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PlantPlate.com is here to provide the recipes, information, and practical advice needed to follow a healthy plant-based diet. Whether you're interested in improving your health, losing weight, or eating more sustainably, a whole foods plant-based diet may be the perfect solution for you.

My name's Emma, and I started PlantPlate in 2013 with the help of my husband Scott, a web developer and fellow plantivore. I’m a certified Plant-Based Nutritionist who loves to cook, and I've followed a plant-based diet for over a decade. Having lived in various locations throughout the world - sometimes on a shoestring budget, and often with irregular and demanding work schedules - I’ve had to constantly adapt my diet in order to make it work. It’s taught me a lot, and it’s motivated me to show others just how accessible and enjoyable this way of eating can be.

The recipes featured on PlantPlate are based on minimally processed plant foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. They're free from all animal products, processed oils and refined carbohydrates, and are made with simple and affordable ingredients. Our articles are aimed at providing you with plant-based know-how when it comes to shopping, cooking, nutrition and day-to-day living. We have answers to common questions and share practical knowledge that we have acquired through experience. Finally, the resources section contains links to books, DVDs, and video presentations from some of the world's leading experts on plant-based nutrition. It is our hope that these resources will help you to fully understand and evaluate the health benefits of this wonderful way of eating.

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Mashed Potatoes with Red Wine Mushrooms

RECIPE By PlantPlate
A comforting, flavourful, hug-in-a-bowl meal for cold winter nights! This robustly savoury dish features two of our favourite plant-based mainstays: the humble spud, and the meaty mushroom. What more could you want?

Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 60 Minutes
Yield: Serves 4

Notes:

This big, hearty bowl of savoury deliciousness is well worth the time and effort! Though it may seem more complicated than many of our other recipes, it's actually surprisingly easy. You will need to set aside a couple of hours to let the mushrooms marinate, but after that it's simply a matter of making your mash and cooking the 'shrooms down in the sauce. In fact, you can even skip the marinating process and get straight to cooking if necessary; the end result will be very similar, but you will lose some depth of flavour in the sauce.

You can use just about any variety of mushroom for this recipe, but our favourites are oyster (pictured), shiitake, or thickly sliced portabellos. You can search for new, exotic varieties at farmer's markets, or use a combination of different mushrooms to create a textural contrast.

To achieve the right consistency in the mash and in the sauce, you'll need to exercise some personal judgement. Some mushrooms release more water when cooking than others, so if the sauce seems too thin and watery after adding the corn starch in step 4, add a little more (just mix 1-2 teaspoons of starch with a spoonful of water before adding.) On the other hand, if the sauce seems far too thick, you can thin it out by adding a little extra water or vegetable broth.

Ingredients:

For the mushrooms:

  • 500g (1 pound) mushrooms such as swiss brown, oyster or shiitake
  • 1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves (or 2 tsp. dried)
  • 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 1 1/4 cups red wine
  • 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 1.5 tbsp. maple or date syrup
  • 1 tbsp. nutritional yeast
  • 3 tsp. corn starch
  • 1/8 tsp. salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the mash:

  • 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) white potatoes, peeled
  • 1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth
  • 2/3 cup almond or soy milk
  • 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 

Instructions:

  1. Evenly layer mushrooms in a large rectangular container or baking dish. Sprinkle thyme leaves over the mushrooms, and place rosemary sprigs evenly throughout the dish. Combine the red wine, vegetable broth, garlic and maple or date syrup in a jug or mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Pour this mixture over the mushrooms, then cover the dish with foil or cling wrap. Place in the fridge for 2-4 hours, or overnight.
  2. To make the mashed potatoes, cut your peeled potatoes into even sized chunks (about 2 inches long is ideal.) Bring a large pot of water to boil, add the potatoes, and cook for 20-25 minutes until completely tender. Drain well, then return cooked potatoes to the pot. Add the vegetable broth, almond or soy milk, and ground nutmeg. Mash with a potato masher until almost no lumps remain. Season to taste with black pepper, then set aside until ready to serve.
  3. After the mushrooms have finished marinating, transfer them- with all the marinating liquid- to a large pot or saucepan. Bring the ingredients to a boil, and cook at a high heat for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to a medium simmer, and continue cooking for 15 minutes until the liquid reduces. Add the nutritional yeast, stir through, then reduce heat to low. Remove the rosemary springs using a pair of tongs, and discard.
  4. In a small jug or bowl, mix the 3 teaspoons of corn starch together with 1 tablespoon of water. Add this to the mushroom mixture and stir through. Continue stirring the mixture, while it cooks, for one minute. The sauce should thicken and become glossy. Once it reaches the desired consistency, remove the pan from the heat. Add the salt, and season with black pepper to taste.
  5. To serve, warm through the mashed potatoes. Divide among serving bowls, top with a generous helping of mushrooms and red wine gravy, and enjoy immediately.