• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Sugar & Snap Peas
  • Home
  • Course
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Dessert
    • Sides
    • Salad Dressing
    • Marinades
  • Dietary
    • Gluten Free
    • Vegetarian
  • Cooking Basics
  • About me
  • Contact me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Snapchat
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About me
  • Recipes
  • Work with Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • About me
    • Recipes
    • Work with Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Course

    7 Best Substitutes for Mushrooms

    Published: Mar 20, 2022 · Modified: Jul 17, 2022 by Katie · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a comment.

    If you don't enjoy the earthy, meaty, umami flavor of mushrooms, then finding a substitute for mushrooms is a must! Luckily, many other delicious foods can be used as a mushroom substitute. These foods are easy to find, budget friendly and simple to cook!

    Cooked button mushrooms in a cast iron skillet on a wooden surface with whole white mushrooms and fresh parsley in the background.

    I actually love all kinds of mushrooms. As I write that, it's just now occurring to me that I haven't written any recipes yet that include mushrooms! This is surprising to me because if a stuffed portabella mushroom is on a restaurant menu, I'm definitely ordering it!

    Not loving mushrooms is pretty common though. If you're team NO mushrooms, then I'm sure you feel strongly about your preference.

    Mushrooms can be found on anything from pizza, to pasta, to salads and stir-fries. Luckily though, many other foods can be a delicious substitute for both fresh mushrooms and cooked mushrooms!

    Are you looking for more easy substitute ideas for common ingredients? Check out my substitutes for swiss chard post and my substitutes for ghee post.

    Jump to:
    • What are mushrooms?
    • Common mushroom recipes
    • Types of mushrooms
    • Mushroom substitutes
    • No substitute - just leave them out!
    • Other substitute options
    • Do you actually like mushrooms?
    • Related posts
    • 💬 Comments

    What are mushrooms?

    Mushrooms are an edible fungi that we commonly refer to as a vegetable. Their are hundreds of edible mushroom species. The most commonly consumed mushrooms are white button, portabella and cremini mushrooms (also known as baby bellas).

    Common mushroom recipes

    Mushrooms are such a versatile vegetable. You'll find them in hundreds of different recipes! Some of the most popular dishes that you'll find mushrooms in are pizza, pasta, stir-fry, soups, stews and veggie burgers.

    Some of the most common mushroom based recipes are chicken marsala, stroganoff, beef wellington, stuffed button mushrooms, stuffed portabella mushrooms, egg omelets, mushroom and swiss burgers (beef) and vegetarian mushroom burgers.

    Types of mushrooms

    Here are a list of common, more well-known types of mushrooms. There are far more mushroom varieties than what I have listed here though! Here's an excellent resource on all of the different types of mushrooms.

    1. Cremini (button)
    2. Portobello
    3. Shiitake
    4. Porcini
    5. Chaga
    6. Enoki 
    7. Maitake 
    8. Lion's Mane
    9. Oyster/King Oyster
    10. Morel

    Mushroom substitutes

    Here are the top 7 mushroom substitutes (in my opinion). I believe that these are top substitutes because mushrooms tend to be hearty, meaty and have an earthy flavor and umami flavor. The following list of substitutes also have one or more of those same characteristics.

    1. Eggplant
    2. Zucchini
    3. Cauliflower
    4. Tofu
    5. Beans
    6. Umami seasoning
    7. Meat

    Eggplant

    Whole eggplant, freshly washed, as an example for a substitute for mushrooms.
    Eggplant

    Eggplant is a spongy, purple vegetable from the nightshade family. Eggplant can be grilled, roasted, sautéed or cooked into soups and stews. Eggplant has a high water content, so it will cook down when added to recipes. Two of the most common eggplant dishes are eggplant parmesan and baba ghanoush. Eggplant can be substituted for mushrooms in pasta dishes, stir fries, soups or in curried rice dishes.

    Zucchini

    Whole zucchini in a wooden crate, as an example for a substitute for mushrooms.
    Zucchini

    Zucchini is a mild-tasting variety of summer squash. Zucchini can be cooked a variety of ways, including roasting, sautéing, blended into soups and made into zoodles. Zucchini has a similar texture to mushrooms and would make an excellent substitute for mushrooms in stir-fry, soups, stews, as a pizza topping or for stuffing. By stuffing I mean swapping out a stuffed portabella mushroom for a stuffed zucchini instead!

    Cauliflower

    Whole heads of cauliflower.
    Heads of cauliflower.

    Cauliflower is a hearty vegetable that is well-known for providing bulk in recipes. Cauliflower does have a distinct flavor, so it is not a mild mushroom substitute like zucchini and eggplant are. However, if you need to replace a mushroom ingredient and you want the replacement to add volume to the recipe, then cauliflower is your friend! If you are making any fried dishes with mushrooms, like a deep-fried breaded mushroom, then swapping out the mushroom for cauliflower would be a great choice.

    Tofu

    Tofu chopped into cubes on a wooden cutting board.
    Tofu on a cutting board.

    Tofu can be incorporated into a variety of recipes, especially vegan, vegetarian and Asian recipes. Tofu will add a plant-based source of protein to your meal. If you need a mushroom substitute for a recipe that does not have any other protein in it, then tofu would be a great option! Tofu is mild tasting and will often take on the flavor of whatever you are cooking it in. I don't think I would add tofu to pasta or pizza as a substitute for mushrooms. I would add it to stir-fries, hot & sour soup, wonton soup, miso soup and ramen.

    Beans

    A mixture of several different kinds of dried beans on a wooden surface.
    Dried beans and lentils.

    Beans are an excellent fiber-filled, protein-packed mushroom substitute. Most beans have a pretty mild flavor and they will definitely add bulk to your dish. Like tofu, they are a plant-based source of protein. When substituting in beans for mushrooms I would stick with garbanzo beans, cannellini beans or white navy beans. Beans could easily be added to any rice based dish, stroganoff and veggie burger. You can used dried beans or canned beans.

    Umami seasoning

    Seasoning in a jar.

    Umami is the lesser-known, fifth dimension of taste after sour, sweet, salty and bitter. The umami flavor can be described as savory and meaty. Foods that fall into the umami category are mushrooms, meat, soy sauce, parmesan cheese, anchovies, dried tomatoes, seaweed and beef broth. If you're making a savory dish and you need a substitute for mushrooms, then you can season your dish with some umami seasoning. Umami will help to give your dish some mushroom flavor without actually adding in any mushrooms. You can purchase umami seasoning blends to keep in your spice drawer! Commonly found umami seasoning blends are the Simply Organic Umami Blend, Trader Joes Mushroom and Co Umami Blend and Good & Gather Umami Blend from Target.

    Meat

    Chopped raw beef on parchment paper, on top of a dark wooden cutting board.
    Raw meat on a cutting board.

    One of the often overlooked substitutes for mushrooms is MEAT! I think it's often assumed that if someone is looking for a mushroom substitute then they want to stick with a vegetarian substitution. Many of us enjoy meat though, so adding in extra chicken, beef or pork in place of mushrooms sounds like a delicious choice! If mushrooms are a main ingredient in your stir fry, pasta, pizza or soup, then meat could easily be added in to replace the mushrooms.

    No substitute - just leave them out!

    Another option is to just leave the mushrooms out and don't substitute them with anything! If you're making a soup or stir-fry and you already have a lot of bulk and flavor, you probably won't miss the mushrooms at all. Chances are the dish will still be delicious and leaving out the mushrooms without subbing anything else in, won't ruin your recipe at all.

    Other substitute options

    Some other way to replace mushrooms in a recipe are add russet potatoes, sun dried tomatoes, caramelized onions, pearl onions, shallots, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, leeks, miso, winter squash and tempeh.

    Do you actually like mushrooms?

    Maybe you actually enjoy the taste of mushrooms, you just don't have any fresh options on hand at the moment. Check your pantry for canned mushrooms or dried mushrooms!

    Dried mushrooms will be more concentrated than fresh or canned mushrooms, so consider this when adding dried mushrooms into a recipe.

    Keeping canned mushrooms on hand are a great way to always have mushrooms available, since it's hard to make fresh mushrooms last long before going bad.

    I hope all of these mushroom substitute options have given you several ideas for how to substitute mushrooms out of your recipe! Let me know in the comments if you've tried any of these substitutions!

    Related posts

    • Wooden bowl filled with arugula.
      Top 14 Substitutes for Arugula
    • Raw asparagus with sea salt and lemon on brown parchment paper.
      12 Best Asparagus Substitutes
    • Swiss chard tied together with a brown string, laying on a wooden counter.
      7 Best Substitutes for Swiss Chard
    • Ghee in a small glass jar with a wooden spoon.
      7 Best Substitutes for Ghee

    More recipes

    • Boil chicken thighs on a plate garnished with fresh thyme.
      How to Boil Chicken Thighs (Fresh or Frozen)
    • Small glass jar of Caesar dressing without anchovies with a spoon, lettuce leaves in the background, a striped towel in the background, and shredded parmesan cheese around the jar.
      Caesar Salad Dressing without Anchovies
    • Sliced spiral ham with maple dijon glaze, on a round plate and a light blue napkin.
      Dutch Oven Ham
    • Up close image of cooked Cheeseburger Sliders with Hawaiian rolls.
      Cheeseburger Sliders with Hawaiian Rolls

    Subscribe

    for your weekly recipe fix.

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Search my Site

    Katie in front of a tree

    I’m Katie, the food blogger, recipe creator, and food photographer at Sugar & Snap Peas. I specialize in easy, budget-friendly, family recipes. My goal is to help you take the stress out of cooking and provide you with simple, creative recipes.

    More about me →

    Summer Recipes

    • Four sauerkraut and hot dogs recipe hot dogs, with mustard in a small white dish in the top right, onions in a small white dish in bottom left and more cooked hot dogs in bottom right.
      Sauerkraut and Hot Dogs Recipe
    • BBQ grilled chicken drumsticks recipe cooked and on a round plate, on top of brown parchment paper, a dish towel is in the corner and a basting brush with bbq sauce is in the top left corner.
      BBQ Grilled Chicken Drumstick Recipe
    • Summer tortellini salad in a large bowl, shredded parmesan cheese is sprinkled around the bowl. Extra ingredients are in the top left corner.
      Summer Tortellini Salad with Arugula
    • Pesto pasta salad with sundried tomatoes in a large mixing bowl, a tan napkin and silver serving spoon is in the background.
      Pesto Pasta Salad with Sundried Tomatoes
    • feta and white bean salad vegetarian in a white bowl, feta cheese in a measuring cup in the top right corner, lemon wedge on top, red onion in top left corner
      Feta & White Bean Salad (Vegetarian)
    • Mediterranean cucumber tomato salad in a round, white bowl, on top of a yellow napkin, fresh herbs in a smaller bowl at the top with a silver spoon.
      Mediterranean Cucumber Tomato Salad
    • Overhead view of the Marinated Vegetable Salad on a large plate, with a blue napkin, and wooden salad tongs.
      Marinated Vegetable Salad Recipe
    • Potato salad without eggs in a large round white bowl, with a spoon, blue cloth napkin on the left, fresh parsley on the top right.
      Easy Potato Salad without Eggs
    • Grilled shrimp and chicken kabobs on a parchment lined sheet pan, lemon wedges in the top right corner and a yellow napkin in the top right corner.
      Grilled Shrimp and Chicken Kabobs
    • Bowl of Caesar Salad topped with cornbread croutons and shredded parmesan cheese.
      Caesar Salad with Cornbread Croutons

    Popular dinner recipes

    • Baked panko chicken on a plate with greens and lemon wedges.
      Crispy Baked Panko Chicken
    • Honey butter garlic chicken in a blue bowl, served over white rice.
      Honey Butter Garlic Chicken
    • Dutch Oven Pulled Chicken in a blue bowl with a fork.
      Dutch Oven Pulled Chicken
    • Up close image of cooked Cheeseburger Sliders with Hawaiian rolls.
      Cheeseburger Sliders with Hawaiian Rolls
    • Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Thighs on a sheet pan with a fork and knife in the bottom right corner and a small bowl of BBQ sauce in the top right corner.
      Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Thighs
    • Cooked chicken thighs in a cast iron skillet, garnished with fresh parsley.
      Easy Dijon Chicken Thighs
    • Buffalo Chicken Thighs on a parchment paper, with a fork and knife in the bottom right corner and a bowl of blue cheese dressing in the top left corner.
      Baked Buffalo Chicken Thighs
    • Final image of the cheeseburger pasta skillet recipe, in a red cast iron pot with handles, a wooden spoon and garnished with fresh parsley.
      One Pot Cheeseburger Pasta Skillet Recipe

    Trending Recipes

    • How to make Pinwheel Sandwiches
    • Salmon pasta without cream in a large blue bowl.
      Salmon Pasta without Cream
    • Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Thighs on a sheet pan with a fork and knife in the bottom right corner and a small bowl of BBQ sauce in the top right corner.
      Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Thighs
    • Teriyaki turkey and rice in a bowl.
      Teriyaki Turkey Rice Bowl

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of use
    • DMCA
    • CCPA

    Newsletter

    • Newsletter signup coming soon!

    Contact

    • Contact
    • About me

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Sugar & Snap Peas