Vegetarian & Mushroom Dishes

Mushrooms are staples of the vegetarian diet. Several types of mushrooms, including Portobellos, Chinese black mushrooms, criminis, straw mushrooms and white button mushrooms commonly appear in vegetarian fare. The chewy, meaty texture of these foods makes them appropriate choices for replacing meats in stews, soups, casseroles, stir fry dishes and other entrees.

Hot and Sour Soup

Hot and sour soup is a well-known menu item in Chinese restaurants throughout the Western world. However, restaurant-style hot and sour soup is typically made from chicken stock, and often contains chicken or pork. Use vegetable broth and choose Chinese black mushrooms or straw mushrooms instead of meat to create a spicy vegetarian soup. Other ingredients include cider vinegar, soy sauce, tofu, onions, eggs, corn starch and sesame oil. Add chili oil to give your vegetarian hot and sour soup an extra kick.

Mushroom Ravioli

Mushroom ravioli is a hearty dish that provides flavor without the need for meat fillings. Spoon minced white button mushrooms or Portobellos onto the center of a fresh or packaged pasta square, wet the edges of the square, and place another pasta square on top. Pinch the edges of the squares to seal them together before boiling. Add chopped basil, Parmesan cheese, sage or rosemary to the minced mushrooms to enhance flavor. Boil and serve with primavera, marinara or alfredo sauce.

Shiitake Stir Fry

Use fresh shiitake mushrooms instead of chicken, pork or beef in stir fry dishes. Remove the stems from the mushrooms, slice the caps into halves or quarters, and place them in a wok with 1 to 2 tbsp. sesame oil. Add fresh, cut vegetables, such as broccoli, kale, Chinese cabbage, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, sweet red peppers and snow peas. Mix in soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili oil, teriyaki sauce or black bean sauce as desired to add spice and flavor to this stir fry dish. Alternately, mix in coconut milk and green curry sauce to give your stir fry dish a Thai flavor.

Portobello Burgers

A Portobello burger is a simple vegetarian dish you can prepare in as little as 10 minutes. Simply remove the stem from a large Portobello cap, brush both sides of the cap with olive oil, and grill or fry for five to seven minutes. Place the cap on a whole-grain bun and dress with your favorite toppings. For extra flavor, marinate the Portobello cap in soy sauce or other marinade 30 to 60 minutes before grilling or frying.