Published by: Adina · Last modified: January 30, 2022 16 Comments
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Aromatic mushroom stew in a delicious sauce with lots of herbs, the best mushroom main dish there is. Serve over polenta or mashed potatoes.
This mushroom stew is my favorite mushroom main dish.
I love mushrooms and I eat them in many delicious ways, but this stew is special. I have been making it for so many years, it was one of the first really good recipes I've learned how to cook and it is a delight every time I make it.
A really perfect dish, if you ask me. I've cooked this so many times and there is not one thing I could think of changing, I think it has reached the superlative just the way it is.
I have some other recipes on Where Is My Spoon, which awake the same feelings in me: of them being so perfect that there is nothing I could imagine improving, dishes that were found to be wonderful by every single person who ever tasted them. Here are some of them, if you would like to give them a try:
- Yogurt Bomb with Berries - The Best Dessert Ever
- Ramen Nappa Cabbage Salad with Sunflower Seeds and Almonds
- Strawberry Cheesecake
- Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Wedges - Simple and Delicious
- Moist Chocolate Gateau or Cake with Chocolate Cream Filling
- Or try some of the recipes on this list: My Favorite Recipes.
Are mushrooms vegetables?
Mushrooms are not vegetables, they have no leaves, roots, or seeds and they don't contain the chlorophyll needed to convert the sunlight's energy into carbohydrates. So, actually, they are not even plants.
Botanically, they are classified as fungi, but nutritionally, they are considered to be vegetables, as they have many of the nutritional attributes of vegetables.
There are many sorts of mushrooms, some are edible and some can be lethal.
The most common sorts are the plain mushrooms, which can be either white or brown, small like the button mushrooms or large as the portobello mushrooms.
Other very well-known types of mushrooms are oyster mushrooms, shiitake, enoki, or the more expensive ones like chanterelle, porcini, or morel.
Recipe steps
Mushrooms:
- I have only ever made this dish with plain mushrooms (champignons ) either white or brown or a mixture of the two. You could probably make it with fancier wild mushrooms if you wish, but they are rather expensive and very seasonal. The plain mushrooms are something you can get anywhere anytime and they fit this stew perfectly.
- I never wash mushrooms, I think they tend to soak the water and lose their flavor in the process. But I do take my time to wipe them very thoroughly with kitchen paper.
- And do not throw away the stems, I know many people who do and I cannot understand them. Chop them and add them to the dish as well.
The rest of the ingredients are very cheap and easily available:
- Olive oil
- Some herbs
- Good sweet paprika powder
- White wine. I make the stew with white wine most of the time, but red wine can be used instead. You can leave out the wine entirely if you wish.
- Milk to round up the taste of the stew at the end of the cooking process, but if you don't care too much about the calories, you can use heavy cream instead.
- I almost always use low-fat milk to make the stew. And when using it, I prefer to take a bit of cornstarch to thicken the sauce.
- It is an optional step, it makes the sauce a bit thicker and I like it like that, but if you prefer a thinner sauce, you can leave it the way it is.
- The thickening of the sauce is not necessary if you use heavy cream instead of milk, which will give the stew its right consistency.
Tips and Recipe FAQ
Can I make the mushroom stew vegan?
Definitely. Replace the dairy with their vegan alternative, like soy milk or soy cream, almond milk, or whatever you like to use in this kind of dish.
How to store and reheat?
Store in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Reheat on the stove and add a splash of milk when you do it. Stir frequently.
Can I freeze it?
Cool the dish completely, place it in freezer bags. Make the portions as large as you think necessary.
Freeze for up to 3 months.
Defrost in the refrigerator and heat thoroughly before serving.
How to serve?
- Preferably immediately after cooking. It can be reheated like any other stew, but I find it best when served immediately.
- And you can be very creative when it comes to the side dish for the stew.
- Our first choice is always polenta. It fits the stew perfectly and the best about it is that while the husband and I are enjoying the mushroom stew over polenta, the kids can have their polenta with cheese and yogurt and then there will be no complaints at all at the table.
- But other delicious alternatives are Semmelknödel – German bread dumplings, Spätzle – Swabian noodles or any kind of noodles or rice.
- A nice green salad and maybe a dollop of Greek yogurt and you will have a complete, healthy, and utterly delicious meal in no time.
- And although this recipe is so cheap and easy to make, it is definitely something to serve to guests as well, you can be sure that unless they have a mushroom phobia like my kids, they will adore it.
- Just don't do it like I did the last time I served this to guests: I prepared the dish for a small crowd and I mistook the paprika powder jar with the cayenne pepper jar, so I put 3 tablespoons cayenne pepper in the food.
- It was the hottest dish I have ever tasted. I tried to save it a bit by pouring almost two cups of heavy cream and more broth in the stew, but it didn't really help, it was soooo hot. We still ate it though, with tears in our eyes and lots and lots of noodles, it still tasted good! 🙂
More mushroom recipes:
- Veal Marsala Recipe
- Broccoli and Mushrooms with Blue Cheese
- Air Fryer Mushrooms
- Vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms (with Herb Butter)
- Jägerschnitzel - German Schnitzel
Easy Mushroom Stew Recipe (Mushroom Main Dish)
Aromatic mushroom stew in a delicious sauce with lots of herbs, a perfect vegetarian stew for these cold autumn days.
4.52 from 27 votes
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Course: Stews
Cuisine: German
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 242kcal
Author: Adina
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs white or brown mushrooms 1 kg
- 2 onions
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika powder
- ⅔ cup white wine 150 ml
- ⅔ cup good-quality vegetable broth 150 ml
- ⅔ cup milk or heavy cream See note
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch optional, not necessary if using heavy cream
- 1 bunch parsley or chives
- 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice or to taste
- fine sea salt and pepper
Instructions
Mushrooms: Clean the mushrooms by wiping them carefully with kitchen paper to remove any dirt that might stick to them. Halve or quarter the mushrooms, depending on their size. If they are very small, you can leave them whole. Chop the stems in 2 or 3 pieces as well. Set aside.
Saute: Finely chop the onions and the garlic cloves. Heat the oil and the butter in a stew pot and cook the onions and the garlic until the onions are translucent.
Cook: Add the mushrooms, cover the pot and leave to cook for about 5 minutes.
Simmer: Add the tomato paste, sweet paprika powder, and some salt and pepper. Stir to coat the mushrooms with the spices. Add the white wine and let it bubble off completely. Add the vegetable broth, cover, and cook for about 15-20 minutes.
Thicken: Shortly before the end of the cooking time, whisk the milk and the cornstarch together in a small bowl. Slowly pour the mixture into the pot while whisking all the time. Stir well and let cook for another two minutes or so until the sauce thickens slightly.
If you are using heavy cream, the cornstarch will not be necessary. Just stir the cream into the dish and let cook for a couple of minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly.
Adjust the taste with lemon juice and more salt and pepper. Chop the herbs and add to the stew.
Serve immediately with one of the sides mentioned above.
Notes
The nutrition is calculated considering that you have used milk and cornstarch. If using heavy cream, one portion of the mushroom stew will have about 350 calories.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/4 of the dish | Calories: 242kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 459mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g
Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @adinabeck or tag #WhereIsMySpoon!
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Caria says
Forgot to taste the stew at the end to see if it needed salt/pepper. I used two different types of mushrooms. I served it over brown rice. Would definitely make it again.
Adina says
Thank you for the feedback, Caria, I am happy to hear you like the stew.
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Gloria Borger says
This Looks delicious I will definitely try this recipe. Thank for sharing
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Karen (Back Road Journal) says
This sounds delicious Adina, especially served over soft polenta. We have a son who refuses to eat mushrooms as well, he doesn't know what he is missing.
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mjskitchen says
I still make your baked polenta with mushrooms because we absolutely love it. This dish with the creamy polenta looks like another keeper. Am going to try this one as well. thanks Adina!
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mary anderson says
great recipe. i really love to make this kind of recipe because kids these days they dont like to have heavy stuff all the time glad i can make something delicious for them thanks to you 🙂
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T says
I am currently eating this right now, and it's great! The stew tastes a lot like a marsala sauce- and eating it over polenta is very savory and satisfying. I added about double the amount of cornstarch (I think I used fewer mushrooms and ended up with a greater proportion of liquids). I did add fresh thyme to the recipe because anything with mushrooms deserves thyme, in my opinion.
Thanks for the recipe!Reply
Adina says
So great to hear this, T. 🙂 Thyme is a great idea, I use it often for mushrooms myself.
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Kim says
Mmmm. This recipe sounds tremendous. My mother always served a hearty Italian stew over soft polenta, so this has me thinking of her and home. I'm lucky that my kids will eat mushrooms, although one likes them a little better than the other. Thanks for sharing this beautiful recipe.
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mjskitchen says
I pretty much love anything served with polenta, but these mushroom take the cake. What a good looking bowl of deliciousness!
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Marvellina|What To Cook Today says
My kids hate mushrooms too. Even my son who will eat pretty much everything refuses mushrooms LOL! My husband and I love mushrooms though! This mushrooms stew look absolutely delish
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Amy Kugali McWilliams says
I just made this, it is so incredibly delicious! Thank you I will never make a complicated French style mushroom soup ever again! YUM!
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Adina says
Thank you for the feedback, Amy. I am so glad you liked the soup! ??
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Sissi says
Wonderful way to serve a mushroom stew! Purée looks so amazing together with mushrooms! I love the stew recipe too! I am a big fan of mushrooms, so thank you for sharing one more mushroom recipe.
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Chris Scheuer says
This is such a unique but delicious looking/sounding dish. We're crazy for mushrooms and I know this would be a big hit. Haha, we have one mushroom hater in the family too, so sad for him!
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Angie@Angie's Recipes says
Looks really great over polenta!
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