Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff

A rich and creamy meal that is totally vegan-friendly!

The amazing umami flavors in our Mushroom Stroganoff makes meatless Mondays magical. With an array of health benefits, mushrooms make a brilliant alternative to meat in so many dishes, like our Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff. In the culinary world, mushrooms are praised for their meaty taste and star in entrees in fine dining restaurants everywhere. By making this meal completely vegan, we created a rich creamy sauce using thoughtful ingredients. To that end, this ingredient combo creates the most savory sauce you’ll want to eat by the spoonful!

Mushrooms Are All About Umami Flavor

Umami is the fifth flavor sense after sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. Best described as “meaty,” umami hits the back of your throat, leaving you wanting more. Umami is generally not found in a single ingredient but rather when specific foods are paired together in a dish. Think miso and mushrooms, meat and Parmesan cheese, and seafood with tomatoes: there you have it.

Furthermore, today’s focus is on incorporating more plant-based meals in the weekly rotation. In the spotlight, the humble mushroom provides an array of health benefits. In fact, mushrooms provide more minerals than most vegetables, which is why it makes a great meat substitute.

Sauce For This Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff

Everyone loves a good sauce, right? A good stroganoff carries a creamy, buttery, wine-base sauce that most children will eat without asking any questions. To recreate that sauce while trimming the fat and creating a vegan mushroom version, we start out with a wine reduction. Since we needed to reduce the saturated fat found in coconut, we diluted light coconut milk with water. Even though this step cuts fat, the full-bodied flavor of coconut still remains.

We also add other great flavors like balsamic vinegar and tamari to this recipe. Tamari is a soy sauce that’s darker than soy sauce, and it’s usually gluten-free. And, of course, tamari is full of umami, too. 

Health Benefits Play Second Fiddle To Taste

This creamy vegan mushroom stroganoff is a one-pan wonder. First, we saute the aromatic onions and mushrooms in olive oil. Once the onions are translucent and the mushrooms soft, we build the sauce slowly. While everything simmers in the pan, you can clean the minimal mess and also make your starch of choice. 

Obviously, a creamy mushroom base tastes great on pasta or mashed potatoes. You can also try spreading it over a shallow bed of red quinoa. Quinoa’s high protein content makes this combination a complete meal. Check Chef Lindsay’s secret to making light and fluffy quinoa.

If starch isn’t happening in your diet, try serving the stroganoff on a bed of wilted greens. The acid found in steamed spinach or wilted kale and arugula balances out the sweet coconut flavors with a bitter component. Or, add steamed asparagus to the dish. Greens mixed with pasta, rice, or other grains is another great method to reduce portions of complex carbohydrates.

Whatever the base, trust that the deep, creamy flavors in our vegan mushroom stroganoff will impress you enough to make it again!