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Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms are a filling, easy main course recipe full of colorful ingredients and satisfying textures. It’s a great way to load up on vegetables in a tasty way. Only 75 calories per mushroom!
Vegetarian stuffed Portobello mushrooms are packed with an assortment of colors, shapes and great flavor making them a filling appetizer, main dish recipe or a side dish. Red peppers, corn, fresh spinach, smoked paprika and more make them a great choice for weeknight dinners or dinner parties.
Portobello mushrooms have a robust flavor and meaty texture making them a great way to enjoy a hearty plant-based meal any time.
This recipe is actually for vegan stuffed portobello mushrooms making them perfect to serve anyone for a weeknight dinner and a great addition to your holiday table. The veggie filling is delicious and full of flavor (but not loaded with calories either).
This stuffed mushroom recipe uses only 1 tablespoon of olive oil across 6 mushrooms.
The filling ingredients are all low calorie vegetables in addition to a scant ⅓ cup of quinoa for some extra protein.
No breadcrumbs or extra fatty ingredients used as often are used with stuffed mushrooms.
Recipe Ingredients Notes
Portobello mushrooms. You’ll need six large Portobellos mushrooms. They will be pre-baked to release some of their water content which will cause them to shrink slightly. Starting with smaller mushrooms will not leave enough room to use all the filling. See more below on how to choose and prep them.
Yellow onion. Select a small yellow onion. It will be chopped and sautéed for the filling.
Red bell pepper. Select a small bell pepper. Remove the stem and inner membrane before chopping.
Fresh spinach. You’ll need ¾ cup rough chopped. This better disperses it throughout the filling in smaller pieces.
Cooked quinoa. The quinoa adds protein and should be cooked before starting the recipe. Follow the instruction on the package or general instructions in the Notes section of the recipe card at the end of the post.
Corn kernels. You can use fresh corn off the cob or frozen thawed corn.
Smoked paprika. This adds an earthy smoky flavor that’s delicious. Don’t use hot smoked paprika which is very spicy.
How to prep Portobello mushrooms
Selecting the mushrooms
Portobello mushrooms are often sold in packages of 2 or 3. Select large mushrooms and mushrooms that are similar size to each other so they’ll cook in the same amount of time. The cap should not have any blemishes and feel firm (not squishy) to the touch.
How to clean them
Don’t rinse mushrooms (any type) as you would with other produce. They can become waterlogged and soggy. Instead use a special mushroom brush or a damp paper towel (make sure it’s not very wet) to lightly brush off any dirt particles.
Trimming
Handle the mushrooms gently to avoid them cracking. Cut out the mushroom stems (you can save it, dice it and add it to the filling mixture).
Scrape out the gills. They are edible but make it difficult to stuff the Portobello mushroom caps. Use a dining spoon turned upside down so the edge of the spoon is facing the gills. Gently scrape in the direction of the grills to remove them. They too can be added to the filling if desired.
Sometimes the top side of the mushroom cap will curl under over the outer edge of the gills. I usually trim this off to leave as much surface area for stuffing as possible. This is optional and doesn’t occur on all mushrooms.
How to make Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
STEP 1. Preparation
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the cleaned Portobello mushrooms on a large rimmed baking sheet with the underside of the cap facing the baking sheet (photo 1).
STEP 2. Bake
Place the pan in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until the mushrooms express some of their water content (you may not see it until lifting the mushrooms after baking).
Remove from oven and dab up any moisture from the stem side of the mushrooms and the pan using paper towels. Keep a close eye to they don’t overcook and begin to dry out.
STEP 3. Make the filling (while the mushrooms bake)
In a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat the olive oil. Add the chopped onion and red bell pepper (photo 2). Sauté until softened (4-5 minutes).
Add the garlic and cook 60 seconds. Add the diced zucchini and cook until softened (2-3 minutes) (photo 3).
Add the corn kernels and fresh chopped spinach (photos 5-6). Sauté until the spinach wilts; about 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the prepared quinoa, oregano, smoked paprika and salt into the sautéed vegetables (photos 7-8).
STEP 4. Fill and Bake
Turn the mushrooms to have the underside facing up. Evenly divide the stuffing onto the six mushrooms (photo 9). Place back into the oven for a second bake for 10 minutes or until warmed through (photo 10).
Variations
Add the mushroom stems to the filling. You can trim the ends and chop the mushroom stems to add to the filling if desired. Add them at the end of sautéing the onions.
Add some cheese. Add some goat cheese, mozzarella cheese or freshly grated parmesan cheese. Keep is light, just to add some more flavors. Cheese is a more calorie dense ingredient.
Adding cheese keeps them vegetarian but they will no longer be vegan. If you want to keep them vegan but like the addition of cheese, you can use vegan cheese too. It is available in every type of cheese flavor imaginable (vegan parmesan cheese, vegan mozzarella and more).
Add some sun-dried tomatoes. For a Mediterranean vibe, add some sun dried tomatoes when sautéing the other vegetables.
Add a splash of balsamic vinegar. Splash it in to the other filling ingredients as a last step before baking the stuffed Portabello mushrooms the second time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use smaller mushrooms to make this recipe for an appetizer?
You can! Button mushrooms, cremini mushrooms and portobello mushrooms are all the same fungi but different ages. Cremini mushrooms are a great option for an appetizer. You’ll need more of them as well as to reduce the first bake cycle to release moisture (bake them for 10 minutes and check them). The second baking will be shortened too. Check that they are warmed through.
Do I have to scrape out the gills of the mushroom before stuffing?
No you don’t but it will give more room for the stuffing.
How to Store
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Freezing not recommended.
Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms are brimming with colorful vegetables, protein-packed quinoa all filling meaty delicious mushrooms. It’s a perfect low calorie main dish, side dish or appetizer recipe.
6largeportobello mushroomssee Notes on selecting and preparing them
1tablespoonolive oil
1smallzucchini
1smallyellow onion
¾cupfresh spinachpacked and rough chopped
2garlic cloves
⅓cupcooked quinoa
⅓cupfresh or frozen/thawed corn kernels
1smallred bell pepper
½teaspoondried oregano
½teaspoonsmoked paprika
½teaspoonkosher salt
Instructions
Bake the mushrooms (bake #1)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees f. Place the cleaned prepared portobello mushrooms on a large rimmed baking sheet with the underside facing the pan (top side facing up).
Place the pan in the heated oven for 10-15 minutes until the mushrooms release their excess moisture (you may not see it until lifting them from the pan after baking). Monitor so the mushrooms do not overcook.
Remove the pan from the oven. Dab up any expressed moisture from the pan and the underside of the mushrooms with a paper towel.
Make the filling
While the mushrooms are baking make the filling. In a large non-stick skillet heat the olive oil. Add the chopped onion and red pepper. Sauté until soft (4-5 minutes).
Add the garlic to the skillet and cook 60 seconds. Add the diced zucchini and cook until soft (2-3 minutes).
Add the corn kernels and fresh chopped spinach. Sauté until the spinach wilts; about 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the prepared quinoa, oregano, smoked paprika and salt.
Turn the mushrooms to have the underside facing up on the baking sheet. Evenly divide the filling onto the top of the six mushrooms.
Bake stuffed mushrooms (bake #2)
Place back into the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until warmed through. Serve hot.
Notes
Selecting the mushrooms
Portobello mushrooms are often sold in packages of 2 or 3. Select large mushrooms and mushrooms that are similar size to each other so they’ll cook in the same amount of time. The cap should not have any blemishes and feel firm (not squishy) to the touch.
How to clean them
Don’t rinse mushrooms (any type) as you would with other produce. They can become waterlogged and soggy. Instead use a special mushroom brush or a damp paper towel (make sure it’s not very wet) to lightly brush off any dirt particles.
Trimming
Handle the mushrooms gently to avoid them cracking. Cut out the mushroom stems (you can save it, dice it and add it to the filling mixture).
Scrape out the gills. They are edible but make it difficult to stuff the Portobello mushroom caps. Use a dining spoon turned upside down so the edge of the spoon is facing the gills. Gently scrape in the direction of the grills to remove them. They too can be added to the filling if desired.
Sometimes the top side of the mushroom cap will curl under over the outer edge of the gills. I usually trim this off to leave as much surface area for stuffing as possible. This is optional and doesn’t occur on all mushrooms.
How to Store
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Freezing not recommended.
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