4 Awesome Vegetarian Recipes with Mushrooms

There's a good reason that mushrooms are called "meat for vegetarians." They are an excellent meat substitute, both in flavor and texture, as well as nutritionally. They are one of the most significant sources of iron apart from red meat, and also contan more vitamin B12 than most vegetables. You can usually substitute dried mushrooms or fresh mushrooms for meat in your recipes, but they are always better when they are specifically designed to team up with other ingredients. So today we bring you 4 of our favorite vegetarian recipes using fresh or dried mushrooms!

Creamy Mushroom Pasta

This is a very quick recipe -- only ten minutes to prepare, and around 20 to cook, and perfect as either a side dish or a main for a family of vegetarians. It specifies button mushrooms, but you can use any type that you like. Button mushrooms tend not to be very strongly flavored, so look away from the shiitake dried mushrooms, and towards varieties like dried candy cap mushrooms.

Mushroom, Noodle and Peanut Stir Fry

Another great all-rounder. You can add as many different veggies as you like, and if you want you can cook everything but the mushrooms, split the dish into two, and use mushrooms in half and meat in the other half. Put a bit extra kecap manis in if you’re increasing the vegetables.

Mushroom Rice Crusted Pie

Om nom nom nom! The blandness of the rice and pumpkin mean this is a great dish to try out strnger tasting mushrooms like dried porcini mushrooms.

Mushroom, Tomato and Cheese Pasta Bake

This dish is a great way to introduce kids to mushrooms -- it has many flavors that they are already familiar with, and the mushroom-y flavor and texture can be toned down, or partially replaced by minced meat. It takes a while to cook, but that combination of dried pearl oyster mushrooms, bocconcini cheese and parmesan is just divine!

A Guide to Common Cooking Mushrooms

You might think that you love mushrooms … but how many varieties have you actually tasted? There are dozens of edible varieties of mushrooms besides white button or cup mushrooms, all of them suitable for growing yourself in a mushroom growing kit, or purchasing as either fresh or dried mushrooms. Today we are reviewing the common varieties of edible mushrooms -- ones that you are likely to find in the supermarket.

Button Mushrooms

Most people who eat mushrooms start out on these babies -- the less mature version of cup mushrooms. Button mushrooms are sometimes called champignons, and you won’t be able to see any of the brown gills around the stem. Their flavor intensifies when they are cooked, and they are a great addition to salads.

Porcini mushrooms

One of the more common of the exotic varieties, porcini mushrooms can be bought both fresh and as dried mushrooms. Some areas in America grow them, but they are traditionally harvested in Europe in autumn. You can add the dried variety to casseroles and stews at the start of the cooking process, or soak them for fifteen minuts in water and use as you would fresh mushrooms.

Swiss brown mushrooms

These mushrooms are closely related to white agaricus, but have a tan brown cap and a more leathery skin. They are drier and more flavorful -- that's why people generally don't start out on them. They are commonly used in antipasto.

Portabello mushrooms

Because of the similar names, these mushrooms can be confused with porcini dried mushrooms. However, these are usually available fresh year-round -- they are Swiss browns that have been left to grow out and expose their gills. They are great as a meat substitute, because they are so big and chunky.