Hearty, Healthy Vegan Mushroom Recipe Roundup

This is an ode to the edible mushroom. This post reveals details about the powerful health benefits of mushrooms and provides delicious whole food plant based mushroom recipes below.

Updated 09/23/2026

It's a fun way to celebrate on Oct 15th. We encourage you to learn how simple and economical it is to plan for and eat more mushrooms throughout the year.

Mushrooms are a favorite in my house, because they are: 

1. easy to prepare

2. scrumptious

3. adaptable and replace unhealthy ingredients found in many conventional recipes

4. low in calories

5. low in carbohydrates

6. low fat

7. low sodium

8. a healthy source of plant protein

9. cholesterol and gluten free

10. whole food and vegan

11. healing and have disease prevention properties 

12. economical

Don't you just love button, shiitake, baby bella, cremini, and porcini mushrooms? I've discovered a single Portobello mushroom contains more potassium than a banana.

Mushrooms provide other important nutrients, including selenium. This antioxidant protects cells from damage that might lead to chronic diseases and strengthens the immune system. 

Mushrooms are a good source of riboflavin, niacin, vitamin D, proteins, copper, and fiber. See more health benefits here and here.

Mushrooms are neither fruit nor vegetable, but are botanically classified as a fungi and considered a vegetable for nutrition. 

The textures and tastes are pleasing to the palate. Mushrooms can replace meat or other animal products in any recipe you choose. 

When put to the test, this study shows that mushrooms are as filling and satisfying as meat.

Season and roast mushrooms covered, and they stay juicy (they are made up of 90% water). Here's tips about seasoning without using salt. 

Even though mushrooms are commonly white or brown, these colors are a healthy exception to the rule to eat the colors of the rainbow. 

Edible mushrooms grow into many shapes, sizes, and flavors. Each  of the 200 or so edible mushroom varieties packs a powerful nutritional punch.  

Warning: Don't forage for or eat wild mushrooms, unless they have been examined by a mushroom expert. Some varieties of wild mushrooms are poisonous. Better to be safe than sorry.

Mushrooms have a long history as a food source with healing capacities. Research posted on Medical News Today indicates incorporating mushrooms into your meals, even in small portions (three quarters of a cup cooked and served twice a week), appears to have lowered the risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in the age sixty and older group who were studied. MCI is a condition which often precedes Alzheimer's disease. 

An additional study suggests various compounds in mushrooms helps reduce inflammation and prevent and fight breast cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, uterine cervix cancer, pancreatic cancer, gastric cancer, and acute leukemia. 

This food when combined with a healthy diet and active lifestyle can help prevent cardiovascular disease too.

Presenting the Hearty, Healthy Vegan Mushroom Recipe Roundup

To start the recipe ball rolling... this recipe comes from the Minimalist Baker #Minimalist Baker. It's for Caramelized Shiitake Mushroom Risotto.  You can make this creamy, rich, and delicious dish without the guilt, because it has such nutritious ingredients. 

Next on the lineup is Vegan Green Bean Casserole, perfect for a side dish at an autumn or winter holiday feast or as the star of a simple mid-week meal. It's from Diane Smith at #plantbasedcooking.

Here's a wonderful recipe from Sarah at Making Thyme for Health. Vegan Porcini Mushroom Gravy is a yummy recipe that's pictured with mashed potatoes. It's vegan, gluten free, grain free, nut free, and soy free, and appeals to old and young alike.

See this fabulous recipe for Mushroom Bisque from Judee Algazi, the blogger at Gluten Free A-Z Blog . This soup cooks up fast, tastes rich and delicious, yet it's vegan and gluten free. 

Broccoli and Mushroom Stir Fry comes from the recipe designers at Skinny Ms.  It looks and tastes great, and uses many nutritious, delicious ingredients for a one pot meal.

Next is a roundup post from this blog that first appeared on May 15, 2019. Recipes for Remarkable Vegan Meatballs has three mouthwatering recipes that include mushrooms.

Last but not least is my recipe for Marinated Mushroom and Red Pepper Sandwich at Colors 4 Health.

Marinated Mushroom and Red Pepper Sandwich by Nancy Andres

Ingredients:

Marinade

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic chopped

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon Maple syrup

1 teaspoon fresh parsley or 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

fresh ground black pepper to taste

Other ingredients:

8 oz. of any type mushroom you have on hand (I used baby bellas)  cleaned and chopped

1 red pepper cleaned and chopped

Sandwich Fixings:

4 slices any variety of bread or 2 rolls (I used gluten free vegan)

Lettuce leaf

Sliced tomato

Sliced red onion

optional: guacamole, sprouts, shredded carrot, and hummus

How to Make It:

1. Sauté chopped garlic in one Tablespoon of oil until lightly browned. Then whisk all marinade ingredients together, until they are thoroughly blended.

2. Place items marked "other ingredients" in a glass or stainless casserole or baking dish. Toss in the marinade and mix well. 

3. Cover casserole dish and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Please note the longer you leave ingredients in marinade, the more tasty it becomes (up to one day).

4. When you're ready to cook, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cook dish covered for 30-45 minutes. If mushrooms and peppers are fork tender they are ready. If not, cook another 15 minutes and test again.

5. Scoop out portions with a slotted spoon and use the sandwich fixings to make up your sandwiches. This recipe will serve 2 people. The picture above shows it being served with a side of fresh organic corn. Double the recipe amounts to serve four people. 

Another way to eat vegan marinated mushroom and red peppers is to place the mixture including the cooked marinade on a bed of brown rice (pictured with fresh asparagus at the top of this post).

Wishing you bon appetite and much inspiration as you create many luscious, healthy mushroom dishes throughout the year.

Do you enjoy eating mushrooms?  Please comment below. I appreciate every comment, but do not publish those that have links in them. Thanks for understanding.

Which variety of mushrooms do you like best and why?

What recipes mentioned above will you try?

Do you have any recipe tips you'd be willing to share? Please include them in your comment as well.

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Improve Health Spend Quality Time in Nature

Research indicates spending 120 minutes a week outdoors engaged in physical activities improves health and overall well-being. It may include 2 half-hour brisk walks, meditative moments noticing the landscape and its inhabitants, and playing a sport, game, or participating in a physical activity with family or friends. Riding bikes, picnicking, or tending a community garden each week are just a few leisure time activities that encourage optimal health and happiness.

 

This post has been updated 5/28/25

A simple, refreshing way to take in the good vibes of the great outdoors is with a one minute grounding meditation. This one is from Mindful.org, and was written by Cara Bradley, who also is in a video that goes along with it. 

Want to absorb the refreshing energy of nature? Use your imagination to see the colors of nature. Then, look at the collage below. 

Envision a place you've visited or want to see that's serene, tranquil, or ablaze with brightly colored plants, trees, and shrubs. 

Green energy creates balance, harmony, self-compassion, and rejuvenation. Read Use Energy from Green to Refresh You and Your Home.

Gold, rust, amber, scarlet, and browns of autumn leaves and soil remind us of transitions. These colors provide grounding energy and connection to Mother Earth. Get suggestions for outdoor activities that are fun for the whole family here.

If you prefer, dream about a place where there's a broad expanse of sea, sand, and sky or picture it in your mind's eye.

Aquamarine and the green blue colors of a waterfall, ocean, lakes, or stream are colors that create a sense of expansiveness and tranquility. Sea blues of azure and sapphire remind our body and intuition to  "go with the flow." This energy shift helps reduce tension and attachment to outcomes.

It's surprising how many ways nature impacts well-being. It reduces stress, anger, fear, physical aches, and emotional pain including depression or anxiety. 

Notice how easily natural surroundings awaken awe and wonder in you. 

A large-scale nature engagement study conducted by the Wildlife Trust in the UK showed its participants, over a 30 day span, took greater notice of nature's beauty, their own physiological and emotional responses to nature, and felt an interconnectedness to their surroundings that led to improved happiness, health, and conservation behaviors.

Use your senses to tune into the sights, sounds, aromas, textures, and pace of nature. When you bring mindfulness to the time you spend in nature, it reduces stress, heals, and renews enthusiasm in you. 

When you take a break in nature, it shifts your perspective. Getting outdoors away from screens and other electronic devices, helps you relax. 

You'll notice down time helps you feel refreshed and improves your ability to concentrate, once you resume your work.

In fact, one recent study conducted at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston shows women may live longer in green environments.

Make time to get outside for even a few minutes a day. Enjoy relaxing or exercising outdoors, get a healthy dose of sunlight for Vitamin D, and give thanks for this inexpensive, fun way to enrich daily living.

Please comment below. 😊 I read and appreciate each one, but will not publish comments when they contain links. Thanks for understanding. 💗

What outdoor activities do you enjoy participating in and why?

Do you feel physically, mentally, and spiritually uplifted when you see a sunset, sunrise, the first snow, a deer in the woods, or a majestic mountain? Explain. What natural wonder makes your heart sing?

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Come to Journal Tips for Self-compassion Workshops!

"Self-compassion is the act of accepting all parts of ourselves and treating ourselves with lovingkindness. A self-compassionate mindset helps us connect to our humanness, acknowledge mistakes and shortcomings, and perceive experiences as opportunities to heal and grow." Nancy Andres

Self-compassion is a self-care practice I've been relying on to walk through my grief, since my son died at the end of last year.

I'm prepared to share ideas and tips that helped me let go of self-judgment, critical thoughts, negativity, and guilt. 

One of the most effective tools I've discovered to improve my mood is to journal write about things I'm grateful for, count my blessings, and record those things I feel will help me be kinder to myself. 

Scientific research backs this up. Studies show troubled people can get major relief from focusing attention on good things in life. Those who did enjoyed a higher percent of happy days, felt optimistic, and expected the best. They were also more satisfied with their lives, which they perceived to be more meaningful, and they felt more connected with others each day.

Here's where you come in. You'll have an opportunity to learn what things can be used to support and empower your thinking and behavior. 

Whether you're suffering from the end of a relationship or career, transition from one stage of life to another, or just want fresh ideas about how to treat yourself better when you feel less than, I can help you. 

September is a great month to use self-compassion and you are in luck because... 

I am facilitating two self-compassion workshops. I'd love to meet you at either one. 💗

You're Invited to "Journal Writing Tips for Self-compassion and Personal Growth with Book Signing for Colors of Joy " 

Come to an interactive workshop with games, fun activities, and an opportunity to meet Nancy Andres, author of Colors of Joy: A Woman's Guide for Self-Discovery, Balance, and Bliss.

When: Sat Sept 14, 2019 2:30 PM-3:30PM, book signing after

Where: The Seasoned Woman, 5460 E. Broadway Blvd. #300, Tucson, AZ

Reservations are on a first-come first serve basis and complimentary. Please go to the Seasoned Woman’s Website and Click on the Link for Events to reserve your place. 

For Nancy Andres’ bio, event schedule, and wellness ideas see her Website. 💗

You’re Invited to “Journal Writing Tips for Self-compassion and Personal Growth with Book Signing for Colors  of Joy.”

When: Sat. Sept. 21, 2019 between 2-3 PM Book signing afterward

Where: Literate Lizard Bookstore, 1575 W State Rte. 89A,Suite D, Sedona.

Call 928-325-2971 or email theliteratelizardsedona@gmail.com to RSVP

After the workshop meet Nancy Andres, author of Colors of Joy: A Woman’s Guide for Guide for Self-Discovery, Balance and Bliss. Colors of Joy provides tips and ideas to help you thrive!

Nancy Andres is a Health and Lifestyle Writer, Author, and Wellness Blogger. When she’s not working, she enjoys walking and hiking on Tucson trails and paths, has her nose in a book, is cooking whole food plant-based meals for friends and family, or is savoring dark chocolate. 😄

      Please comment below. 

Do you understand why self-compassion is so important? Explain.

Do you know simple ways to feel heard, cherished, and understood by you?

What techniques do you use to coax yourself to try something new, change a bad habit, or reframe how you look at things you see as failures? 

Do you think a self-compassionate attitude would help in these situations? Why?

I read and appreciate every comment, yet do not publish those that include links. Thanks for understanding. 💗

Come to a workshop and learn how journal writing prompts, affirmations, and fun activities can help that precious person who is you appreciate, approve, and be awe-inspired by you.

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Key Reasons to Eat Mindfully with Tips to Succeed

Most of us know it’s unhealthy to overeat and gain extra pounds or skip meals to shed weight. Yet when stressed or rushed, we may reach for comfort foods, eat on the go, or veto a meal entirely.

This post offers tips to help us become mindful eaters and ideas to help us do it.

Updated 10/24/2022

Mindful eating is the practice of bringing open-minded awareness about our food choices, and observations about the taste, texture, sound, aroma, and sight of the foods we are eating. 

Eating mindfully is also a way to pay more attention to why and how we prepare and eat certain foods.

When we notice details of the eating experience and the effect food has on our body, emotions, and thinking, we're better able to identify problem times and situations we eat to compensate for feelings including loneliness, anger, boredom, and fear.

Mindful eating studies show those who eat mindfully are more successful at sticking with a meal plan that supports wellness. The example is from Michael Greger MD.

Research about mindful eating also suggests that being present while eating assures full digestion as well as optimal nutrition benefits. 

The initial phase of digestion begins with the brain seeing, smelling, and anticipating food. 

If you are tense or distracted any place in the process, food may not be fully absorbed. See more at Mindfulness Helps Us Digest and Enjoy Our Food.

Additional studies indicate mindful eating may help reduce body mass index (BMI), reduce anxious thoughts about food and body image, and help those with diabetes get a better handle on managing symptoms.

Word of warning: Posts on this site are offered for informational purposes, and not offered as medical advice.

Tune into your body’s signals to identify real hunger. With practice, you’ll be able to discern “when,” “how,” “where,” and "what" to eat for nourishment, health, and to create a sense of well-being in you. 

Just understand, one size does not fit all. Make your goal  "progress." Through trial and error you'll develop a meal plan and follow through with methods that fit your lifestyle. See this for more tips.

Mindful Eating Can Evolve 

Spontaneously When you Do 

the 

Following:

Before you begin preparing a meal...

Clear clutter from table and kitchen counters. Mail, keys, papers, and work stuff detracts from the physical setting for an enjoyable meal. When junk blankets the dining table, it makes it tempting to eat on the couch or eat standing up. 

Take a moment or two to breathe deeply, and put aside any cares or concerns you felt during the hours before this meal. Perhaps even take a moment or two to say a thanks for the abundance in your life.

Then, gather brightly colored ingredients, lay them out, cut them up, and place them in the appropriate pot, pan, or on or in the stove.  

Notice specific details about what you’re doing in each moment. Are you following a cookbook recipe, winging it, opening a package, or cutting off the tops of radishes or carrots? 

Do you hear anything as you cook, feel air or lack of air around you, etc. How does the sauce you are simmering smell, look, taste, feel?

For fresh menu ideas, see Colorful Whole Food Plant Based Meal Ideas to simplify meal planning. 

You’re not cooking food to be eaten, you’re simply cooking the food, and you’re doing it with all of your being.

Before you actually sit down for a meal, pause to consider everyone involved in bringing your food to the table. 

Think of the loved ones or yourself who will prepare it, those who planted it, the water, soil, and other elements that were part of the creation, those who harvested the ingredients, to those who transported it to markets or will deliver it to your home. 

When you go back to the origins of the food you are eating, you’re likely to breathe easier, feel grounded, grateful, and sense you are interconnected.

Listen to physical hunger cues and distinguish between true hunger and non-hunger triggers for eating including boredom, loneliness, anxiety, sadness, joy, fatigue, and craving for love or comfort.

Set the intention to be mindful for at least one meal a day. Then branch out to two or three mindful meals a day. Expand your practice and include meals at home, with family and friends, and in restaurants.

Remember to engage all your senses and take in the colors, smells, sounds, textures, and flavors of the foods you are going to eat. 

Here's food for thought. Ask yourself whether the food you are choosing to eat contributes to your physical, emotional, spiritual, mental, community, and planetary health.

Keep your eyes on your table mates and the food. Take part in conversation. 

See this tip from Etiquette Expert Candace Smith:

“Have you noticed that table settings only include the tools necessary to assist you during dinner with others?  There are plates, glasses, forks, knives, spoons, and napkins.  Add humans and food, and you have a complete dining experience.  

This is why the table etiquette rule is: No items other than those included in the table setting are appropriate on the dining table.  Ergo, phones and other electronic devices should not make an appearance during a meal.” See more at  Using Your Phone at the Table.

When you are eating a meal solo, sit down at a table to eat without a book, electronic device or busy work. This will direct your attention where it can do the most good.

Notice the feelings, thoughts, and ideas that surface when you eat slowly, and without distraction, Give your full attention to the food you eat, and you'll be better able to notice when you feel satisfied, but not overstuffed. Stop eating then.

Eyeball your food to determine portion size, and be mindful about selecting quality rather than quantity. 

Use a luncheon sized plate instead of dinner plate, if you have a problem gauging portions. 

Keep fresh, whole food on hand. You'll be less tempted to munch on junk food and have more say about what is in or isn't in your food. 

After a mindful meal, notice how you're feeling. Are you tired, alert, grateful, hyper, or relaxed. 

The food you eat and the mindset you bring to it, has a direct impact on your mood, outlook, health, and energy level. Make it a priority to eat mindfully one day at a time, and you're sure to succeed in increasing pleasure and health.

Do you want to eat meals more mindfully? 

Why do you think that's a good thing to do? 

What tips that I've written about can help you do more of it? 

Please comment below in the space provided. I read and appreciate each one, but will not publish comments if they contain links. Thanks for understanding. 💗

If you like what you see please like my Facebook Page and Follow me on Pinterest. That way you're sure to get fresh health and lifestyle ideas as soon as they are published.

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