mushrooms. Ready to get cooking? Tricks to the best vegan mushroom soup This vegan mushroom soup is modeled after our fan favorite Wild Rice Soup: but it’s even quicker to make! Both soups use the same trick: soaked cashews. Soaking and blending these powerhouse nuts makes them into a delightfully creamy sauce that works just like dairy (try our Cashew Cream). Here you can blend them right into a soup for a rich, creamy body. Here’s what to know: Soak the cashews while you make the soup. You don’t have to think ahead at all! The time to make the soup is just enough…unless you don’t have a great blender. A powerful blender is helpful. We have a high speed blender […]
This vegan mushroom soup is delightfully creamy and hearty, featuring loads of veggies and hearty whole grains!
Here’s a soup that’s ultra cozy and deliciously hearty: Vegan Mushroom Soup! You won’t believe how creamy this is…without the use of dairy! Just like our fan favorite Wild Rice Soup, we’ve harnessed the magic of cashews to make a delightfully creamy base. Add to that spices, lots of veggies and whole grains, and it’s the perfect canvas to highlight deliciously savory mushrooms. Ready to get cooking?
Tricks to the best vegan mushroom soup
This vegan mushroom soup is modeled after our fan favorite Wild Rice Soup: but it’s even quicker to make! Both soups use the same trick: soaked cashews. Soaking and blending these powerhouse nuts makes them into a delightfully creamy sauce that works just like dairy (try our Cashew Cream). Here you can blend them right into a soup for a rich, creamy body. Here’s what to know:
Soak the cashews while you make the soup. You don’t have to think ahead at all! The time to make the soup is just enough…unless you don’t have a great blender.
A powerful blender is helpful. We have a high speed blender and it works magic with cashews. If you don’t have a good blender, you may want to soak your cashews overnight to make sure they’re soft enough to blend.
Make the soup, then blend the cashews with 2 cups of it. Yep that’s right: take the veggies, broth and everything in your pot! Blend it with the cashews and it becomes beautifully creamy…like magic!
Make sure to find pearled barley, not hulled!
Here’s a tip for when you make this vegan mushroom soup: look for pearled barley at the store, not hulled barley. Many packages don’t actually have this marked: so how can you tell the difference? And what’s the difference, anyway?
Hulled barley has just the hull removed. It’s darker in color than pearled barley and has a chewier texture when cooked. It takes about 50 to 55 minutes to cook hulled barley.
Pearled barley is lighter in color; it has the outer husk and bran layer removed. This makes it much quicker to cook, though it loses some of the nutritional value of those components. It takes 15 to 30 minutes to cook pearled barley, depending on the brand.
Bottom line: Essentially, the difference between pearled barley vs hulled barley is like white rice vs brown rice.
How to tell if the package doesn’t indicate? Review the color: pearled is light and hulled is medium brown. Then check the cooking instructions on the back: the cook time should indicate which type it is.
Or, you can use farro!
If you prefer, you can use farro instead! Farro is an ancient whole grain with a chewy texture very similar to barley. It cooks quicker than hulled barley, making it a favorite in our household. It’s also not gluten free because it’s made from wheat. But it’s very delicious and one of our favorite whole grains to cook.
Want to make this vegan mushroom soup into a gluten-free soup as well? The grains in this soup are not gluten free, but it’s easy to make with the following options:
White rice: Substitute it for the barley and cook until tender, about 15 minutes
Brown rice: Cook it in advance! It will soak up too much liquid to cook in the soup. Add it in Step 4 below and simmer 15 minutes.
Are there any substitutes for cashews?
Got a nut allergy? Unfortunately cashews are really magical when it comes to making a creamy body in vegan soups. We don’t have any great substitutes here (unless you want to try dairy!). However, one option to consider is canned white beans. There’s no need to soak: just substitute them in for the nuts in the final blending step. It won’t have nearly the richness and sweetness of the cashews, but beans do have thickening power.
What to serve with vegan mushroom soup
Want to make this vegan soup into a full meal? Throw together one of these vegan side dishes while the meal cooks:
1 tablespoon soy sauce (or smoked shoyu), or more salt to taste
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
Place the cashews in a bowl and cover them with water. Leave them to soak while you make the recipe.
Dice the onion. Thinly slice the celery. Peel and dice the carrots. Clean the mushrooms and slice them (if you’re using shiitake, make sure to remove the tough stems). Mince the garlic.
Add the olive oil to a Dutch oven or soup pot. Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes until lightly browned. Add mushrooms, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for 2 minutes.
Add the vegetable broth, barley, spices, kosher salt, and black pepper. Bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes until the barley or farro is tender, stirring occasionally.
Using a liquid cup measure, carefully remove 2 cups of the hot soup (including broth, veggies and barley) to a blender. Drain the cashews and add them to the blender, along with the cornstarch and soy sauce. Blend on high for about 1 minute until creamy. Then pour the creamy mixture back into the soup and simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes until thickened.
Enjoy warm. Stores refrigerated for 3 days.
Notes
*Pearled barley cooks in about 20 minutes, whereas hulled barley cooks in about 50 to 55 minutes. The hulled barley has just the outer hull removed, whereas pearled also has the outer husk and bran layer removed, similar to the difference between white rice and brown rice. Check the package cook time to determine the difference if the package is not marked.
**For gluten free, substitute white rice for the barley. You can also substitute brown rice, but cook it separately and add to the soup. In both cases, you can reduce the cook time in Step 4 to about 15 minutes.
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