Our vegetarian stuffed mushrooms are the perfect healthy appetizer for parties and get-togethers. Made with a goat cheese and lentil filling, these healthy stuffed mushrooms are perfectly savory and satisfying.

About the Recipe

These stuffed mushrooms are made with a cheesy lentil and veggie mixture, making them a great vegetarian appetizer option for parties and get togethers. Aside from being a great vegetarian appetizer offering, these healthy stuffed mushrooms can be prepped in advance, making them a great go-to appetizer.

cremini mushrooms, celery, onion, oil, breadcrumbs, cheese, herbs and garlic measured out and set on a counter

Ingredient Notes

Cremini Mushrooms

Cremini mushrooms (baby portobellos) are firm and meaty, and don’t contain too much extra liquid, which allows them to hold their shape during baking. We don’t recommend using a different type of mushroom. Though, if you’ve got leftover cremini mushrooms, use them in our creamy Mushroom Sauce for Steak!

Lentils

Use cooked brown or green lentils for this recipe. Avoid using red lentils or French lentils.

Goat Cheese

You’ll need fresh goat cheese for this recipe, aka Chevre. If you don’t like goat cheese, you can use regular cream cheese. For even more cheesy goodness, add some grated Parmesan cheese to the breadcrumb mixture.

Breadcrumbs

We prefer whole-wheat Panko breadcrumbs for this recipe but you can also use regular Panko.

vegetarian stuffed mushrooms on a small plate

Test Kitchen Tips

  • The key to making really good stuffed vegetarian mushrooms lies in making a hearty filling that sticks together. To do this, we combine cooked lentils with creamy goat cheese and an egg yolk for binding.
  • Play around with different herbs in the filling. We like parsley, but chopped chives, thyme, and sage would all be good options.

How to Wash Mushrooms

Contrary to popular belief, most mushrooms don’t actually soak up that much water when washed under cold water or in a bowl of water. We like to wash cremini mushrooms in a bowl of cold water by dunking them and lightly brushing off the dirt with our hands. You can use a salad spinner or kitchen towel to dry the mushrooms.

The only caveat—when cooking with mushrooms that have a significant amount of exposed gills, such as oyster, portobello, maitake, and shiitake, simply brush off any dirt with a damp paper towel.

How to Cook Lentils

We first learned of cooking lentils like pasta from Bon Appetit a few years ago and we’ve never gone back. Not only can you monitor the doneness of the lentils more closely, but this method allows you to season the lentils from the start.  

The key—cook lentils in adequate salted water until tender yet still a bit toothsome (they have a bite). 

vegetarian stuffed mushrooms on a small plate

Healthy Vegetarian Appetizers to Try

More Mushroom Recipes

  • Our Hungarian Mushroom Soup is a creamy, soul-soothing dinner. It’s a reader favorite for a reason!
  • If you love sautéed mushrooms, then you’ve gotta try our Pan-Seared King Oyster Mushrooms. They are decadent and delicious.
  • Unlock the versatility of king oyster mushrooms even more with this recipe for vegetarian scallops! It’s bound to surprise you.
  • Our Mushroom Veggie Burger is a vegetarian’s dream! It’s packed with roasted mushrooms, chickpeas and loads of umami flavor.

FAQs

Do you have a recipe for vegetarian stuffed mushrooms as a main course?

We don’t, but this stuffed portobello mushroom recipe can easily be made vegetarian by swapping the chicken out for additional chickpeas. For more stuffed mushroom recipes, check out this recipe I developed for Healthy Seasonal.  

Do you put an egg in stuffed mushrooms?

The short answer is yes. It’s best to put an egg or at least an egg yolk in the filling mixture to help bind it together. You can make stuffed mushrooms without an egg, in that case, make sure you have some breadcrumbs in the filling. This stuffed mushroom recipe I developed for Healthy Seasonal is a great option of a stuffed mushroom recipe made without egg. 

Can you make stuffed mushrooms ahead?

Yes, you can! You can prep these ahead of time in a few different ways. For starters, you can prep the filling up to 2 days ahead of time. Store the filling in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The mushrooms can be washed and dried up to 1 days ahead of time. 
Additionally, the mushrooms can be stuffed and stored in the refrigerator up to 1 day ahead of time. 

Can I make these gluten-free stuffed mushrooms?

Yes, you can easily make gluten-free vegetarian stuffed mushrooms. To do so, swap the Panko breadcurmbs for gluten-free Panko breadcrumbs. 

Healthy Vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms

5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Yield 7 servings (15 mushrooms)
Category Appetizer
Cuisine American
Author Zestful Kitchen

Description

Baked mushroom caps filled with a cheesy veggie and lentil filling then finished with a crispy topping—a great vegetarian appetizer!

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 15 medium cremini mushrooms, washed, dried, stems removed and chopped fine
  • ¾ cup brown lentils, cooked and drained
  • ½ cup finely diced celery
  • ¼ cup minced onion
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • ¼ cup goat cheese, crumbled
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 3 teaspoons parsley, chopped
  • cup whole-wheat Panko breadcrumbs

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 350°F (177ºC).
  • Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium until simmering.
  • Add chopped mushroom stems, lentils, celery onion, garlic and ½ teaspoon salt to skillet. Cook until vegetables are softened and starting to brown, 8–10 minutes.
    lentil and vegetable mixture in a nonstick skillet
  • Deglaze pan with vinegar and cook 1 minute. Transfer vegetable mixture to a medium bowl.
  • Add goat cheese, egg yolk, lemon zest and parsley to vegetable mixture; mix well to combine.
    creamy vegetable mixture in a medium-glass bowl
  • Place mushrooms caps facing up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or in a baking dish).
  • Spoon about 1 tablespoon of mixture into each mushroom cap to form a mound. Depending on size of mushroom you may need a little more or less to fill it.
    stuffed cremini mushrooms on a parchment-lined baking sheet
  • In a small bowl, combine Panko, remaining tablespoon olive oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
    breadcrumbs in a green glass bowl
  • Top each mushroom cap with a sprinkle of breadcrumbs (reserve any leftover breadcrumbs for serving) and bake until mushrooms are tender and topping is golden brown, 20–25 minutes.
    stuffed mushrooms on a parchment lined baking sheet.
  • Serve with lemon wedges and a sprinkling of remaining breadcrumbs. 

Notes

Mushrooms can be stuffed and stored in the refrigerator up to 1 day ahead of time. Bake as directed. 
To make this recipe gluten free, use gluten-free Panko breadcrumbs.

Nutrition

Serving: 2mushroomsCalories: 174kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 11gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 120mgFiber: 10gSugar: 2g
Like this? Leave a comment below!I love hearing from you and I want to hear how it went with this recipe! Leave a comment and rating below, then share on social media @zestfulkitchen and #zestfulkitchen!
vegetarian stuffed mushrooms on a small plate

Pin This Recipe

Love this recipe and want to save it? Pin this recipe!

Pin This Recipe

This recipe was originally posted on July 4, 2014.

Get Zestful in Your Inbox
The latest Zestful Kitchen recipes, tips and insights to your inbox.

Share it with the world

Pin

About The Author

Lauren Grant is a professional culinary food scientist, food writer, recipe developer, and food photographer. Lauren is a previous magazine editor and test kitchen developer and has had work published in major national publications including Diabetic Living Magazine, Midwest Living Magazine, Cuisine at Home Magazine, EatingWell.com, AmericasTestKitchen.com, and more.

Learn More

Leave a comment

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

How many stars would you give this recipe?