Portobello Stroganoff is a Twist on a Classic

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Portobello Stroganoff is a vegetarian twist on a classic dish.  It will have you saying “mmm” with every bite.  It uses simple ingredient swaps so you can enjoy a healthier meal without sacrificing flavor.

 

I have this recipe for Hungarian Portobello Goulash. It’s delicious, by the way, but not what this post is about. This post is about this Portobello Stroganoff. You see, Mom seems to have mixed the two in her brain and she was forever looking for the Portobello Stroganoff recipe, which hasn’t existed yet. I searched my posts and couldn’t find one either. So, I wandered Pinterest to find one for her. She wrote back saying it wasn’t stroganoff but goulash that I had posted. Mystery solved.

 

But that actually brought up another question, “Why haven’t I made Portobello Stroganoff?” Why wasn’t there a recipe on the blog already? It seems simple to me that it would be the perfect meat main dish to make meat free.  Come to think of it, I don’t have a beef stroganoff on the blog.  I do have a chicken stroganoff and a Tex-Mex beef stroganoff, but not traditional beef.  I should fix that.

 

 

What is stroganoff?

 

The origins of this classic comfort food date back to 19th-century Tsarist Russia.  It was originally made with sautéed beef in a mustard and sour cream sauce. Some have indicated that it’s from the French chefs cooking for the Stroganov family, but more research shows that it’s based off of some older Russian dishes. 

 

The recipe stroganoff is based on is a combination of beef cubes rubbed with salt, pepper, and allspice sautéed in butter.  A simple sauce made with a roux, prepared mustard, and broth is finished with a touch of sour cream rounding out the whole dish.  No onions, mushrooms, or alcohol.  Some versions include onions and tomato sauce served with a side of crisp potato straws, which I assume are like French fries. 

 

 

The popularity of the dish grew from the start of World War II where it was served in hotels and restaurants in China.  Russian and Chinese immigrants as well as US service man stationed in China took this dish home and interpreted it to include ingredients readily available and adding favorite flavors from their cuisines.  As with all popular dishes, mass marketing in the US created a dehydrated beef stroganoff mix that you could mix with cooked beef and sour cream for a quick and easy dinner.

 

What are portobello mushrooms?

 

Portobello mushrooms, also known as portobellini, are mature cremini mushrooms that have been allowed to grow larger and develop a deeper flavor. Which I find interesting because cremini mushrooms are often labelled as baby belllos or portobellos.  Portobellos, creminis, and white buttons are pretty much all the same mushroom just at different stages of maturity.

 

 

Portobellos are known for their meaty texture and earthy taste.  This makes them a popular choice for vegetarian dishes like this stroganoff. These mushrooms have a distinctive dark brown cap that can grow up to six inches in diameter, providing a hearty and filling alternative to meat in recipes.  Some of the larger mushrooms are a great alternative to a burger.

 

Can you substitute other mushrooms in this recipe?

 

While portobello mushrooms offer an earthy flavor and meaty texture that works well in stroganoff, you can also experiment with other varieties.  A shiitake would be delicious and provide a different texture to your stroganoff.  It’s a heartier mushroom that can stand up to this stroganoff recipe.  Oyster mushrooms or even king trumpets would work well to replace portobellos.  Oysters will have a lighter flavor and king trumpets will have a firmer texture.

 

 

Ingredients you’ll need for this stroganoff recipe

• Produce – onions, garlic, mushrooms
• Pantry – white wine, vegetable broth, cornstarch, black pepper, garlic salt, egg noodles
• Fridge – butter, sour cream

 

Instructions to make portobello stroganoff

 

Start with boiling a pot of water for the noodles.  While that’s coming to a boil, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add some oil or butter to the pan and swirl to coat before adding in the onions and garlic to sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.  Then stir in the mushrooms and cook for 7 to 10 minutes or until they’ve softened and begin to brown.

 

 

Once the mushrooms are caramelized, add the wine to the pan to deglaze it and remove any cooked bits from the bottom of the pan.  The fond as they call it.  Combine the broth with the cornstarch and stir it into the mushroom mixture. 

 

Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes or until the sauce is thick.  Thicker than you think it should be.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sour cream.  When the noodles are finished cooking, stir in the butter, garlic salt, and black pepper.  Serve the portobello stroganoff with the noodles.

 

 

Tips for the perfect portobello stroganoff

 

First, make sure your pan is medium-high heat and stir the onions and garlic constantly so the garlic doesn’t burn.  Burned garlic is never fun and just tastes bitter.  For the best results, be sure to sauté the mushrooms until they are golden brown and caramelized.  If there are any juices that come out of the mushrooms, make sure that it evaporates to get a good caramelization on the mushrooms.  This will enhance the flavor of the stroganoff and create a rich base for your sauce.

 

Try experimenting with different herbs and spices to tailor the dish to your taste preferences.  Don’t be afraid to get creative with your ingredients.  If you want something with protein, try stirring in some lentils or chickpeas. Even try adding in some tempeh or tofu.  Finally, try spicing things up with some crushed red pepper.

 

 

Just look at that plate of portobello mushroom goodness!  I love how you can take almost any meat and replace it with portobellos or other mushrooms. They’re so hearty and meaty! There are recipes out there to cook mushrooms so they have the texture of bacon. I’m seriously up for that challenge!! I’ve roasted them so they’re almost completely dry, but that was an accident.  I forgot they were in the oven.  It was almost like mushroom jerky.

 

I know, it doesn’t look like stroganoff. It did once I added the sour cream, but the mushrooms just kept making it darker. I don’t know if was the gills in the mushrooms not being removed or what, but it DID taste like stroganoff. Since the hubs isn’t a huge fan of sour cream I didn’t add as much as I wanted to.  I added enough to have that creamy tang in there. If you want it lighter, just add more sour cream.

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