Vegan Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms
It’s really hard to hate the things that can bring us joy, such as cooking. When that happens unexpectedly, it doesn’t feel good.
Last week, I shared my recent overwhelming cooking experience with you because #1 I really needed to get it off my chest, so thank you for bearing with me; #2 if you are facing different cooking difficulties, whether they are physically challenging to you or giving you mental pressure, I would love to chat with you. I wanted to find a way to make cooking as joyful as possible to all of us.
So we chatted. The conversations we had were so heartwarming to me! For those who participated, thank you for taking the time to show me how caring you are and how much you love cooking. It means a lot to me! The good news is that my mother-in-law is a lot better now. If you haven’t got a chance to join the conversation yet, here is the link again. Hope to talk to you there.
Now…onto today’s recipe.
My husband Han and I eat pretty much everything. So cooking to me really boils down to make something easy, healthy and hits the tasting spot. Sometimes the dishes I make happen to be vegan, or gluten free, or vegan and gluten free like these portabella mushrooms stuffed with baked tofu and crispy kale.
As one of the superfoods, kale beats all other vegetables by containing the highest levels of antioxidants, more calcium, and more iron. So glad that this beautiful dark green thing exists!
Tofu is an excellent source of calcium and a very good source of manganese, copper, selenium, protein, and phosphorus. In addition, tofu is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, iron, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin B1.
Now, look at the gigantic mushrooms. Portabella (portobello) are rich in Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Iron, Magnesium and Zinc, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folate, Pantothenic Acid, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper, Manganese and Selenium. (Phew…those are a lot of big words for me. )
In a nutshell, the three main ingredients that we are going to use in this recipe provide giant health benefits!
But they sound pretty bland together. How is this going to hit our tasting spot? The secret sauce is a cajun flavored creamy dressing combined with tahini (white sesame paste), olive oil, sesame oil, cajun seasoning and a touch of cider vinegar, making this vegan dish uber tasty. See, even the sauce is packed with nutrition.
The cooking sequence looks like this.
Bake tofu. 25 minutes. Cooking tofu this way enhances the texture and gives tofu a meaty taste. While tofu is in the oven, you have enough time to:
Cook kale. 3 minutes.
Whisk sauce. 2 minutes.
Broil mushrooms. 5 minutes.
Lastly, stuff mushrooms and drizzle with sauce. 5 minutes. DELISH!
These stuffed portabella mushrooms make a great appetizer. Make sure to pick large and bowl-shaped mushrooms so that you can stuff more filling into them. I have to admit that I wasn’t very satisfied with my mushrooms (in the photos) because you know, I like it big! (Oops, that’s what she says. :P)
Oh, one more thing. If you would like to cut down the cost and make the recipe even easier, feel free to enjoy the tofu and kale filling with the dressing as a super refreshing salad. One recipe for two dishes. Isn’t that cool?
Hope you enjoy this recipe. Happy cooking!
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Vegan Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Broiled portabella mushrooms stuffed with baked tofu and crunchy kale drizzled with a creamy cajun dressing for the win! Vegan and gluten-free!
Ingredients
- 4 portabella mushrooms (or more)
- 1 bunch Kale, ribs remove, roughly teared
- 1 (14-oz) package firm tofu
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- For the creamy cajun dressing
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Wrap up tofu with a few layers of paper towel and place a small heavy object (like a book or a plate) on top of it. This is to soak up the liquid from tofu. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Dice tofu and place on a slightly greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with 1 tsp cajun seasoning. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
- While the tofu is baking, prepare mushrooms, cook kale and make the creamy cajun dressing. Remove stems and gills from portabella mushrooms. (Use a spoon to gently scrape out the gills.) Brush with a little olive oil on both sides of the mushrooms and sprinkle with cajun seasoning. Place on a greased baking sheet. Cap side up.
- Cook kale in boiling water for 2-3 minutes or until kale is tender and crunchy. Drain well and set aside.
- Combine all the ingredients of the creamy cajun dressing in a small bowl. Stir until blend.
- Once the tofu is done, switch oven to broiler. Broil mushrooms for 4-5 minutes.
- Let cool and flip. Stuff the mushrooms with a generous amount of kale and baked tofu. Drizzle with the creamy cajun dressing and serve.
Notes
This recipe produces enough vegetable filling and dressing to stuff more portabella mushrooms. The rest of the tofu and kale can be mixed with the dressing as a delightful vegan salad.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 275
- Fat: 24.2g
- Saturated Fat: 3.7g
- Carbohydrates: 7.7g
- Fiber: 2.6g
- Protein: 11.3g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
About the Author
Sharon Chen is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, an author and a sous vide fanatic who believes food not only brings healing but also connection. As the creator of StreetSmart Kitchen, she's on a mission to help you find balance, ease, joy, and simplicity in the kitchen as you improve your well-being.
This looks absolutely delish! I bet grilling the portobellos on the bbq would make them juicy. Thank you so much for the recipe!
You are very welcome, Marie! I think grilling is the best way to cook portobellos. If you plan to set up the grill, might as well throw them on the rack. Enjoy! 🙂