These sautéed mushrooms, beautifully caramelized with a touch of garlic and parsley, are packed with flavor and easy to prepare.
Sautéed mushrooms are at their most glorious simply prepared with the classic Mediterranean combination of olive oil, sea salt, garlic and parsley. You just cannot get a more beautiful combination than this! An undisputed Mediterranean favorite, and without a doubt our favorite mushroom side dish recipe.
Serve With
Sautéed mushrooms are the perfect side dish for steak and roasted chicken. They are also great served as part of a spread of tapas dishes, on their own, or as a topping on crusty bread.
Looking for other great vegetable side dishes? Try out this exquisite roman artichokes recipe, which, by the way, is easier than you may think. Or some elegant caramelized fennel. And then there is roasted potatoes, the starch, salt and oil combo we all love.
Ingredients
mushrooms, olive oil, sea salt, garlic, chili powder (optional), parsley, wine (or substitute)
The main ingredients for these simple sautéed mushrooms are: mushrooms, some good olive oil to cook with, plus sea salt and garlic to bring out more depth, optional chili powder for added dimension, and parsley for what I consider an essential green touch — equally for flavor and beauty, and finally, a dash of wine for vibrance.
A few ingredient notes:
Garlic – Be careful, it takes just a few extra seconds to burn the garlic. Fret not, though, if it happens and just start over. My husband, intuitive cook that he is, admits to have done so too many times than he truly cares to admit!
Wine & Substitutions – Ideally white wine. However, red will do. In place of wine, a squeeze or two of lemon or a splash of vinegar also does nicely. Other options you may want to try are manzanilla sherry or sherry vinegar.
The Mushrooms
This recipe uses common button mushrooms. Brown mushrooms tend to have a deeper flavor than white ones, but either will do — or mix them up. I often mix in some shiitake mushrooms as well.
Button mushrooms go by many names. Here are a few:
- Brown Button Mushrooms: Cremini, baby bella, bella, and when more mature and bigger: portobello. If using portobello, definitely slice or cube them.
- White Button Mushrooms: champignon (denoting from the field or countryside)
Whole or Sliced?
To get the most flavor, slicing the mushrooms is the way to go. You can certainly also sauté them whole, especially if smaller (in which case, you could serve them on skewers, if you like). However, they soak up more flavors during cooking when cut up. Sliced is ideal, but quartered will be tastier than whole.
If rinsing the mushrooms, wait until ready to use. See recipe for detailed instructions.
How to Sauté Mushrooms
Caramelizing for Deep Flavor
I made decent sautéed mushrooms for years, until the time I forgot about them on the stove — which was the day I started making them this way. Now we forget about them on purpose.
For beautifully caramelized mushrooms, which take on a deeper savory flavor, basically cook them calmly first, to let them release their moisture, then kind of forget about them for a bit, and let them sear.
Resist stirring, leave them until they brown. I know this is something some people may find quite hard. You know who you are! You can do it! Step away from the stove, you will be rewarded (just don’t forget about them)!
One More Flavor Tip
Parsley! For the tastiest mushrooms, I recommend sautéing the chopped parsley along with the garlic — not just saving it as a finishing garnish. But definitely save a pinch for the end too, so you can add a final sprinkling of vibrant green color to the dish.
More Side Vegetable Dishes
- Roman Artichokes (Carciofi alla Romana)
- Roasted Mediterranean Potatoes with Rosemary
- Caramelized Fennel
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Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb button mushrooms (brown, white or mixed), trimmed of bottom of stem, cleaned of debris, and patted dry if rinsed
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- ½ pinch hot chili powder (optional)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup white wine (or substitute 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice)
Instructions
- Slice mushrooms between ¼ and ⅜-inch (7mm to 1cm) thick and set aside.
- In a large saute pan or skillet, heat the garlic, half of the parsely, and hot pepper powder, if using, in olive oil over medium low heat. Bring garlic to a sizzle, then cook for another half minute, being careful not to let it brown.
- Quickly stir in the sliced mushrooms and salt. (It will look too dry at this point.) Cover with a lid and cook the mushrooms on low heat for about 10 minutes, to release their juices.
- Uncover, turn the heat to medium, and cook until the juice has almost evaporated. Add the wine and cook covered until almost evaporated, about 5 minutes.
- Uncover, and turn the heat to medium high to caramelize. Do not stir. After a couple of minutes, flip a few over to check, and when you find them deeply golden on bottom, turn off the heat. Immediately cover and let rest for at least 5 minutes, in order for them to naturally detach from the pan while you finish preparing the rest of your meal.
- When ready to serve, uncover and stir the mushrooms to coat them with any caramelized glaze from the bottom and sides of the pan. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Notes
- The secret to the deepest flavor is: letting them get as golden brown as possible without burning.
- Storing: Raw mushrooms can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. To prolong shelf life, store mushrooms in a porous paper bag. Cooked mushrooms, stay well covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
- Reheating: Saute with a drizzle of olive oil and a splash of white wine or water.
Nutrition Info: Click to Expand
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