A Winter Vegetarian’s Best Friend
What’s a vegetarian to do when the cold forecast and a skeletal greenmarket conspire to drive her into the arms of Marcella Hazan’s Bolognese or the red-wine braised short ribs of yesteryear? Well, a few years into my whole “weekday vegetarian” thing, I discovered that a good starting point for addressing this problem is the humble mushroom. As far as I can tell, the whole lot of them — from grocery store buttons to speciality market maitakes — seem to be the only thing in the vegetable kingdom that can approximate the same kind of meaty umami I crave when the mercury dips, especially when they are cooked down to a concentrated crisp.
To be filed under “I’ve Never Meet a Tart I Didn’t Love,” here is this Mushroom-and-Chives take, a winter cousin of spring’s Asparagus Tart, and just as straightforwardly stunning. Serve it with a salad, and you’ve got yourself a go-to comfort food menu for winter.
Mushroom Tart with Chives
by Jenny Rosenstrach
Note: Be sure to leave a few hours for your puff pastry to thaw.
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as necessary
20 ounces mixed mushrooms (I used baby Bellas, shiitake, and oyster here), finely chopped
kosher salt and pepper
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 clove, garlic
1 14-ounce frozen puff pastry (such as Dufour brand), thawed
1 egg, whisked
1/2 cup ricotta or crème fraîche
2 tablespoons chives
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Heat the oven to 400°F.
Add olive oil, mushrooms, salt, and pepper, to a large skillet set over medium heat and cook until mushrooms have lost a significant amount of moisture. (It’s okay if they seem piled up too high in the pan, they will shrink as they cook.) Push the mushrooms to the perimeter of the pan, then add onion and garlic, plus more oil if it looks dry, and cook another 3 minutes, stirring often so the garlic doesn’t burn.
While the mushrooms are cooking down, roll out the puff pastry on a flour-dusted surface and transfer to a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, lightly draw/score a rectangle in the middle of the pastry (without slicing through), leaving a one-inch border. (This will help the sides puff up when baking.) Using your fingers or a pastry brush, brush the perimeter of the puff pastry with the whisked egg. In a small mixing bowl, combine the crème fraîche (or ricotta), chives, any remaining egg, salt, and pepper, and, using a rubber spatula, spread the mixture in the drawn rectangle. (It’s okay if you go outside the lines a little!)
Scoop the mushroom-onion mixture on top, evenly dividing everything, then top with Parm. Bake for 20-25 minutes until pastry is golden and puffy and the mushrooms look shriveled. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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P.S. A squash ricotta tart, three no-fuss recipes for winter, and a pantry pasta for busy weeknights.
Comments
48 commentsI rarely make them for dinner, but I do love to put together a puff pastry tart and cut it into little triangles for a party appetizer. A combination of whatever I have on hand in the fridge and pantry works (cherry tomatoes, feta, spinach, chili crisp, etc.)
Adding to 2026 goals: eat more mushrooms! xox
Made it last night – amazing piping hot out of the oven, but just as good at room temperature. It’s a gorgeous meal, so versatile – serve with a runny egg for breakfast, bowl of soup for lunch or crunchy salad for dinner. Can’t go wrong. (shiitake, and oyster made it a little pricey but I think it would be just as tasty with just Bella mushrooms).
I do an amazing vegan mushroom stroganoff when I need winter comfort. There are many recipes online. Since discovering I have high cholesterol, even as a 20+ year vegan (my doctor said stress can generate cholesterol!!! OMG, this news sucks!!), I’ve had to cut down on all vegan “dairy” subs because they are almost always coconut product based, which is apparently not as healthy as I thought. Anyhoo, it means I only make this dish maybe once a year, but I it really satisfies when that need arises. This looks great, soooo delish but the puff pastry is sadly doubly off limits for me (gluten and dairy rich). But I remember what this would taste like, so everyone, enjoy for me!
Hi Sania! Most frozen phyllo doughs are accidentally vegan and could be a good sub for the puff pastry! Maybe there is a gf option.
Sania, re cholesterol , do you filter your cofffee? Coffee from a French press for example has molecules left that can raise cholesterol . Filtering through paper takes them out. An easy fix if applies. Genetics can be rough! Best of luck.
Does anyone have tips for learning to love mushrooms? I really wish I did! What is the gateway mushroom experience?
Sautéing them will good olive oil or butter and salt. Really stir them and they will caramelize over about 20 minutes. Delish!
I hated mushrooms my entire life until I impulsively tried this mushroom dish at a restaurant and then loved it so much I made it at home. Smash and chop garlic, add thyme, black pepper and butter. Sauté until fragrant, toss in two handfuls of mushrooms and brown. Then add a bit of red wine and reduce. Once it’s syrupy you top with goat cheese, let it melt and eat with fresh bread.
hey Lizzy- my family is also skeptical of mushrooms and their texture, but they eat them up in this miso soup recipe. I chop them really finely, so you get all the flavor without realizing you’re eating them. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/256345/chicken-and-veggie-miso-soup-instant-pot-version/
Mushroom sauce or gravy would be a good one, as the mushrooms mostly melt away and it’s an accompaniment to other foods (i.e. over your proteins, mashed potatoes, pasta/rice/starch, etc.). 1. Finely chop an onion and your mushrooms, saute in oil with salt and pepper, other seasonings you like (I like adding garlic, dried thyme, paprika) until liquid is released and the veg are soft and look much smaller. 2. Melt 2 T butter in the pan, then sprinkle 2 T flour over and stir well. Cook ~2 minutes. 3. Then slowly add in broth, mixing well to incorporate. Broth can be mushroom, chicken, veggie, turkey!, beef, whatever kind you have or like). Around 2 cups, depending on how thick you want the final product to be. 3a. If mushroom texture is an issue, you could at this point smooth it out with an immersion blender. 4. Simmer a few minutes, finish with a healthy glug of cream or half-and-half. Feel free to customize with different herbs (fresh parsley at the end would be nice), or make it lemony (omit the cream, add some zest and juice at end of cooking).
What about making vegetarian “meatballs” with finely chopped mushrooms? You can find a recipe if you google around, but I like to finely chop and then cook til almost crispy and then combine with breadcrumbs, an egg or two, herbs, cheese, minced onion, minced celery, Worcestershire, red pepper, salt, pepper, and some mustard. Bake or pan fry. Delish with pasta and red sauce or in a sandwich. Often fools mushroom haters. Or you can finely chop and add to bolognese and no one knows that they are there….
I think the key is to pair them with something you DO like. If you just keep trying the thing you don’t like on its own then that’s too big a mountain to climb. Mix it with something that you’re nuts about: cheese, potatoes, asparagus, etc. It’s a way easier gateway experience.
My kids hate mushrooms but absolutely love this soup. My son said it tasted like a fancy restaurant. I add a spoonful of cognac or wine for depth. It makes a lot so I often halve the recipe. Great with a hunk of good bread. https://smittenkitchen.com/2007/01/balthazar-cream-of-mushroom-soup/
Sauteed maitake (available at Whole Foods). My favorite mushroom for vegan omelettes (with Just Egg).
Also, I can no longer eat this but if you ever get a chance to have genuine Polish mushroom soup made with authentic dried borowiki mushrooms – it is amazing. I had it as a child once or twice from a Polish relative and never forgot it, it was so much different than anything I’d had. It’s a very specific flavor not present in other mushrooms, so maybe only have it if you can get it in an authentic Polish community. Pretty sure it’s very special and only a homemade thing, but in a place like Chicago or New York, who knows.
Lizzy, I hated them as a child, and now they’re honestly my favourite non-dessert food! I used to work at a very meat-forward restaurant that happened to serve a mushroom gravy. It was never promoted as a vegetarian item, and it was interesting to see who it resonated with. I truly think it’s a gateway! I advise trying a very middle-of-the-road texture at first, too – some are less ideal for the beginner, I find. My favourite is baby oyster! 🤤
Late to this party but I hated mushrooms growing up and now love them. I think the perfect gateway is a mushroom quesadilla. Slice mushrooms thinly, fry in butter and garlic salt until browned and crispy and most of the water is evaporated. Add to a tortilla with your fave cheese and make quesadillas. I still do not like raw mushrooms but love them fried to a crisp! I also love mushroom barley soup with thyme – I also fry the mushrooms separately to get the crispy bits!
I should have specified that I recommend something simple as a gateway – white button or baby bella or crimini to begin! Some of them have super interesting textures.
Looks so good!
Looks delicious!
Hi Jenny! Miss you! Thanks for checking in from time to time. :)
Her two cookbooks are great!
Oh, I am going to make the CRAP out of this tonight! I have some leftover Gruyere, so I’ll add that to the mix.
yummmm
I love layering in some thinly sliced potatoes into things like this as well. Just made Nora Cooks vegan quiche for the first time last night and was pleasantly surprised! Would definitely be easy to adapt into a tart like this with Jenny’s fillings.
I just made whipped tofu for the first time (food process tofu, olive oil, nutritional yeast, miso paste, lemon juice, salt, and pepper – wowowow, so good) and I bet this would be a fantastic replacement for the dairy if you are trying to keep things vegan.
Oooooo, thank you for this Sarah! do you have measurements you can share, or did you just do it to taste?
Hi Justine – here is a great version from my favorite YT vegan chef https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rzxeVBefXPs&pp=ygUMdG9mdSByaWNvdHRh
@MICHELLE, came back to this post to say thank you. I prepared the whipped tofu recipe and then followed the highlighted stuffed shell recipe from the YT link for dinner. De-licious!
Thank you Sarah and Michelle! I’m going to try the recipe in the video!
Michelle, I knew it was going to be Nisha Vora! I’m not vegan but I have fallen in love with her recipes! So much flavor! Every one is amazing! And I particularly love the whipped tofu. We make it often at my home.
I just made the whipped tofu from the video, and it’s amazing! Thank you so much!
This looks so so good and I’m totally making this – but I’m seeing that the mushrooms are sliced in the photo but the recipe instructs us to finely chop. Will it work either way? I LOVE mushrooms in any form, but my husband will eat them only if they’re practically invisible LOL, so thinking of maybe a combo of finely chopped on one half, and sliced on the other? Thanks!
Perfect rainy weather food
Ooh thank you for this! Now that I know (and can verify myself) that GF puff pastry exists and works pretty well, this is going in the rotation. For a heartier meal, I might also slow roast some carrots or serve this alongside a pot of lentil thyme soup. YUM!
Ooh what’s your favorite GF option Hilary? This looked yummy but I was assuming I couldn’t eat it!
Oh yes! Please do tell where you found GF puff pastry!
Hilary, I almost didn’t click on this post because I was anticipating being bummed that gluten-free me wouldn’t be able to enjoy this. But GF puff pastry exists? Please share details!
I know this one! Sweet Loren’s puff pastry is at Target or Harris Teeter near me (in NC). It’s good! I don’t remember what normal puff pastry is like, but I’m happy with this one for hand pies and whatnot.
Sweet Lauren’s sells GF puff pastry! I get mine at Sprouts or Whole Foods. It’s around $8-$9.
Dufour also makes GF puff pastry and it is outstanding! Whole Foods carries it.
I just made this tonight with the Sweet Lorens puff pastry. I’m also dairy free so used Kite Hill dairy-free ricotta. It was lovely and delicious
Ah, thank you lovely people for jumping in. Yes to Sweet Loren’s! It’s not exactly the same (because what is, honestly) but I haven’t had real puff in a long time and for me, it’s totally fine! Especially in the case of this tart where the mushrooms are really the star. I hope it works really well for folks!
This does look incredible. The thing with mushrooms for me is that once I’ve had some, I don’t want them again for WEEKS. I like them! A lot! All kinds! But put them in front of me for more than one meal in a row and I feel a bit queasy. Weird, hey?!
We’re all about the rustic veggie tarts when it’s cold, and this one looks fabulous, Jenny! To scratch the specific itch for a hearty bolognese without the meat, we’ve long relied on Giada De Laurentiis’s vegetarian version, which is immensely satisfying; a trifecta of dried porcini, red wine, and mascarpone (plus plenty of fresh mushrooms, herbs, and other veg) delivers that deep, rich flavor you want from a stick-to-your-bones pasta sauce. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/rigatoni-with-vegetable-bolognese-recipe-1947595
Another reason to purchase crème fraîche!
That looks delicious, and well may be dinner this weekend, thank you Jenny.