This vegetarian mushroom stroganoff has all the familiar flavors of stroganoff. Full of umami flavor, it’s a great vegetarian alternative.
I loved beef stroganoff as a kid, so when I got more savvy in the kitchen I knew I had to make a vegetarian version. I wanted the mushroom stroganoff to be meat-free, but still full of flavor. The key to this recipe is maximizing umami flavor.
What is umami?
Umami is a taste category like sweet and salty. Umami is describes as savory, meaty, and the taste of protein. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the pure umami flavor. Since meat has a lot of umami flavor, sometimes vegetarian dishes are missing this distinct taste.
So, let’s talk about some vegetarian sources of umami you can incorporate into your dishes.
- Tomatoes
- Mushrooms
- Soy sauce
- Miso
- Other fermented products
- Hydrolyzed protein
- Yeast extract
- MSG
Some vegetables like tomatoes and mushrooms have strong umami flavors. Other fermented products like soy sauce and miso have umami flavors from the fermentation process. Also, there are additives like hydrolyzed protein and yeast extract that are added for umami. I use this vegetable broth base that adds umami to the mushroom stroganoff. Check out this recipe where I discuss umami as well.
MSG?
If you’ve heard controversy around MSG, let’s break that down real quick. MSG is added to some Chinese dishes to enhance flavor. MSG is kind of like salt to add flavor to dishes. In the late 60s, the term “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome” was coined to describe symptoms like headache, nausea, and chest pain. People thought MSG was to blame. Turns out MSG is safe to eat, and these claims were more rooted in racism than health. Read more here.
Eating MSG is safe. So, you don’t need to worry about consuming it. The only small caveat is that MSG may be a migraine trigger to a small amount of people. Just like chocolate, cheese, and wine, just because it may be an avoidable trigger for some, overall these foods are safe for people to eat!
Mushroom Stroganoff
Ingredients
- 1 package egg noodles or pasta of choice
- 16 oz. mushrooms
- 2 shallots
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp Better that Bouillon
- 8 oz. warm water
- 2 tbsp flour
- ½ tbsp miso
- ½ tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup sour cream
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to boil and cook the noodles according to the instructions on the box.
- Brush any excess dirt off of the mushrooms and remove the stems. Thinly slice the caps.
- Cut the shallots in half and remove the papery skin. Finely dice the shallots.
- In a a large skillet over medium heat, add the oil to the pan along with the shallots and mushrooms. Cook about 10 minutes or until the shallots are translucent and the mushrooms have released their liquid and reduced in size.
- Mince the garlic or use a garlic press and add the garlic to the pan.
- While the garlic cooks, prepare the broth by mixing the vegetable concentrate into warm water according to the directions.
- To the pan, add the broth. Sprinkle the flour over the pan and whisk to incorporate.
- Continue to cook over medium heat to thicken the mixture. Add in the miso and soy sauce. Whisk the miso in until it dissolves.
- Remove from heat and mix in the sour cream. Adjust the flavor with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve stroganoff over noodles and store in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 1 week.