Simple Recipes to Use Leftover Mushrooms

Mushrooms are usually sold in paper bags, so if you have some leftover, here are some simple plant-based recipes to use them up. Mushrooms are good to replicate meat in certain dishes (small ones in curries or large ones stuffed with rice).

Before cooking, read our post on food safety for people and pets (mushrooms are toxic to pets, as are many ingredients like onion, garlic, leek and spices). It’s best to just bin allium scraps (leeks, onion, garlic, shallots, chives) as like tomato/citrus/rhubarb scraps, acids could harm compost creatures. 

For tinned ingredients, pop lids inside cans (or pop ring-pulls back over holes) to avoid wildlife getting trapped).

This recipe for mushroom and vegan sausage pasta (The Simple Veganista) is a hearty warming supper, if ever there was one. The veggies and sausages (try Moving Mountains, found in stores) are cooked up in a savoury tomato sauce, for a dish that is simple to make, and on the table in half an hour.

Avoid sausages for young children and choking hazards. For older children, cut sausages into thin strips). Serve with plastic-free pasta!

Easy Vegan Mushroom Risotto

This mushroom risotto (Exploring Vegan) only needs 5 ingredients to make: mushrooms, garlic cloves, risotto rice, vegan butter and dried thyme.

Mushroom & Beetroot Pasta

This mushroom and beetroot bolognese (The First Mess) replicates spaghetti bolognese, but uses all-natural ingredients. The sweet beetroot blends perfectly with earthy mushrooms.

Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup

This mushroom soup (The Simple Veganista) replaces dairy with coconut milk, plus adds in lots of flavour, including some wine!

Mushroom Irish Stew (with vegan stout)

This Mushroom Irish Stew (The Simple Veganista) uses mushrooms to replicate meat in this famous Irish dish. Packed with filling potatoes, veggies and herbs, this is a simple ‘pour everything in a pot and cook it’ recipe, with optional vegan Worcestershire sauce (no fish) to bring the flavours out.

This recipe uses Guinness (which is now vegan-friendly) but if you wish, you could use an artisan English stout like Shoreham Stout (brewed in Brighton) or Stroud Brewery. Alcohol-free vegan stouts include Check This Stout or Sober Brummie.