Calling all mushroom lovers! This rich, mahogany-hued Mushroom Stew is hearty, comforting, and vegetarian. It’s perfect for cool-weather dinners and pairs beautifully with roasted root vegetables, polenta, boiled potatoes, rice, crusty bread, or mashed potatoes. Use any mushrooms you have on hand—wild or domestic—for an intensely savory, meaty texture and deep umami flavor.
When the weather cools, I reach for stews and soups a few nights a week. While I enjoy beef stews as well, I made this mushroom-forward stew after receiving two pounds of mixed mushrooms from a local CSA. The mushrooms provide such depth of flavor that I didn’t need bacon or meat-based stock—just their natural, silky umami.
I usually make a double batch in a large Dutch oven, serve a portion immediately, and freeze the rest in meal-sized containers. Leftovers are excellent alongside roasted meats or stirred into other soups and stews to boost flavor.
What Equipment and Ingredients Do I Need to Make Mushroom Stew?
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot (at least 3 quarts)
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Whisk
- Wooden spoon or long-handled spoon
The ingredient list may look long but uses pantry staples and common produce. Below are the ingredients used in this recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds mixed mushrooms (oyster, cremini, shiitake, portobello, chanterelle, etc.), roughly chopped; remove shiitake or portobello stems
- Extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 carrot, finely diced
- 2 celery stalks, finely diced
- Kosher salt
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or 1:1 gluten-free flour)
- 1 cup dry or semi-dry red wine (Chianti works well)
- 1 tablespoon browning sauce (optional, for deeper color)
- 4 cups vegetable, mushroom, chicken, or beef stock
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 4–6 sprigs fresh thyme, tied in a bundle
- Bay leaf (optional)
- Fresh parsley and thyme, roughly chopped, for serving
- Rice, polenta, couscous, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread, for serving
What Kinds of Mushrooms Work Best?
Use whatever mushrooms you enjoy. Cremini (baby bella), portobello, shiitake, oyster, chanterelles, porcinis, lion’s mane, and other varieties all work well. Freshness matters most: choose firm, dry mushrooms with little aroma. If you buy bulk packages, look through them and pick the healthiest specimens.
Regardless of size, roughly chop mushrooms into similar, bite-sized pieces so they brown evenly. Remove stems from shiitake and portobello before chopping.
How Can I Tell If Mushrooms Are Fresh?
Fresh mushrooms have little to no smell, firm caps and stems, fairly even color, and are dry to the touch. Avoid mushrooms that are slimy, have fuzzy growth, strong sour odors, dark or black discolorations, or are overly wrinkled or dried out.
How Do I Keep Mushrooms Fresh?
Store mushrooms in a paper bag with a slightly damp paper towel in the refrigerator, checking daily to re-moisten the towel if needed. Alternatively, keep them in a partially open plastic bag. Do not store mushrooms in an airtight container, and avoid washing them before storage. Properly stored, they should last about a week, though using them soon after purchase yields the best flavor for this stew.
How Can I Tell If Mushrooms Have Gone Bad?
Discard mushrooms that show dark or black spots, strong sour smells, fuzzy growth, a slimy film, or severe shriveling. They will taste off and should not be used.
Mushroom Stew
1. Heat a 3-quart (or larger) Dutch oven or heavy soup pot over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and a couple handfuls of mushrooms, stirring once to coat. Avoid overcrowding; after the initial stir, let mushrooms cook undisturbed for about 2 minutes. Do not salt them yet.
2. When golden brown, transfer mushrooms to a bowl. Repeat in batches with more oil until all mushrooms are browned.
3. Add 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil to the empty pot and reduce heat to medium. Add onion, carrot, and celery and sprinkle with kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and the onion is semi-translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. Add garlic and cook 2–3 minutes until fragrant. Stir in tomato paste and cook 2–4 minutes to deepen its flavor.
5. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to coat the vegetables, cooking about 2 minutes. Pour in the red wine while whisking to incorporate the flour and loosen browned bits from the pot.
6. Whisk until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. If using browning sauce, add it now.
7. Return the cooked mushrooms to the pot and add the stock, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, smoked paprika, thyme bundle, bay leaf if using, and any remaining seasonings. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 50–60 minutes, until the stew thickens and deepens in color.
8. Remove the bay leaf and thyme bundle. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley and thyme if desired, and serve warm over rice, polenta, mashed potatoes, roasted root vegetables, or with crusty bread.
Mushroom Stew
Equipment
- Dutch oven or large pot
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Wooden spoon or long-handled spoon
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 2 pounds mixed mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 carrot, finely diced
- 2 celery stalks, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 tablespoon browning sauce (optional)
- 4 cups stock (vegetable, mushroom, chicken, or beef)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 4–6 sprigs fresh thyme, tied
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Fresh parsley and thyme, for serving
- Rice, polenta, mashed potatoes, or bread, for serving
Instructions
- Heat a 3-quart or larger Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and a couple handfuls of mushrooms, stir once to coat, and let cook undisturbed for about 2 minutes. Do not salt yet.
- When golden brown, transfer mushrooms to a bowl and repeat in batches, adding oil as needed, until all are browned.
- Add 1/4 cup olive oil to the pot and reduce heat to medium. Add onion, carrot, and celery with a sprinkle of kosher salt. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in garlic and cook 2–3 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook 2–4 minutes.
- Mix in the flour and cook about 2 minutes. Pour in wine while whisking, scraping up any browned bits.
- Whisk until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Add browning sauce if using.
- Return the mushrooms to the pot, add stock, soy sauce, balsamic, smoked paprika, thyme bundle, and bay leaf if using. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook 50–60 minutes until thickened and darkened.
- Remove the bay leaf and thyme bundle, adjust seasoning, garnish with fresh herbs, and serve over your chosen starch.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 20 g
Protein: 5 g
Fat: 19 g
Nutritional information is an estimate. Calculate values using the exact ingredients you use.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @foodiewithfam on Instagram and use #foodiewithfamily so the author can see your version.