23 Versatile Mushroom Substitutes Sure To Please

If you don’t have mushrooms on hand, can you swap them out or skip them? We’ve got the best guide to mushroom substitutes. 

Whether you are looking for a replacement for mushrooms in stew or cremini mushroom substitute or anything in between, we’ve got you covered!

Let’s go to The Chalkboard.

Benefits Of Mushrooms In Cooking

Most of you who dislike the fungi may ask why we even need mushrooms? They add that extra umami flavor that takes dishes to the next level. The sponginess adds excellent texture to a recipe, too. 

Mushrooms are also a low-calorie source of fiber, protein, and antioxidants. 

Here are some great substitutes for mushrooms.

Mushroom Substitutes – Texture

Try these swaps if you don’t want the flavor but are trying to get a similar texture.

1. Sundried Tomatoes

The texture is similar, and they add great flavor. It will make the dish sweeter, so you may want to add some miso, Worcestershire, or soy sauce for balance. 

2. Potatoes  

Use the waxy kinds, new potatoes, French fingerling, Red Bliss, baby potatoes, creamers, Red Adirondack, and Russian Banan. You want the potatoes to hold their shape still, so don’t overcook them. 

3. Delicata Squash

This green-fleshed squash adds an earthy taste to any dish. Boiling will work, but roasting will bring out the flavor.

4. Butternut Squash

Roast this for the best flavor. If you are time-pressed, supermarkets often sell it peeled and chopped.

5. Pumpkin

Take this vegetable out of the patch and put it on your dinner table. Here’s how to roast a pumpkin and which ones are best to use.

6. Sweet Potatoes 

If you are looking for a potassium-filled swap, sweet potatoes are it. They will work well in soups and stews.

7. White Beans

White beans are high in fiber and have a mild taste, perfect for pasta, soups, salads, etc.

8. Great Northern Beans

A lesser-known bean, Great Northerns, hold their shape better than others but still have a mild flavor.

9. Chickpeas

A staple of Mediterranean cooking, garbanzo beans have a similar texture to mushrooms.

10. Tofu

If you are looking for a vegan, vegetarian, and keto-friendly mushroom substitute, look no further. 

11. Artichoke

While raw artichoke can be bitter, cooking this nutrient-packed vegetable produces a softer texture and mellow flavor,

12. Zucchini

Overabundant in the summer months, the zucchini takes on other flavors, and the consistency is similar.

13. Eggplant

Roasted eggplant provides a spongy texture and earthy flavor like mushrooms. Try it in chicken marsala.

14. Barley

We love to swap out regular rice for ancient grains, and we often reach for pearled barley. It can take some time to cook, so be prepared. It’s great in soups, stews, and even salads.

15. Parsnips

The carrot’s lighter-colored cousin has an earthy taste and holds up well. Try it in soups and stews.

16. Rutabaga

Peeled and boiled until soft, this root vegetable makes an excellent swap for fungi.

17. Cauliflower

What can cauliflower not do? Roast it in a 425 for 15-25 minutes, depending on floret size.

18. Lentils

Pack your dish with protein with lentils.

Mushroom Substitutes — Flavor

These aren’t exact, but they will provide the umami flavor that mushrooms do.

1. Mushroom Broth

If you want the flavor but not the texture, try mushroom broth. It brings the flavor, plus it’s shelf-stable and last for several weeks in the fridge after opening. 

2. Worcestershire Sauce

You likely have this hard-to-pronounce liquid in your pantry. Add a few splashes to any dish where you omit mushrooms to up the umami flavor.

3. Miso Paste

Try this fermented powerhouse to add depth to the dish—the darker the color of the paste, the stronger the flavor.

4. Soy Sauce

A few dashes of the pantry staple will make you forget the mushrooms were in the recipe.

5. Tamari

Tamari is a gluten-free option to add saltiness and earthiness to a meal.

Substitute For Specific Mushroom Types

Cremini Mushroom Substitute

Portobellos are mature creminis, so they make a great substitute. Just be sure to chop them, so they are appropriate.

Shitake Mushroom Substitute 

These mushrooms have one of the most robust flavors. Substitute it with porcini or mushroom broth in recipes.

Porcini Mushroom Substitute 

Dried is an excellent alternative if you don’t have access to fresh porcini mushrooms. They last for several months. Once reconstituted with water, the texture comes back.

Shitakes are similar in texture and taste, making a great substitute. 

Substitute For Dried Porcini Mushrooms

Fresh will work if you can’t get your hands on the dried version. Fresh and dried shitakes are similar in taste and texture, too.

White Button Mushroom Substitutes

These are the most popular variety and represent 90 percent of the mushrooms in the U.S.according to the Mushroom Council. Criminis have a similar texture but a more pungent taste. Cooked potatoes can take their place in some dishes.

Portobello Mushroom Substitutes

Cremini mushrooms are young versions of portobellos, making a great substitute. 

Mushroom Substitutes In Specific Dishes

Mushroom Substitute In Stroganoff

Mushrooms often play a supporting role in this saucy beef dish originally from Russia. You can leave the mushrooms out; many versions do not include them. If you want to add some vegetables, zucchini or potatoes will work.

Substitute For Mushrooms In Stew

Potatoes, sweet potatoes, lentils, and barley make great substitutes for mushrooms in a stew. Their hearty textures can hold longer cooking times, but they won’t add the umami flavor. Put a splash of Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, or mushroom broth to add some depth to taste.

Substitute For Mushrooms In Soup

Soups have a thinner broth than stew and therefore have different mushroom substitutes. Tofu, beans, parsnips, rutabaga are great options. Check the flavor, and if it tastes a bit bland or flat, add a splash of Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, or mushroom broth.

Substitute For Mushrooms In Marsala

Chicken Marsala is an Italian American dish consisting of fried cutlets with a mushroom cream sauce. Eggplant and zucchini have similar consistencies to mushrooms and are great swaps.

Substitute For Mushrooms In Risotto

Eggplant, beans, sundried tomatoes are all great substitutes for mushrooms in risotto. Eggplant should be grilled or roasted first and then added at the end. Chop Sundried tomatoes and add them with the wine or broth. 

Substitute For Mushrooms In Pasta

Pasta is a blank canvas when additions and substitutes depend on the sauce. 

Red Sauces – Eggplant, Sundried Tomato, White Beans, Zucchini, Chickpeas

White Sauces – Beans, Zucchini, Squash, Pumpkin

Substitute For Mushrooms In Beef Bourgignon

Many know this stew with red wine incorporated, thanks to Julia Child. Potatoes can handle the hearty broth. Add them towards the end, so they don’t get mushy.

How to Make A Mushroom Substitute For Meat

We use this method in our lightened-up version of the Oklahoma Onion Burger.  Finely chop mushrooms and mix with meat in a 2:1 ratio. Here, a food processor does a great job of mixing ground meat with mushrooms.

What Do You Think?

Do you love mushrooms? What are your favorite ingredient swaps? Let me know in the comments below; I’d love to read.

If you want to learn more about food substitutions, check out our chicken wing alternatives and parmesan cheese options.

Happy Cooking!

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