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Mushroom Bourguignon became an instant favorite the first time it landed on our dinner table. Mushrooms are umami powerhouses, and this dish retains all the wonderful, comforting properties of Boeuf Bourguigon, but with a bit of a lighter touch. Includes easy vegan and gluten-free options.
Why this recipe works
Mushroom Bourguignon is best-in-class vegetarian comfort food. It’s big-guns, super-savory, borderline-magical, simmering vegetarian happiness food. We:
- Start by sautéing the mushrooms in batches so they brown beautifully rather than steaming. Browned mushrooms taste incredible thanks to the Maillard reaction, in which heat transforms humble proteins and sugars into complex umami flavors.
- Cook the aromatics until they, too, are tender and beautifully browned
- Reduce the wine to concentrate its flavor and let the alcohol dissipate, and then use that concentrate as the base for a rich, delicious broth
- Finish the dish with a beurre manié — a simple paste of flour and softened butter — to make the sauce silky and clingy
I first published this recipe here in 2016, adapted from Smitten Kitchen via Food52’s Genius Recipes cookbook. I’ve since updated the post and the recipe for clarity.
What you’ll need
Here’s a glance at the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.
- Cremini mushrooms are also called baby bellas. They have a mild flavor and meaty texture that’s perfect for this dish. They brown nicely because they don’t release nearly as much moisture as their white cousins (which, fun fact, are just a less mature version of the same cultivar).
- A good veggie broth adds layers of flavor to this dish without getting in the way. This is my favorite by far.
- You’ll need a cup of red wine to make this recipe. Reds from the Burgundy (Bourgogne) region of France tend to have similar characteristics to the pinot noirs I drink more regularly, so I usually reach for one of those.
- If possible, use a good cultured, salted butter from grass-fed cows. It sounds fancy but doesn’t have to be — Kerrygold is my go-to brand at the supermarket and isn’t overly expensive. For a vegan version of this dish, substitute a plant-based butter for either all of the butter or at least the tablespoon you mix with the flour. You can replace the rest with more olive oil if you like.
- Good old all-purpose flour does a great job here. For a gluten-free version of this dish, substitute a 1:1 GF flour blend.
How to make it
Here’s an overview of what you’ll do to make a beautiful batch of burgundy mushrooms. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.
- Brown the mushrooms in batches.
- Sauté the onion, carrot, garlic, and herbs until tender and lightly browned.
- Make the broth and add the mushrooms back. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Stir together the flour and butter to make a paste. Add to the pan and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more until the sauce is silky.
Browning the mushrooms
This is an important step, but the method will vary slightly based on your equipment. If you have a nice big enameled cast iron pan like I’ve used here, it’s pretty easy to achieve. A pan like this retains a lot of heat and also has natural nonstick properties. Place half the mushrooms at a time into the pan, and simply cook them down until they release their moisture and can fit in a single layer for browning.
If you’re working with a lighter nonstick pan or one that isn’t nonstick, be sure to follow the directions in the recipe card more closely so the mushrooms will sear rather than steam, and they won’t stick.
Expert tips and FAQs
Good question! This is basically just a matter of linguistic convention. Burgundy mushrooms tend to be served as a side dish for steak. I’ve never made them (we tend to make our much-loved sautéed mushrooms as a side dish instead), but the versions I’ve found online all seem to nod in the direction of this recipe’s flavors and then take a sharp turn toward Worcestershire sauce and dill seed.
Meanwhile, mushroom Bourguignon is a stew unto itself. It’s a wonderful vegetarian main dish and a twist on the classic French recipe beef Bourguignon.
Given the origins of this dish, a French burgundy would be the classic choice. I tend to use my favorite pinot noir instead. These wines have a lot of similar characteristics, since burgundy is made from pinot noir grapes. Any dry red with light to medium body that you enjoy drinking will do just fine in this dish.
Yes! As with most stews, this recipe holds up very well to advance prep. You can make it earlier in the day and reheat right in the pot. Or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week and reheat in the microwave, in the oven, or on the stovetop.
What to serve with mushroom Bourguignon
Mashed potatoes make an absolutely perfect accompaniment to this dish, and that’s really all you need — except maybe glass of the same wine you’ve added to the sauce.
- Serve this dish over a small batch of Yukon gold mashed potatoes
- Or make our favorite vegan mashed potatoes. (And while you’re there, don’t miss lots of other great vegetarian and vegan meals that pair with them perfectly.)
More favorite recipes where mushrooms stand in for meat
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Mushroom Bourguignon
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil, divided
- 3 tablespoons (42 grams) salted butter, divided
- 2 pounds (900 grams) cremini mushrooms, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 large yellow onion, diced small
- 1 small carrot, peeled and diced small
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 generous sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 fresh sage leaf, minced
- 1 cup (235 ml) good, dry red wine
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) tomato paste
- 2 cups (475 ml) good vegetable broth
- 4 teaspoons (8 grams) all-purpose flour
Instructions
- In a 12-inch, heavy nonstick skillet (enameled cast iron if you’ve got it), heat one tablespoon each of the olive oil and butter over high heat.
- Add half the sliced mushrooms and cook without disturbing until golden brown on one side, about 3 minutes. Toss once and cook until some mushrooms start to brown on the other side (don’t stress at all about flipping all of them perfectly), about two minutes more. (See note 6 below.)
- Scrape into a large bowl and repeat with a second tablespoon each of olive oil and butter and the other half of the mushrooms.
- Set mushrooms aside.
- In the same skillet, warm the remaining tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add onion and carrot along with the salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, thyme (stems and all), and sage and cook until very fragrant, a minute or two.
- Pour in the wine. Turn heat up to high and simmer briskly until reduced by half.
- Stir in tomato paste and then broth.
- Add back the mushrooms and all the beautiful accumulated juice from the bowl. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes. (This is a good time to start the mashed potatoes.)
- With a fork, thoroughly mash together the remaining tablespoon of butter and the flour in a small bowl to form a paste.
- Stir paste into stew.
- Lower heat to simmer gently and cook 10 minutes more. Sauce should be thick and glossy.
- To serve, remove thyme stems. Serve stew spooned over mashed potatoes.
Notes
- Cremini mushrooms are also called baby bellas. They have a mild flavor and meaty texture that’s perfect for this dish. They brown nicely because they don’t release nearly as much moisture as their white cousins (which, fun fact, are just a less mature version of the same cultivar).
- A good veggie broth adds layers of flavor to this dish without getting in the way. This is my favorite by far.
- You’ll need a cup of red wine to make this recipe. Reds from the Burgundy (Bourgogne) region of France tend to have similar characteristics to the pinot noirs I drink more regularly, so I usually reach for one of those.
- If possible, use a good cultured, salted butter from grass-fed cows. It sounds fancy but doesn’t have to be — Kerrygold is my go-to brand at the supermarket and isn’t overly expensive. For a vegan version of this dish, substitute a plant-based butter for either all of the butter or at least the tablespoon you mix with the flour. You can replace the rest with more olive oil if you like.
- Good old all-purpose flour does a great job here. For a gluten-free version of this dish, substitute a 1:1 GF flour blend.
- Browning the mushrooms is an important step, but the method will vary slightly based on your equipment. If you have a nice big enameled cast iron pan like I’ve used here, it’s pretty easy to achieve. A pan like this retains a lot of heat and also has natural nonstick properties. Place half the mushrooms at a time into the pan, and simply cook them down until they release their moisture and can fit in a single layer for browning. If you’re working with a lighter nonstick pan or one that isn’t nonstick, be sure to follow the directions more closely so the mushrooms will sear rather than steam, and they won’t stick.
- Given the origins of this dish, a French burgundy would be the classic choice. I tend to use my favorite pinot noir instead. These wines have a lot of similar characteristics, since burgundy is made from pinot noir grapes. Any dry red with light to medium body that you enjoy drinking will do just fine in this dish.
- As with most stews, this recipe holds up very well to advance prep. You can make it earlier in the day and reheat right in the pot. Or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week and reheat in the microwave, in the oven, or on the stovetop.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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When do you add the wine? No mention of it in the instructions.
It’s step 8.
Dear Carolyn, as I write to you, I am eating a very yummy dinner, with mashed potatoes and cabbage. Thank you. Glad I found you.
Absolutely delicious, thank you!
I made this tonight and it was SO good! Initially was leery, the amount of mushrooms this recipe called for seemed over the top but I stayed true to it and glad I did the dish turned out wonderfully.
So glad, Miranda! Thanks for the comment.
Absolutely delicious! Rich, buttery, fragrant—this made me feel pretty high class for a fumbling university student. Forwarded the recipe to my friends and family.
I’ve been making this recipe at least once a week for months now. I don’t use oil and reduce the plant butter to 1 1/2 tbs. I add sundried tomatoes, a can of drained lentils and spinach. I love the butter / flour swirl at the end. It really adds to the flavor. So good on my plant based mashed potatoes. Thank you.