Stuffed Mushrooms (Veg Times)

No breadcrumbs, no cheese, no heavy filling. These stuffed mushrooms take a completely different approach. Large caps get roasted first until tender and juicy, then filled with a raw, hand-chopped salsa of fresh tomatoes, garlic, scallions, chives, olive oil, and lemon juice.

Roasting the mushroom caps stalk-side up with a drizzle of olive oil concentrates their flavor and softens them just enough to create a natural bowl for the filling. Twenty minutes in the oven is the sweet spot. Less and they’re still tough. More and they shrink too much to hold anything.

The filling stays completely raw, which keeps everything bright and fresh against the warm, earthy mushrooms. Chopping the tomatoes, garlic, and scallions together on a board until they break down into a rough puree blends the flavors more intimately than just tossing them in a bowl.

Kitchen Tips

• Let the roasted caps cool before filling. Hot mushrooms will wilt the fresh tomato mixture and make it watery.
• Peel and seed the tomatoes for the cleanest filling. Skins and seeds add a slightly bitter, papery texture.
• A squeeze of lemon juice at the end ties everything together and keeps the tomatoes looking vibrant.
• Serve immediately after filling. These don’t hold well as the tomato juices can make the mushrooms soggy.

Variations

• Add a tablespoon of capers or chopped olives to the filling for a Mediterranean twist.
• Top each filled mushroom with a small dollop of goat cheese if you don’t need it strictly vegan.
• Use a mix of heirloom tomato varieties for a more colorful, complex-flavored filling.