Homemade mushroom stuffing is loaded with fresh mushrooms, onion, celery, garlic, and herbs. It's wonderfully savory, easy to prepare, and sure to be a hit on Thanksgiving! Try it with shiitake mushrooms, as pictured, or any type of mushroom you like. The stuffing is naturally vegan and easily customized with dried fruit, nuts, lentils, or vegan sausage.
For as long as I can remember, cornbread dressing has been my favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal.
But stuffing made with "regular" bread? Yeah, in Alabama we didn't eat that.
Of course, my Wisconsin-born husband only knew of stuffing until I forced my southern, cornbread-loving ways on him.
But I'm coming around to the fact that stuffing is pretty awesome, too! I mean, it has most of the same irresistible flavors found in dressing, like onion, celery, broth, thyme, and sage.
In some ways, "regular bread" stuffing is even more fun because the flavor is so neutral it invites experimentation!
To this basic mushroom stuffing feel free to add dried fruits, nuts, lentils, or meaty vegan options like sausage or tempeh.
For vegans and vegetarians, adding mushrooms to stuffing is a great way to add umami and meaty texture.
We really love the firm, chewy bite and rich flavor of shiitake mushrooms, but with so many wonderful varieties of mushrooms available, go ahead and mix it up!
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Ingredients
- bread - white bread is the classic choice for stuffing because it has a tight crumb (best for soaking up all the flavors) and isn't too soft or moist. Other breads work well, too. Look for something sturdy and neutral in flavor. Try a mild whole-grain loaf or an artisan sandwich bread from your favorite bakery. Avoid breads that are overly soft as they tend to fall apart. Also avoid breads with holes such as ciabatta and French bread.
- mushrooms - I used shiitake mushrooms because we love their firm, meaty texture and deep flavor. But you can use pretty much any type of mushroom you like or have access to for this recipe.
- aromatics - you'll need yellow onion, garlic, and celery.
- herbs - I chose to use fresh thyme and dried sage, but technically fresh or dried for either one is fine. I also included fresh parsley for flavor and color. It's usually inexpensive and easy to find in the produce section.
- broth - for the best flavor I recommend using Better Than Bouillon's No-Chicken Base. Follow the instructions on the jar to prepare 3 cups of broth. Regular vegetable broth is fine, too!
See recipe card for quantities and full instructions.
How to Make Mushroom Stuffing
- First, toast the bread to dry it out. Oh, and about the bread, you can either chop it into squares or tear it - this is totally up to you! Spread the bread out onto two large baking sheets. Bake at 320° F for about 20 minutes.
- While the bread is toasting, saute the onion and mushrooms for about 10 minutes or until the mushrooms have softened. Deglaze the pan with a bit of white wine or a splash of vinegar.
- Here comes the flavor! Add the celery to the pan and cook for about 1 minute. Slide the veggies to one side and add the vegan butter to the other side of the pan. Add the garlic, thyme, and sage directly in the melted butter. Stir and cook for about 30 seconds, then turn off the heat. Add parsley and mix everything together. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the toasted bread to the pan and gently toss. If desired, add vegan Parmesan cheese. Add broth 1 cup at a time, gently stirring and allowing the bread to soak it up before adding more. The stuffing should be moist but not soupy.
Increase the oven temperature to 375° Fahrenheit. - Spoon the stuffing mixture into an oiled 9x13 casserole dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Increase the temp to 425 degrees, uncover, and bake for another 20 minutes or until piping hot in the center and golden brown on top.
Hint: covering the stuffing keeps the inside nice and soft! The final phase of baking uncovered at a higher temperature crisps up the top.
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Serving Suggestions
For a simple and well-rounded vegan Thanksgiving meal, we like to pair mushroom stuffing with one or two fresh/raw dishes, vegetables side dishes, gravy and/or soup, and a plant-based roast or loaf.
Here are a few ideas:
- spinach salad with sweet potato and cranberries
- easy mushroom gravy
- creamy wild rice soup
- creamy mushroom soup
- orange-cranberry or apple-cranberry sauce
- perfectly roasted Brussels sprouts
- seitan turkey roast
- Beyond Meat-lentil loaf with stuffing
- healthy chickpea and wild rice loaf
And then there's dessert! Try this veganized strawberry pretzel dessert or one of these beautiful vegan pies.
Substitutions
- mushrooms - instead of shiitakes, try cremini, white button, or wild mushrooms such as porcini, maitake, morel, oyster, and chanterelle.
- gluten-free - for a fully gluten-free stuffing the bread is the only ingredient that needs to be replaced. It can be tricky finding bread in stores that is both vegan and gluten-free. A homemade bread might be the best option, or check with your local bakeries.
Variations
- sausage - saute 2 or 3 vegan sausages, and set them aside. Crumble into the pan when adding the bread.
- dried fruit - dried apricots or cranberries add a lovely burst of tart and sweet flavor and a chewy texture.
- nuts - toasted and chopped pecans add great texture. Approximately 2 large handfuls is a good amount. Toss the nuts with the other ingredients in the saute pan, just before adding to the casserole dish.
- lentils - for a heartier stuffing, add 1 ½ cups cooked and seasoned lentils to the dish - try black, brown or green lentils.
Equipment Needed
You'll need a good knife for slicing and chopping the vegetables, a large saute pan, and a standard 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
FAQs
Many stuffing recipes include eggs, but they aren't necessary. Eggs add moisture and binding, but broth and butter also accomplish this. However, if you plan to use gluten-free bread, additional binding is helpful. Since this is a vegan stuffing recipe, I recommend JUST Egg instead of chicken eggs. Whisk about ½ cup of liquid JUST Egg into the broth before pouring over the stuffing.
Definitely. You can prep stuffing ahead of time a few different ways.
1) Prepare the individual components and store separately, then add the broth, and bake the stuffing on Thanksgiving Day.
2) Or fully cook the stuffing 1 to 2 days in advance, let it cool, then cover and refrigerate. Transfer the covered dish to the oven to reheat before serving. Add 2 or 3 pats of butter to the top if it seems dry.
3) You can also freeze baked stuffing for up to a month, and reheat before serving.
Leftover mushroom stuffing is good for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Always thoroughly reheat leftovers. The great news is that stuffing tastes even better after a day in the fridge!
Tip
Have extra bread leftover? Try my winter panzanella salad or this vegan pineapple stuffing!
I hope you enjoy this vegan mushroom stuffing. If you try it I would love to hear from you! Comment below to let everyone know how it turned out and any variations you tried.
More Vegan Mushroom Recipes
Recipe
Vegan Mushroom Stuffing
Ingredients
- 18 ounces vegan bread, cut or torn into 1-inch pieces - see Note 1; I used 365 brand classic white sandwich loaf
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter
- 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
- 16 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced - or cremini or a blend of wild mushrooms
- 4 ribs of celery, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup dry white wine - or 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh thyme - stems removed
- ¾ teaspoon ground sage - or 2 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon fine sea salt - depending on the saltiness of the broth
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 ½ to 3 cups broth prepared with Better Than Bouillon No-Chicken Base - or other vegetable broth
- 1 ounce grated vegan Parmesan cheese, optional
Instructions
- Dry out the bread: Preheat oven to 320° F. Spread bread in a single layer on 2 large baking sheets. Bake until toasted and crisp, about 20 minutes. Golden around the edges is okay, but don't let it brown. Set aside. Increase the oven temp to 375 degrees.
- Saute the veggies: Preheat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the oil, onion, and mushrooms. Stirring occasionally, cook for 10 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender. Add the celery and cook for about 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with wine or vinegar.
- Slide the veggies to one side and add the vegan butter to the other side of the pan. Add the garlic, thyme, and sage directly to the melted butter. Stir and cook for about 30 seconds, then turn off the heat. Add the parsley, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine.
- Combine: Add the toasted bread to the pan and toss. If desired, fold in vegan Parmesan cheese. Add broth 1 cup at a time, gently stirring and allowing the bread to soak up the broth before adding more. The stuffing should be moist but not soupy. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired.
- Bake: Increase oven temperature to 375° and oil a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. Transfer stuffing to the dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake covered for 35 minutes. Remove the foil, and increase the oven temperature to 425° F. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the stuffing is set, piping hot in the center, and golden brown on top.
- Let stand for a few minutes and serve hot.
Notes
1) Prepare the individual components (dry out the bread, saute the veggies) and store separately, then add the broth, and bake the stuffing just before serving.
2) Or fully cook the stuffing 1 to 2 days in advance, cool completely, cover and refrigerate. Transfer the covered dish to the oven to reheat before serving. If the top seems dry add 2 or 3 pats of vegan butter to the top and bake uncovered for 10 minutes to crisp up the top.
3) You can also freeze baked stuffing for up to a month, and reheat before serving.
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used.
Lane
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was easy and delicious! The shiitake mushrooms are a smart addition since they are firm and more flavorful than other varieties. I added a touch of liquid smoke to the broth and used vegan mozzarella in stead of Parmesan. Everyone was impressed!