Love mushrooms? Be sure to try out my mushroom stew, mushroom ragout and mushroom stroganoff. The other day I stumbled across an episode of Julia Child cooking up beef bourguignon on what appeared to be the first episode of her pioneering television show, The French Chef. I could watch Julia cook all day any day, even if she almost always makes things I don’t eat. But she usually sets off a craving, and this time it was for my vegan Mushroom Bourguignon.
What is mushroom bourguignon
Mushroom bourguignon is a vegan version of the French recipe boeuf bourguignon. It’s is a stew made by simmering mushrooms in a rich red wine sauce with a base of tomato paste, herbs and more veggies. This vegan bourguignon is inspired by the French original and it’s a recipe I’ve perfected over many years. I love serving it over a bed or flat noodles or mashed potatoes for a hearty, delicious, healthy meal. There is so much I love about this dish, and chief among them are: -the multitude of textures and flavors. -the silky, sauce that coats your tongue with so many explosive notes of salty, sweet richness. -the ease of preparation -the overall healthfulness of this stew. There is some fat in this dish but it is quite low-calorie and packed with good vitamins and even a good amount of protein and fiber. Check to get new recipe updates by email.
Top tips for making mushroom bourguignon
Use more than one kind of mushroom as you can, for the most flavor and texture, but one kind works too. I usually use a mix of dry shiitake and fresh crimini mushrooms. You can skip the dry mushrooms, but reconstituting them produces a really great stock that amps up the umami in this recipe. I like to brown the mushrooms first, for the best flavor and texture. It’s an additional step but well worth the trouble and you’ll be glad you did it when you take your first bite and go, ooh la la. The legend goes that bourguignon is so called because it’s made with burgundy wine. That said, I’ve seen versions of beef bourguignon made with brandy, and I use that sometimes, while at others I go with regular old red wine. If you have kids and absolutely won’t use wine in your cooking (I get it, but keep in mind the alcohol does cook off so your little ones won’t be slurring their speech), use a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to deglaze the pan. This is a pretty straightforward recipe, so I don’t want to drown you in instructions, except to say that when you cut veggies, try and keep them all in the same size so they cook together evenly. A bourguignon made by a French chef would likely include a bouquet garni–a mix of herbs. I use two–thyme and sage. I love the sage because it adds more smokiness and depth to the stew, but if you don’t have it, you can leave it out. Just use more thyme. The tamari is not traditional, but I’ve always used it in my bourguignon because it adds umami and smokiness, along with the mushroom stock and sage. You can use soy sauce or liquid aminos as a substitute. With any stew, and especially with a vegan stew, the seasoning is key. Make sure you taste frequently and add salt and pepper as needed to make your stew as tasty as can be. If you’re trying to stay away from fat and do not want to add the vegan butter at the end, you can leave it out, but the butter really helps smooth the sauce out even more, giving it a truly velvety texture and rounding out all of the flavors very nicely. It’s not a whole lot–a tablespoon for four servings–but you get a great return on those calories.
Serving suggestions
Mushroom bourguignon is robust enough to be paired with almost any grain, but it’s usually served with a flat noodle like a pappardelle that can nicely cradle the plush sauce. This time I used a gluten-free fettuccine noodle made with brown rice and corn, making the meal entirely gf, and it was so, so good. You can also serve the bourguignonne with creamy vegan mashed potatoes or, to keep things very French, with this colorful ratatouille.
More vegan mushroom recipes
Recipe card
