Tender, juicy, and layered with flavor, these vegan stuffed portobello mushrooms with black lentils are a superb meatless main dish for the holidays and beyond! Portobello mushrooms caps are stuffed with a mixture of cooked veggies, lentils, walnuts, and breadcrumbs then baked until warmed through. A parsley garnish adds a pop of color and bright, herbal flavor.
It might be bold of me to say, but these vegan stuffed portobello mushrooms are MILES better than the majority of the meat dishes I encoutered before I went vegetarian! They’re layered with so many delicious savory flavors and have a certain complexity in each bite that makes them instantly craveworthy. Part of the key to their amazing flavor? The lentils are cooked in broth beforehand! More depth of flavor comes from ingredients like tomato paste, tamari, and nutritional yeast. These stuffed portobellos require a little extra effort but are so worth it and perfect for vegetarian holiday meals or special autumnal and winter feasts!
Notes on Ingredients and Substitutions
These stuffed portobello mushrooms are fully vegan and can also be made gluten free by subbing in gluten free breadcrumbs for the panko breadcrumbs. I love the rich flavor and texture of black lentils here (also called beluga lentils) but if you can’t find them, French green (“Puy”) lentils are a great sub. Herbes de Provence lends such a great savory herbal flavor here but it you don’t have any on hand, you can substitute an equal amount of dried thyme for a similar flavor. I found in testing that I preferred this dish without any pepper but if you’d like some spice, feel free to add some to the filling!
Time Saving Tips
- The lentils can be cooked up to 5 days in advance! Drain off any excess broth once they’re done cooking, then allow them to cool to room temperature before placing them in an airtight container in the fridge. Simply remove them from the fridge when you’re ready to start cooking the filling.
- The walnuts and carrots can be finely chopped with the help of a food processor — pulse each separately until finely chopped and simply wipe out the bowl and blade in between each.
- I highly recommend having all of the stuffing ingredients prepped and measured out once you starting cooking — it streamlines the whole process so all you have to worry about it adding and stirring ingredients!
Vegan Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms in 4 Simple Steps
More Vegetarian Thanksgiving Mains to Enjoy
If you want more plant-based main dishes for your holiday meals, try these cabbage steaks with tempeh bacon and creamy dijon sauce. They’re vegetarian but can easily be made vegan with one simple ingredient swap and are so dang delicious! Or, try these oyster mushrooms steaks with miso gravy served over a bed of pillowy, herbed polenta. The oyster mushrooms are seared to perfection and have a lovely nutty flavor and meaty texture.
Vegan Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Black Lentils
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Tender, juicy, and layered with flavor, these vegan stuffed portobello mushrooms with black lentils are a superb meatless main dish for the holidays and beyond! Portobello mushrooms caps are stuffed with a mixture of cooked veggies, lentils, walnuts, and breadcrumbs then baked until warmed through. A parsley garnish adds a pop of color and bright, herbal flavor.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dry black lentils
- 1 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable broth, plus more as needed
- 6 large portobello mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more as needed
- Sea salt, to taste
- 1 large leek
- 1 large carrot
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon tamari, or soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 6 tablespoons raw walnuts, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
Cook the lentils first. Add the lentils and vegetable broth to a pot and set it over medium heat. Once it comes to a simmer, cover the pot with a lid, leaving it tilted slightly so some steam can escape. Allow the lentils to simmer for 20-23 minutes until just tender but they still retain some bite. Drain off any excess broth then set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment. Remove and discard any stems that are still attached to the mushrooms and wipe off any dirt with a damp paper towel. Place the mushrooms on the baking sheet with the gills/stem side facing up. Drizzle each lightly with olive oil and season with salt. Roast for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. The mushrooms will release some liquid into the caps as they roast — leave it there as it will add moisture to the stuffing later on.
Once the lentils are done cooking and the mushrooms are in the oven, start the filling. Set a large pan or skillet or medium heat. Trim the dark green part and root end from the leek and discard. Cut the leek in half lengthwise then thinly slice. Rinse well to remove dirt and grit then pat dry. Scrub the carrot well or peel it, then finely chop. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Once it shimmers, add the sliced leek and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring every minute or so, until the leek is softened and just beginning to turn golden (this will take about 8 minutes). Add the carrot and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. If the pan becomes dry at any point, add a splash or two of stock.
After the carrot has been cooking for 5 minutes, add the garlic and herbes de Provence and cook for 2 minutes, stirring regularly. Stir in the tomato paste and tamari. Cook for 2 minutes then add the cooked lentils, nutritional yeast, and finely chopped walnuts. Stir to combine, then cook for 2 more minutes before removing the pan from the heat. Fold in the breadcrumbs then taste the filling and add salt if needed.
Divide the filling between the mushroom caps then drizzle the tops with a little olive oil. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until warmed through. Garnish with finely chopped parsley then serve.
Notes
- The lentils can be cooked up to 5 days in advance. Keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to start the cooking the stuffing.
- Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Re-heat leftovers in the oven or air fryer until warmed through.
- If you happen to have any leftover stuffing that doesn’t fit in the mushrooms, you can serve it on the side.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Main
I love the different textures from the mushrooms, the walnuts, and the lentils. Definitely will be making this again.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
I can literally smell the wonderful flavors here! Definately making this recipe over the weekend!
Awesome! Hope you enjoy it!
I love portobello mushrooms and this is such a great recipe! Perfect fall meal!
I’m definitely a big portobello lover, too! So glad you like the recipe.
This sounds like an amazing dish! I have vegetarian family members and I am going to serve this for the holidays! Thank you!
Yay! I hope they enjoy it! It’s definitely going on my own holiday table 🙂
I had leftover lentils in my fridge and set out to find recipes. I’m so glad I found this recipe! This tasted so good. Thanks for sharing
So happy you were able to find a use for your leftover lentils! Thank you for coming back and leaving a review!
These are so filling and delicious, loved the lentils.
So happy you enjoyed them! Definitely trying to show a little love to lentils lately 🙂