These stuffed cremini mushrooms are filled with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, and nutritional yeast, then baked for about 25 minutes. The honest reason to make them: they look impressive, the ingredient list is short, and the whole thing comes together in 45 minutes without any special equipment.
Before you start
The one technique worth getting right is drying your mushroom caps before they go in the oven. Mushrooms release a lot of water as they cook, and if there’s extra moisture sitting in the cap, the filling turns soggy instead of staying together. After you clean them, set the caps gill-side down on a paper towel for five minutes while you prep the filling — that’s all it takes. The second thing: toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat before adding them to the filling. They go from pale to burnt quickly, so stay at the stove and shake the pan every 30 seconds or so. Toasted pine nuts have a noticeably richer flavor than raw ones, and it’s worth the extra two minutes.
Troubleshooting
- Filling falls out of the caps while baking: The caps are probably too small or overfilled. Press the filling down firmly with the back of a spoon before baking, and if your mushrooms are on the smaller side, use a little less filling per cap rather than piling it high.
- Mushrooms shrink a lot and look deflated: This is normal — mushrooms lose roughly a third of their size in the oven. Buy caps that look slightly larger than you think you need. Portobello caps work well here if you want a more substantial result.
- Spinach makes the filling watery: Fresh spinach holds more moisture than it looks like it does. After sautéing, press the cooked spinach briefly against the side of the pan with a spatula and tip out any pooled liquid before mixing in the other filling ingredients.
- Nutritional yeast tastes bitter or sharp: This usually means the heat was too high when it was added. Always stir it in off the heat, as the recipe instructs — it doesn’t need to cook, just warm through from the residual heat of the filling.
- Tops aren’t browning after 25 minutes: Ovens vary. Switch to the broiler for the last 2 minutes, watching closely. The filling will go from pale to golden fast under direct heat.
Substitutions that actually work
- Nutritional yeast: If you can’t find it, a tablespoon of white miso stirred into the filling adds a similar savory depth. Skip the extra garnish of nutritional yeast on top — not worth the extra dish.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: Use the oil-packed kind if you have them; they’re softer and easier to chop finely. If you only have the dry-packed variety, soak them in warm water for 10 minutes first, then drain.
- Pine nuts: Roughly chopped raw cashews or sunflower seeds both work. Cashews give a buttery texture close to pine nuts; sunflower seeds are cheaper and add a mild nuttiness.
- Fresh spinach: Frozen spinach works in a pinch — thaw it completely and squeeze out as much water as possible before adding it to the skillet. Use about a third of a cup of thawed, squeezed spinach in place of the one cup of fresh.
Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 12 medium cremini mushrooms cleaned, with stems removed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 1 cup organic spinach chopped finely
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes finely chopped
- ⅓ cup pine nuts lightly toasted
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the spinach and garlic, sautéing for about 3 minutes until the spinach is wilted and the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts to the skillet, stirring for another 2 minutes until the ingredients are well mixed.
- Remove from heat and stir in the nutritional yeast, lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste if needed.
- Brush the mushroom caps with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Arrange them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Spoon the spinach filling into each mushroom cap, pressing gently to fit more filling.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender and the tops are lightly golden.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes — assemble the filled caps up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate them unbaked, covered loosely with plastic wrap. Add two to three extra minutes to the bake time since they’ll go into the oven cold.
What does nutritional yeast taste like, and do I really need it?
It tastes savory and slightly cheesy — nothing like the yeast used in baking. It’s worth using here because it ties the filling together and adds depth that the other ingredients don’t fully replace on their own.
How do I clean mushrooms without making them waterlogged?
Wipe them with a damp paper towel rather than rinsing them under running water. Mushrooms absorb water quickly, and wet caps steam instead of roast, which affects the texture.
Can I use portobello mushrooms instead of cremini?
Yes, and they work well as a more filling main course rather than an appetizer. One large portobello cap per person is roughly equivalent to three cremini caps, so scale the filling accordingly.
My filling seems dry before it goes into the caps — is that a problem?
No, that’s actually what you want. A dry filling holds its shape in the cap and doesn’t make the mushroom soggy as it bakes. If it seems too crumbly to press together, add half a teaspoon more olive oil and mix again.
What to cook next
- Mediterranean Lentil Power Bowl
- Vegan Polenta Mushroom Bliss
- Mediterranean Orzo Artichoke Salad
- Baked Ratatouille Herb Oil