Vegan Herb Mushroom “Stuffing” (we’re not stuffing turkeys; just ourselves 🙂
Ingredients you have in your package:
Croutons
Herb garlic powder mix
Flax meal
Dried mushrooms
Onion
Pecans. Cut these into smaller pieces to add to the stuffing.
Additional Ingredients you will need:
3 tablespoons Olive oil or vegan butter
3 - 3 ½ cups of Broth (I like Better than Bouillon)
Salt and pepper to taste
Celery, washed and diced, about 2 cups.
Optional ingredients:
1-2 cups of Carrots, washed and diced
1 cup of chopped parsley
20 fresh sage leaves, whole. I like to mix these in as it adds a lot of color
2-3 Beyond sausage, crumbled, sauteed, and mixed in. I like the sweet Italian flavor for this. Don’t overcook as they will cook in the stuffing as well.
Instructions
1. Rehydrate the dried mushrooms overnight or for a couple of hours in a bowl of warm water, covered. You can leave them out, or put them in the fridge when the water is cooled. I like dehydrated mushrooms because the flavor is really intense and yummy, and the porcini mushrooms in the dried mix are delicious!
2. Before making the stuffing, remove mushrooms from the liquid and chop them into smaller pieces (not dice, just chop). Often there may be some small grains of mushroom dust or grit at the bottom of the liquid; take care not to grab that. You can use the mushroom liquid and add it to your broth if you like.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line a 9×13 pan (or comparable sized dish vegetable oil or spray with nonstick spray.
4. Also prepare flax egg by mixing 1 tablespoon of the flaxseed meal with 2 ½ tablespoons of water and set aside.
5. Prepare your broth and set aside; adding half the herb and garlic powder to your broth. Taste for flavor, and add more herb mix if you’d like.
6. Sauté the onion and celery (and carrots if using them) in the olive oil or vegan butter and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Cook until fragrant and translucent – about 5 minutes. Set aside.
7. Put at least ¾ of the unseasoned croutons in a large bowl.
To the bowl of bread, pour most of the broth then add the remaining ingredients (cooked veggies, flax egg, pecans, and parsley if desired. If adding sausage, add cooked sausage now as well) and mix with a wooden spoon. The key is to make sure it is about the consistency of a meatloaf: Moist but not soggy. It should hold its shape if formed into a shape but liquid shouldn’t squeeze out of it. Too dry and it will be really dry after cooking. Too wet and it will be soggy and never get any crisp texture. If too dry, add more broth and mix again. If it’s gotten too wet, add more bread. Note: every batch is unique due to the bread and moisture, so you may have to adjust amounts a little bit. The most important thing is that the stuffing has the right consistency.
8.Transfer stuffing to the prepared pan and cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Then remove the top layer of foil so the top can brown. Increase heat to 400 degrees F (204 C) and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the top is well browned and crisp. I also like to drizzle a little extra melted vegan butter on top right after taking the foil off.
9.Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving. Leftovers reheat well in the microwave or oven, though best when fresh.
Enjoy~