Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms With Crimini Walnut Pâté

Do you have (mush)room for fungi in your food planning? It seems that the magnificent mushroom never fails as the most popular party appetizer. All of the best bistros and most elegant restaurants rely on the mushroom as a mainstay in their kitchen cuisine. The fabulous filling for these vegan stuffed mushrooms starts with a mixture of fresh herbs, a pop of pungent garlic, and a smidge of salt from the miso. Combining these with some cheesy nutritional yeast and silky, sautéed mushrooms creates the most perfect pâté.

This recipe comes from Chef Barry Horton, a classically trained chef who spent years refining his craft at The Stanford Inn, a well-known vegan eco-resort in Mendocino, California. There he learned to embrace organic, sustainable, vegan, locally harvested ingredients, which grew to be quite a passion. Chef Barry and his wife Jennifer Horton went on to open a vegan fine dining restaurant called Sanctuary Bistro in Charlotte, North Carolina. This recipe comes from their cookbook, Sanctuary Bistro’s Recipes for Everyday Living Cookbook.

But you don’t need to be a culinary chef to make this mouthwatering dish. This recipe in particular showcases how a small and simple ingredient can be transformed into such a superb and savory side. If you’ve been lucky enough to experience this fantastic finger food first hand at Sanctuary Bistro, you know how decadent and delicious it is.

Ingredient Notes

• Crimini Caps: Ensure the caps are cleaned and gently removed the stem to make room for the stuffing. Reserve the stems for the filling to maximize mushroom flavor.
• Crimini Mushrooms: The thinly sliced crimini mushrooms contribute a robust texture to the stuffing. Use both caps and stems for a cohesive blend.
• Fresh Thyme: Mince the fresh thyme for a burst of aromatic herbiness, enhancing the overall flavor profile.
• Garlic: Elevate the savory flavors with minced garlic, infusing a rich taste into the stuffing mixture.
• Toasted Walnuts: Toasting the walnuts adds a delightful crunch.
• Nutritional Yeast: Incorporate nutritional yeast for a subtle cheesy undertone, providing depth to the stuffing’s flavor.
• Yellow Miso: The yellow miso not only imparts a savory umami kick but also acts as a binding element in the filling.

Variations and Substitutions

Walnuts definitely give this recipe the best crumbly texture and rich flavor, but you could surely substitute any toasted nut in this recipe. Here are some delicious options:

• Almonds
• Pecans
• Macadamias

Can’t do nuts at all? No problem. Swap out the nuts for any of these protein-packed pâté candidates:

• Tofu – smoked or marinated would be terrific
• Tempeh – cooked and then crumbled
• TVP – textured vegetable protein power
• Packaged plant-based meats – meatless meatballs or burgers added to the mixture would give it a much more savory taste and solid texture

Just keep in mind that switching out a nut for another type of protein will change the texture of your pâté. It may be more creamy (as with the tofu) or it may become chunky (as with the plant-based meats). I think either would be worth trying and might add a whole new dimension to your vegan stuffed mushroom recipe!

Pâté Pairings

If pâté in a mushroom cap is not your cup of tea, here are a few ways to satisfy your savory senses:

• Serve on a crust of crostini
• Pop the pâté into a stuffed pepper
• Spread on a slice of homemade focaccia bread
• Place in the center of a sweet potato

Vegan stuffed mushrooms are super versatile. This savory stuffing is perfection wherever you put it, so just choose your favorite delivery food and you’ll be just fine.

Storing Your Stuffed Mushrooms

If you have any mushrooms leftover (you may not!), they’re easy to store in the fridge. Place them gently next to each other in a covered container and they should stay fresh for a few days.

To reheat, you can either microwave them for a minute or two (they may get soggy or a little dried out) or put them in the oven (or a toaster oven, my favorite!) on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 350 degrees F for around 5 minutes.

Other options:

• Dice them up and sprinkle into a salad
• Slice them thinly and add to your favorite sandwich
• Chop them roughly and place on your pizza

You probably won’t have many vegan stuffed mushrooms left (because they’re so darn delicious!), but I hope these ideas will inspire you to make a double batch next time!

More Amazing Vegan Appetizer Recipes

• Pizza Rolls are bursting with vegan cheese and a savory marinara sauce all rolled up into one delicious bite!
• Elevate your potato game with these Vegan Hasselback Potatoes that are perfectly sliced and generously seasoned.
• Experience the joy of sushi in cupcake form with these Vegan Sushi Cupcakes—perfect for parties and easy to make!
• Need a crowd-pleasing starter? The velvety richness of this Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup is a comforting classic that everyone will enjoy!
• For a visually stunning dish, try this Vegetarian Stuffed Acorn Squash with a harmonious blend of roasted chickpeas, kale, and pomegranate seeds.

Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms (7 Ingredients)

Author: Chef Barry Horton

5 from 10 votes

These vegan stuffed mushrooms are made from simple whole foods ingredients will make any mushroom lover squeal with delight! Impress your guests with this flavorful appetizer!

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Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 15

Ingredients

• 20 crimini caps
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced (slice and use stems in the recipe as well)
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• ½ cup walnuts, toasted
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon yellow miso

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake mushroom caps (de-stemmed) for 8 -10 minutes.
• In a sauté pan, heat oil on medium heat. Add mushrooms and stems and cook until tender, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside, let cool.
• Place mushrooms and remaining ingredients, except the caps, in a food processor and blend until evenly incorporated. Occasionally scrape sides while continuing to blend. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Stuff the baked mushroom caps with the mushroom walnut pâté and serve!

Notes

• This mushroom walnut pâté can also be served up on crackers or crostini instead of in baked mushroom caps.

Nutrition

Calories: 51kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 45mg | Potassium: 231mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 46IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg

Course Appetizer

Cuisine French

Keyword stuffed mushrooms, vegan stuffed mushrooms, vegan stuffed mushrooms recipe

We want to thank our amazing recipe testers, J.J Steele, Anna Sparks, and Ramona Tallodi!

Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms recipe by Barry Horton from Sanctuary Bistro’s Recipes for Everyday Living cookbook by Executive Chef Barry Horton and Jennifer Jones Horton. Photos by Zhoro Apostolov for World of Vegan™, all rights reserved.