These vegan stuffed portobello mushrooms are generously packed with a “cheesy” spinach ricotta filling and topped with a rich bolognese sauce to satisfy your lasagna craving.
This recipe was originally published in November 2019. It has been updated for content, photos, and video.
These stuffed portobellos are incredibly delicious, flavourful, and comforting, making them a gourmet delight that’s surprisingly simple to make.
While they would make a fantastic side dish or main meal for Christmas or Thanksgiving, don’t wait for a special occasion to enjoy these, go make them now!
And if stuffing veggies is right up your alley, make sure to check out these Mexican stuffed peppers, stuffed zucchini boats, and Italian stuffed peppers, too
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Reader Feedback
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I just fixed these tonight & they were sooooo yummy!! The "ricotta" was so good I could have eaten that plain! I don't think anyone would ever know it wasn't real ricotta! This one is a keeper! – Debby
Why you’ll LOVE these!
- Easy to make. Much simpler than traditional lasagna. No need for all the layering, and there are far fewer steps involved here.
- They can be prepped ahead of time for ease of entertaining. These vegan stuffed portobello mushrooms make incredible party food.
- Wholesome and delicious! You’d never guess from a bite of these, how nutritious they are! Made using healthy ingredients like nuts, spinach, and the perfect blend of seasoning to deliver BIG flavour.
- Like all my recipes on the blog, these are suitable for vegans and vegetarians. This time with some added bonuses: Naturally gluten-free, plus soy-free, and oil-free!
Ingredients + Substitutions
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this incredible vegan stuffed portobello mushrooms recipe.
- Mushrooms: Use 6 large portobello mushrooms or 8 smaller ones.
- Cashews: Raw cashews make up the base of our dairy-free cheese.
- Apple cider vinegar: Adds a slight tang to the vegan ricotta.
- Spices: Nutritional yeast adds cheesiness while garlic powder and salt add extra savoury flavour to the ricotta.
- Spinach: Baby spinach adds nutrients and lovely ribbons of colour to the cheese mixture. You may sub for other green vegetables like kale or swiss chard, if you prefer.
- Sauce: I use homemade tomato sauce, but choose your favourite variety.
- Walnuts: For hearty texture in our bolognese sauce. You may sub with other nuts or seeds if preferred, such as chopped pine nuts, pepitas, or sunflower seeds.
- Spices: Salt, basil, oregano, and garlic powder add savoury umami flavour to the sauce.
Instructions
Start by cleaning your mushrooms and scraping away the gills with a metal spoon. You can leave the mushroom stem intact. USE CAUTION to prevent breaking the mushrooms.
Place them stem-side down on a tray lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove them from the oven and flip the mushrooms stem side up. Then blot the excess moisture using a clean dish cloth or paper towel.
(This is a summary with step-by-step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Wilt the spinach and use a nut milk bag or paper towel to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. (photo 1)
Then add the ricotta ingredients (except the spinach) to your food processor. (photo 2)
NOTE: Three cups of baby spinach will wilt down to about 1 cup. If using frozen spinach, use 1 cup. Thaw and strain well.
Process the dairy-free cheese until smooth, and then pulse the spinach through. (photo 3)
Combine all the bolognese sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. (photo 4)
NOTE: Do not overprocess the cheese mixture once the spinach is added or it will turn green. It looks best with ribbons of green spinach throughout, so do not puree the spinach.
Divide the dairy-free cheese mixture between your mushrooms. (photo 5)
Then top each one with the bolognese sauce. (photo 6)
Do a final bake for 10-12 minutes, remove them from the oven, and sprinkle with vegan parmesan cheese, chili flakes, and/or herbs such as fresh basil or parsley.
Variations
- For extra cheesy stuffed mushrooms, top the sauce layer with vegan mozzarella cheese before the second bake.
- Or try our risotto-stuffed mushrooms with cranberries for a festive appetizer.
- Want a traditional-style layered lasagna with noodles? Make this incredible vegan lasagna.
To prep in advance
If you’re working in advance, make the ricotta cheese and the bolognese sauce and store them in the fridge in sealed containers for 2-3 days.
You may clean your mushrooms and scrape out the gills in advance so they are ready to bake.
However, these portobellos taste best when freshly baked, so don’t stuff or bake them too far in advance.
Storage
While these vegan stuffed portobello mushrooms taste best the same day they’re baked, leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Warm them up in your oven or toaster oven until heated through.
Can I freeze them?
You may freeze the vegan ricotta mixture and the bolognese sauce, in separate freezer-safe airtight containers for up to 3 months.
Then thaw and stuff your mushrooms when ready.
However, I don’t recommend freezing these once stuffed and baked, as they taste best when freshly made.
Expert Tips
- If you don’t have a powerful food processor, soak the cashews in boiling hot water for 15-30 minutes, and then drain, before making your ricotta cheese.
- If using frozen spinach, measure out about 1 cup and thaw and squeeze out as much moisture as possible using a nut milk bag, dish cloth or paper towels.
- Do not overprocess the spinach when making the ricotta. Just pulse a few times to get it mixed in. You want to see ribbons of spinach throughout your ricotta, and not green cheese.
- To make these into appetizers, use about 2-3 times as many mushroom caps or cremini mushrooms, depending on their size.
More vegan mushroom recipes
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Buon appetito
Rosa
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 portobello mushrooms brushed clean
For the Ricotta
- 1.5 cups raw cashews
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup water
- 5 ounce package baby spinach approx. 3-4 large handfuls or 1 cup wilted
For the Bolognese Sauce
- 1 cup tomato sauce or your favourite marinara sauce
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Optional Garnish
- vegan parmesan cheese
- fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉/204℃ and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Brush your mushrooms clean and scrape out the gills using a metal teaspoon. Use caution to avoid breaking the mushrooms. Then place them stem side down on your tray. Sprinkle the tops with salt and pepper and bake for 10 minutes. This step allows some moisture to escape the mushrooms so that they won't be watery later.
- Meanwhile, sauté the spinach in a skillet or pan to wilt it over medium heat. Add a drop or two of water if needed to get it going. Stir often to prevent sticking. Once wilted, squeeze as much liquid out of the spinach as possible using a clean dish towel, nut milk bag, or paper towel. Set aside.
- Add the ricotta cheese ingredients EXCEPT the spinach to a food processor. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Once smooth, add the spinach and pulse 3-4 times to get it incorporated. Do NOT over-process or the cheese will turn green.
- Next, combine all the bolognese sauce ingredients into a small bowl. Stir and set aside.
- Remove the mushrooms from the oven and flip them stem side up. Absorb the excess moisture by blotting the mushrooms with a clean dish towel or paper towel.
- Divide the ricotta between your six mushrooms. Then top each one with the bolognese sauce. Bake the stuffed mushrooms for 10-12 minutes, remove from the oven, and serve with fresh parsley, red pepper flakes, and/or vegan parmesan cheese.
Video
Notes
- If you don’t have a powerful food processor, soak the cashews in boiling hot water for 15-30 minutes, and then drain, before making your ricotta cheese.
- If using frozen spinach, measure out about 1 cup and thaw and squeeze out as much moisture as possible using a nut milk bag, dish cloth or paper towels.
- Do not overprocess the spinach when making the ricotta. Just pulse a few times to get it mixed in. You want to see ribbons of spinach throughout your ricotta, and not green cheese.
- To make these into appetizers, use about 2-3 times as many mushroom caps or cremini mushrooms, depending on their size.
- If planning ahead, make the ricotta cheese and the bolognese sauce and refrigerate them separately for 2-3 days in advance. Then stuff and bake your mushrooms the day of serving.
Diana says
If using zucchini instead of mushrooms, is the cooking time the same pre stuffing?
Rosa says
Yes, same timing should work well, enjoy!
Penny McIntyre says
Can this recipe be made prior to baking, and frozen, then baked later?
Rosa says
Hi Penny, I haven’t tried that, but I don’t see why not.
Debby says
I just fixed these tonight & they were sooooo yummy!! The “ricotta” was so good I could have eaten that plain! I don’t think anyone would ever know it wasn’t real ricotta! This one is a keeper!
Rosa says
Thrilled you enjoyed Debby! Thanks for the review. 🙂
Steven says
I saved this recipe months ago and finally got around to making it last night. While it might be easier than making lasagna with noodles, it is still a little time consuming, having to remove the gills from the ‘shrooms. After baking my portabellas for 10 minutes, they flattened out immensely, so I wasn’t sure how well the stuffing was going to stay put. In the end, nothing ran off and it all stayed on top of the mushrooms.
I gotta admit…this is a WONDERFUL recipe! Extremely tasty! The “ricotta” was surprisingly good. I will be making this often (especially when I find portabellas on sale at Kroger, LOL). Thanks for the recipe!!!
Rosa says
You’re welcome, Steven. So glad you enjoyed our “ricotta” and the stuffed portobello mushrooms! 🙂