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Make plenty of these Caramelized Mushrooms! With a shower of fresh herbs and lots of delicious umami, they'll disappear quickly! Use them as a side, a topping, in sandwiches and salads, to add pizzazz to pizza, omelets, bruschetta... and SO much more!
I've been making and tweaking these Caramelized Mushrooms for several years now and love having a little stash of them in the fridge to add fabulous flavor and a gourmet twist to so many different dishes. I can't believe I haven't shared this delicious recipe until now!
I love that although these mushrooms are loaded with fabulous flavor, the fat and calorie count is minimal. That way, I don't feel guilty stuffing them in morning omelets or frittatas, layering them in sandwiches and paninis or using them to top steak, pizza, bruschetta and open-face sandwiches.
They also make a delicious garnish for creamy soups, risotto and polenta. And served as a side... they might just steal the show!
An amazing technique
Although I LOVE beautifully golden sautéed mushrooms, I used to hesitate to serve them very often. They didn't seem like the healthiest choice because, like little sponges, mushrooms absorb so much fat during the cooking process. I found myself adding more and more oil (or butter) to achieve those flavorful golden results.
But, a few years ago, I read an article on America's Test Kitchen website that captivated my mushroom-loving mind and transformed me into a mushroom frequent flyer!
The article, titled "New-School Sautéed Mushrooms", with a sub-title, "Want savory, meaty-textured, deeply browned mushrooms without batch-cooking? We begin by adding water..."
Huh? Water? Not butter? Not oil? I quickly read on, my curiosity peeked. The author of the article explained that "mushrooms are full of air pockets that readily absorb oil" and that "they also contain a lot of water which thwarts browning. To yield meaty-tasting, well-browned mushrooms-not spongy oil receptacles-I'd have to start by quickly ridding them of all that air and water."
The article went on to explain the unconventional, somewhat counter-intuitive approach. This is how it works:
Start with a pound and a half of mushrooms. Wash, then slice each one about a quarter inch thick. That will look like a LOT of mushrooms! Here they are ready to roll in my largest sauté pan:
Add a quarter cup of chicken or vegetable broth, one tablespoon of soy sauce and balsamic vinegar, a teaspoon of maple syrup and a half teaspoon of kosher salt. Add 2 bay leaves then bring things to a boil and wait for the magic to start... As the broth mixture begins to bubble, you'll see the moisture coming out of the mushrooms. Suddenly they'll be much more liquid than you started out with.
Next, it's just a matter of boiling off the excess liquid. This will take 8-10 minutes over fairly high heat. When the pan is almost dry, add a pat (one tablespoon) of butter. Now the beautiful transformation begins as the mushrooms go from a neutral mushroom brown to a gorgeous golden, caramelized pan of deliciousness!
Lastly, give them a sprinkle of fresh herbs. What kind? That's your choice. I've used rosemary, thyme, sage, basil and combinations of these herbs. Finely chopped fresh parsley or oregano would also be delicious!
That's it! Serve them right away or stash them away in the fridge, ready to be used whenever it strikes your fancy!
Over the years I've tweaked this recipe a bit, using broth instead of ATK's water and adding splashes of soy sauce, balsamic vinegar ane a touch of maple syrup for lots of umami.
How to use these Fresh Herb Caramelized Mushrooms
You'll find lots of ways to use these caramelized mushrooms but here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Tuck them into grilled cheese sandwiches.
- Make a caramelized mushroom frittata.
- Make an omelet with Fontina or Gouda cheese, diced ham and caramelized mushrooms (that's making my mouth water).
- Make a Caramelized Mushroom Salad. Choose your favorite greens (I like spinach for this one) and top with
- shaved parmesan, toasted pecans and a handful of these delicious mushrooms. Drizzle with this Lemon Ginger Dressing. Add leftover steak or chicken for a fabulous, healthy lunch or dinner entrée!
- Top a bowl of cream polenta with these caramelized mushrooms and an extra shower of herbs for an amazing vegetarian meal.
- Add them to roasted veggies for a gourmet touch.
- Use them on pizzas. We love a pizza with traditional red sauce, mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced, leftover steak, red onion and a scatter of these caramelized mushrooms..
- Make bruschetta. Start with a batch of crostini. Top each one with a slice of cheese (your choice - we love Gouda for this). Add a spoonful of caramelized mushrooms and bake until the cheese is melty. Sprinkle with herbs and serve. Watch everything disappear before you can say Fresh Herb Caramelized Mushrooms!
- Instead of crostini, drizzle a few slices of focaccia (I use this Ridiculously Easy Focaccia recipe) with olive oil, bake until golden then top with the cheese and mushrooms for a FABULOUS open-face sandwich (pictured below). Serve it with a simple green salad for the perfect lunch or casual dinner. If you want to be a little fancy, you can call it a Caramelized Mushroom Tartine (the French name for an open-face sandwich).
I'm going to sign off now as we haven't had breakfast yet and Scott is probably wasting away. Well, maybe not, but I'm sure he's hungry and it's probably closer to lunch than breakfast 😬. That tartine looks so good I'm going to make it again! Wish you were here to enjoy it with us!
Be sure to put "mushrooms" on your shopping list. You probably have everything else you need for these Fresh Herb Caramelkizd Mushroom. Once you try it, I'm pretty sure it will become a frequent flyer recipe at your house too! ENJOY!
Oh, one last thing! Come back tomorrow as we're sharing one more amazing way to use these mushrooms - as a topping for this Marry Me Spinach and Chicken Risotto. I gave it it the title "Marry Me" because it's a marriage of an elegant, dinner-party-worthy meal, the ultimate comfort dinner and a super easy (unconventional) method to make risotto. Plus, it's so delicious it could very well elicit a marriage proposal!
Cafe Tips for making these Fresh Herb Caramelized Mushrooms
- Pull out your largest skillet or sauté pan as you want to give the mushrooms plenty of surface space to do their magic. I use my Staub 12-inch braiser pan. (BTW, if you're looking for a gift for someone who loves to cook, this pan is a real honey!)
- No fresh herbs? No problem. If I'm out of fresh herbs (or just feel a little lazy) I use a sprinkle of Italian seasoning instead.
- Sometimes I like to zest a lemon to combine with the fresh herb sprinkle.
- To wash or not to wash the mushrooms. Classic culinary advice is to simply brush the dirt off or rub the mushrooms with a damp cloth. In many chef circles it's close to a sin to wash mushrooms. Call me a rebel but I totally disagree. Mushrooms are often grown in manure. It's sterile manure to their credit but still manure. Other mushroom growers utilize rich peat... still, nothing I want to ingest. While I agree that it's not best to soak mushrooms in water I am adamant about washing mine under clean running water and rubbing off any excess dirt. Yikes, you should see my sink after washing a carton of mushrooms!! Plus, with these Caramelized Mushrooms, you start them out with chicken broth so it doesn't really matter.
Thought for the day:
One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.
Psalm 27:4
What we're listening to for inspiration:
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Fresh Herb Caramelized Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 24 ounces cremini mushrooms, other types of mushrooms will also work or feel free to use a combination.
- ¼ cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon butter, I use salted butter
- 2 teaspoons fine chopped fresh herbs, we love rosemary and thyme but oregano, basil, parsley, sage or a combination are also delicious
Instructions
- Wash the mushrooms under running water and drain well. Cut into ¼-inch slices and place in your largest skillet. I use my 12-inch Staub braiser pan but a large skillet/sauté pan will also work well.
- Add the broth, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and salt and stir. Bring the liquids to a boil over medium-high heat, stir again and continue cooking. Within a minute or two you will see the mushrooms begin to give off their water.
- Keep cooking over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Push the mushrooms to the sides of the pan and add the butter to the center. Allow it to melt and then stir well to coat the mushrooms with the melted butter.
- Continuing with the heat on medium-high, allow the mushrooms to sit undisturbed for 1 minute. Stir to redistribute. Repeat the 1-minute undisturbed several times until the mushrooms are to your preference of golden. If they seem to be browning too quickly, lower the heat a bit.
- Sprinkle the mushrooms with your choice of finely chopped fresh herbs and serve OR transfer to an airtight storage container to store until ready to use.
- See the post for way to use these delicious mushrooms!
Notes
Nutrition
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These are delicious and truly the best side dish for your Beef Bourguignon Chris, because we have some in the family who do not like mushrooms but others who love them. They got eaten with glee and I could have doubled the recipe. How nice they had little fat and were tasty! The Beef was amazing as well.
Thank you. I really enjoy trying your recipes- they make me look accomplished but I do give you credit.
Thanks so much, Boymommy! So happy you have enjoyed our recipes. Thanks for your kind and encouraging words!
Hi Chris,
I have been making mushrooms the old fashioned ways for years and I agree that they soak up so much butter and oil. I tried these mushrooms last night for a celebratory dinner (32 oz) and they were an absolute hit!! EVERYONE raved about how delicious they were. They were gone!!! As someone who does a lot of cooking, I was amazed at how quickly they come together and I am grateful for learning this new method. God bless you!
Awesome! Thank you for your review, Laura!
Just made these mushrooms and they are amazing!
Awesome! Thanks for the review, Lee!
These mushrooms are amazing. I am using them with beef tenderloin. Thank you for posting this recipe right at Christmas so I can fix them for Christmas Dinner.
Awesome! Thanks for the review, Joye!
How long will these keep please?
Hi Michele, I have kept them for 3-4 days. You can also freeze them and warm them up in a pan over a medium high heat before serving.
How much butter is to be used?
Hi Wendy and Ann, If you refresh your page, it's there now. Thanks!
Add butter to the recipe ingredient list?
These sound wonderful - I will try them
I just made these and they are awesome - I will make them again. Thank you!
Thanks for the review, Ann!
I'm just wondering why the instructions say you'll need arborio rice. I don't see them in the list of ingredients.
Haha! I'm glad someone is keeping an eye on me! I've been writing this post and the risotto post for tomorrow. I got a little ahead of myself 😳 - I have omitted that! Thanks!