The 9 Best Substitutes for Mushrooms

Mushrooms can be found in many different recipes and are used virtually all over the world. Mushrooms have also been used for centuries to bulk up a dish, add flavor, and provide much-needed vitamins and nutrients to many meals.

However, you may find that you’ve run out of mushrooms, you don’t have time to go to the store for fresh mushrooms, or someone you cook for has a mushroom allergy.

When this happens, you will have to find a suitable substitute for the mushrooms.

What are the best substitutes for mushrooms? There are quite a few substitutes for mushrooms, with the best options being zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, eggplant, and tofu, among others.

Which substitute you use will depend on the food you are preparing, what you have available, and the ingredient you prefer to eat.

So, to help you when you need a substitute for mushrooms, read on to find out what the best options are and how you can use them as substitutes.

1. zucchini

Zucchini is probably the most popular choice as a substitute for mushrooms in many recipes. It is easily accessible to most and can be found almost all year round, although it is mostly consumed as a summer vegetable.

Zucchini is part of the squash family and has a soft , almost sweet flesh that goes well in many different foods, from stews to pasta and even roasts.

Substituting zucchini for mushrooms is a great option when making pasta. Zucchini is great in pasta as is, making it a great starting point as a substitute for mushrooms.

Like mushrooms, zucchini are soft and tender, and while they don’t have the nutty flavor that mushrooms sometimes have, they are sweeter and have an earthy note.

When substituting zucchini for mushrooms in pasta or another meal, be sure to cook the zucchini in much the same way as you would mushrooms, perhaps allowing them to fry a bit longer.

2. Eggplant

Eggplant is a vegetable that people love or hate to eat, but it is a vegetable that works very well as a substitute for mushrooms.

It’s easy to tell an eggplant apart, as its vibrant, deep purple skin stands out among the other vegetables.

Eggplant flesh is soft and tender, with a very sweet flavor. In terms of their texture and appearance, they are quite similar to mushrooms.

When cooking with aubergines, keep in mind that the meat can darken once the vegetable is chopped or cut, so you should soak it in water to prevent this from happening.

To substitute aubergines for mushrooms, you can slice or dice the aubergines similar to how you would do mushrooms, and cook them similarly to how you would do mushrooms.

Just keep in mind that eggplant can easily overcook and become soggy, so don’t leave it on the heat for too long.

3. Sundried tomatoes

Sun-dried tomatoes may not seem like an obvious choice as a substitute for mushrooms, but they work great in dishes like pasta or pizza.

Sun-dried tomatoes are often preserved in olive oil and other herbs to give them a punch of flavor that is considerably stronger than mushrooms.

However, when using sun-dried tomatoes in place of mushrooms, you should slice them thinly to even out the flavor.

Dried tomatoes can be thinly sliced and added to pasta, where they will offer a mushroom-like texture and add some flavor as well.

For a pizza, it’s a good idea to sprinkle chopped dried tomato over the other ingredients, to add texture, volume, and again, flavor.

If you don’t want to use dried tomatoes, you can use fresh tomatoes. You can simply chop fresh tomatoes and add them to a recipe that would have used mushrooms.

The tomatoes cook to a smooth mushroom-like texture and give a fresh flavor to the dish.

In addition, tomatoes are very easy to get and are usually affordable as well.

4. Chickpeas

Chickpeas are another great option to replace mushrooms in many recipes.

There are two different varieties of chickpeas : one is creamy, light in color, and larger in size, and the other is darker and smaller.

Either of the two can be used as a substitute for mushrooms in different recipes, whether hot or cold.

The use of chickpeas is quite versatile as you can use them straight from the can, add them to salads or cook them with other ingredients to make a hot meal.

You can also choose to use dried chickpeas , which will need to be cooked or boiled longer to soften. However, this is a good option if you are using them in a stew or soup that will simmer for a long time.

Chickpeas bring a softer texture to a dish, along with their nutty, earthy flavor, which is quite similar to what mushrooms bring to a dish.

Best of all, you can keep canned chickpeas in the pantry for a long time, so you’ll always have some on hand.

5. Tofu

Tofu is a wonderfully versatile ingredient that can be used in many different meals and recipes, and is a popular substitute for meat and other hearty vegetables.

Tofu is made from soy milk and comes in the shape of a cube or rectangle, which can be cubed and added to a recipe.

It’s white in color and fairly mild in flavor, making it a good substitute for mushrooms , as the flavor isn’t overpowering and it doesn’t overpower other ingredients or change the recipe too much.

It is also a great option for vegetarians, as it has a high protein content, so its nutritional value is beneficial to add it to different meals and recipes.

Because it’s so flexible, tofu can be used in almost any dish other than mushrooms. It can be sliced or cut into mushroom-like pieces before adding it to a meal and cooked along with other ingredients.

It is a substitute for many different ingredients, but it works especially well as a substitute for mushrooms, and will add more protein and texture to your meal when mushrooms are not an option.

6. Potatoes

Potatoes are used all over the world and are affordable and easy to find. They are a common ingredient in many homes and this makes them a good substitute for mushrooms.

Russet potatoes, a particular variety of potato, differ from other varieties in that they are considerably drier, but this only means that they are capable of absorbing a lot of liquid when cooked.

This means it’s a good idea to use them in stews and roasts when you don’t want to use mushrooms.

When using potatoes instead of mushrooms in soups or salads, look for potatoes that will hold up well when fried or baked.

To use potatoes instead of mushrooms in a recipe, be sure to peel the potatoes and cut out any lumps or eyes.

Chop the potato into small dice, or cut into thin slices, and cook for longer than you would have cooked the mushrooms. The mushy texture helps replace the mushy texture of mushrooms and adds volume to a dish.

Use potatoes to replace mushrooms in stews, soups, and even salads, but avoid using them on pasta and as a pizza topping.

7. Onion

Onion is another popular ingredient that is used in many dishes around the world and is a staple in many homes and kitchens.

There are several types of onions to choose from, such as red onions, which are sweeter and are great to use as a garnish for various foods.

Yellow onions are very aromatic and are not as sweet as red ones, although they still maintain a certain sweetness.

Whether you sauté, fry, bake or stew, onions work well in a wide range of foods and recipes and are a good substitute in a variety of foods.

Onions and mushrooms don’t taste too similar, but they work as a substitute if you don’t have access to other options.

When fried or sautéed, they can be very similar in color to mushrooms , which is important when choosing a substitute.

If the recipe already calls for onions and you need a substitute for the mushrooms, you can add a few thicker sliced onions to substitute for the mushrooms so your dish doesn’t seem like you’re missing any ingredients.

8.Tempeh

Tempeh is a protein-rich soy food. It has a firm texture and a slightly nutty flavor. There are tempeh made from different legumes, but the most common type is made from soybeans.

The legumes used to make tempeh, and the way it is fermented, affect the resulting flavor.

Being so nutritious, even more so than tofu, tempeh is a great substitute for mushrooms. It can be sliced, cubed, or chunked the way you would have prepared the mushroom, and it cooks much the same.

9. Yellow pumpkin

Yellow squash has a nice golden color on the outside and thick, light yellow flesh on the inside.

The texture of yellow squash is slightly different than mushrooms, but the bright flavor it brings to a dish makes it a great substitution option.

Consider using yellow squash as a substitute for mushrooms in foods like soups, stews, rice, or risotto.

Its flavor pairs well with many different ingredients, and it is cooked to a smooth texture, so although it may be very different from mushrooms, they share these similar properties.

One big plus is that yellow squash is high in vitamins and nutrients, such as vitamins B, K, C, and A, including beta-carotene, and fiber to aid digestion , so you can never go wrong using it in a diet! plate!

To use it as a substitute for mushrooms, chop it into small pieces and make sure you cook it long enough so it isn’t still tough when you serve it.

Revised Substitutes

There isn’t much that exactly substitutes for the flavor of mushrooms. Mushrooms have a mild, nutty, and earthy flavor . It is difficult to find another recipe or ingredient that can bring the same flavor to a dish.

For some people, there isn’t really any flavor-substituting ingredient for mushrooms, so they opt to skip them altogether. 

However, ingredients like chickpeas, eggplant, zucchini, and tofu can give a mushroom-like flavor . They will also have a similar texture to mushrooms, which is also important in a dish.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to add something as substantial as this, you can choose to use smoked salt or even vegetable broth.

This will help add a dimension of flavor that might be missing without mushrooms and can bring a nice flavor to the dish without adding any new texture.

What is the best substitute for mushrooms?

The best substitute for mushrooms is undoubtedly zucchini. Zucchini has an earthy, sweet, mushroom-like flavor and offers a soft, tender mushroom-like texture.

Zucchini can also be chopped or sliced similar to mushrooms and doesn’t add too much of a different flavor to dishes, which could change the recipe entirely.

You will also get great nutritional benefits from using zucchini in a recipe, as it contains great nutrients and vitamins.

Zucchini is the closest thing in flavor, texture, and preparation to mushrooms , so it’s definitely a vegetable you should consider using the next time you make a recipe that calls for mushrooms.

Related questions

Now that we’ve gone over some of the best substitutes for mushrooms, let’s take a look at some related questions!

What mushroom can I use instead of shitake mushrooms?

If you can’t find shitake mushrooms to use in a recipe that calls for them, you can choose to use Portobello mushrooms or oyster mushrooms.

Although they are not exactly the same, they can offer a similar flavor and texture that can work as a good substitute.

There is also the option of using dried shitake mushrooms, which you can find online if you can’t find fresh shitake mushrooms at your local store.

What can I use as a substitute for mushrooms in coq au vin?

To make coq au vin without mushrooms, and so it doesn’t seem like a missing ingredient, you can add more leeks to the recipe.

Although leeks are not the ideal substitute for mushrooms, they work well in coq au vin as they do not add a different flavor or texture to the dish as they are already in the dish.