Calling all mushroom lovers! This lusciously mahogany Mushroom Stew recipe is a deeply satisfying, soul warming, comforting dish that just happens to be vegetarian.
Equipment
Dutch Oven or Large Pot
chef's knife
cutting board
Wooden Spoon or Long Handled Spoon for stirring
whisk
Ingredients
2poundsmixed mushroomslike oyster, cremini, shiitake, portobello, chanterelle, etc. roughly chopped (if using shiitake or portobello, remove stems)
1/2cupextra-virgin olive oildivided, possibly more if needed while batch cooking the mushrooms at the beginning of the recipe
1onionfinely diced
1carrotfinely diced
2celery stalksfinely diced
1teaspoonkosher saltplus more to adjust to taste at the end of the cooking
1/2tablespoontomato paste
5garlic clovesminced
2tablespoonsall-purpose flour
1cupred wine
1tablespoonbrowning sauceoptional
4cupsvegetablemushroom, chicken, or beef stock
½teaspoondried thyme or 4-6 sprigs of fresh thymetied into a bundle with kitchen twine
1tablespoonsoy sauce
1tablespoonbalsamic vinegar
1teaspoonsmoked paprika
Fresh parsley and thymeroughly chopped, for serving
Ricepolenta, couscous, mashed potatoes, etc., for serving
Instructions
Place an at least 3-quart Dutch oven or heavy bottomed soup pot with a tight fitting lid over medium-high heat. Drizzle 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in the pan and add a couple handfuls of mushrooms and give the pan one stir to distribute the oil and mushrooms evenly.
Take care not to overcrowd the pan and -after the initial stir- do not move the mushrooms for 2 minutes. Do not salt the mushrooms.
When the mushrooms are golden-brown, transfer them to a bowl. Working in batches, repeat with another couple of tablespoons of oil per batch until all the mushrooms are golden-brown and cooked.
Add ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil to the empty pan and lower the heat to medium. Add the onions, carrot, and celery, sprinkling the kosher salt over it. Stir and cook until soft and the onions are semi-translucent, or about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and stir to combine, cooking for 2 to 4 minutes.
Mix in the flour, stirring to coat the vegetables and aromatics in the pan, and cook for about 2 minutes. Pour the red wine into the pan, whisking to incorporate all of the flour, and scraping the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits.
Continue whisking until the sauce is smooth and thickened somewhat. If you’re using browning sauce, add it here.
Then add in the cooked mushrooms, along with all the remaining ingredients except for the fresh herbs and starch you'll serve it over or with. Bring the mixture up to a boil on medium-high heat, then lower to a simmer and cook for 50 to 60 minutes. The mushroom stew should thicken and darken in color.Remove the bay leaf and bundle of thyme, if you used it, and season to taste with kosher salt and garnish with fresh parsley and thyme, if you’d like. Serve warm over rice, couscous, mashed potatoes, polenta, roasted root vegetables or potatoes, or with crusty bread.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.