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Deb Perelman's Mushroom Bourguignon

Name: Deb Perelman's Mushroom Bourguignon
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided; 2 pounds portobello or cremini mushrooms, sliced ¼ inch thick; 1 cup pearl onions (thawed if frozen); 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped; 1/2 carrot, finely chopped; 1 teaspoon thyme leaves; Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 cup full-bodied red wine; 2 cups beef or vegetable broth (beef broth is traditional, but use vegetable to make it vegetarian; the dish works with either); 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; Egg noodles, for serving (buttered potatoes or farro work well too); Sour cream and chopped chives or parsley, for garnish (optional)

by: Genius Recipes

October 15, 2021

4.6

10 Ratings

Photo by Linda Xiao

Serves 4

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

Vegetarians (and friends of vegetarians) will like this dish because it's a celebratory meatless main dish. We like it because it's a bourguignon you can make on a weeknight. Where's the boeuf? Who cares? Adapted very slightly from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook (Knopf, 2012) —Genius Recipes

Test Kitchen Notes

Traditionally made with beef, this mushroom version of bourguignon is just as hearty and satisfying, and you and your guests won't be able to get enough of it. The combination of portobello mushrooms and pearl onions is simply irresistible, and it'll make your kitchen smell fantastic, It's one of our favorite dishes to make when fall rolls around and all you want is a big bowl of comfort food. Along with some delicious red wine, broth, and tomato paste, this dish comes together easily, and the longer it sits for the flavors to meld, the better. Stirring in a mixture of butter and flour helps make the sauce the perfect consistency. This recipe calls for the mushrooms to simmer for 20 minutes, but you can go as low and slow as you'd like. We call for serving over egg noodles, but mashed potatoes, rice, quinoa, polenta, whatever you're feeling, would also work.

Feel free to use whatever kind of mushrooms you have on hand too, from crimini to hen of the woods. The beauty of this recipe lies in its versatility, though mushrooms of course are the star, so you can incorporate your favorite type. Some commenters also added other ingredients like a Parmesan rind, chickpeas, and beans to the stew for even more depth and texture. Taste as you go and add your favorite spices or vegetables. A crisp side salad would also help complete the meal. Of course, if you're not going meatless, you can add chopped up meat to the mix as well. —The Editors

Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided
2 pounds portobello or cremini mushrooms, sliced ¼ inch thick
1 cup pearl onions (thawed if frozen)
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
¹/₂ carrot, finely chopped
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup full-bodied red wine
2 cups beef or vegetable broth (beef broth is traditional, but use vegetable to make it vegetarian; the dish works with either)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 ¹/₂ tablespoons all-purpose flour
Egg noodles, for serving (buttered potatoes or farro work well too)
Sour cream and chopped chives or parsley, for garnish (optional)

Directions

In a medium Dutch oven or heavy saucepan over high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter. Working in batches, sear the mushrooms and pearl onions for 3 to 4 minutes, until they begin to take on a little color, but the mushrooms do not yet release any liquid. Transfer to a plate; set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium and pour in the remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the yellow onion, carrots, thyme, a few good pinches of salt, and several grinds of black pepper to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for just 1 more minute, until warmed through.
Add the wine, scraping any stuck bits off the bottom of the pot, then turn the heat all the way up and cook, stirring, until reduced by half. Stir in the broth and tomato paste. Return the mushrooms and pearl onions to the pot, along with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, until the mushrooms are very tender.
In a small bowl, combine the flour and the remaining 1 tablespoon of the butter with a fork until combined; stir it into the stew. Simmer for 10 more minutes. If the sauce is too thin, bring to a boil to reduce to the right consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve, spoon the stew over a bowl of egg noodles, dollop with the sour cream, and sprinkle with the chives or parsley (if using).

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49 Reviews

amanda R. September 10, 2020

Delicious and super easy! Plus my apartment smells incredible

Bets January 11, 2020

I just made this a second time and again, surprised how amazing it is! I simplefies with chopped onions as that is what I had; used the crimini mushrooms cause they were less $$. I'd up the carrot to 2 at least. This will become a regular!

Cheryl January 4, 2020

Incredibly delicious! I used 3X the pearl onions and vegan butter. Served over mashed potatoes, made vegan with hemp milk. Can't wait to eat more! Thank you.

fl October 2, 2018

Hi. have tried to save this recipe several times and each time thinking I’m doing something wrong but I don’t think so. It has saved it as “The Mistakes & Mishaps of Beginner Cooks (We're Guilty as Charged)”
Anybody else have this experience. Any suggestions?

Danielle May 2, 2018

REALLY tasty. I upped the pearl onion count and seared those of pretty heavily for some extra flavor. Farro cooked in veg stock and a salad completed the meal. I also cut the butter and used a corn starch slurry to thicken saving a bit of fat and make it even more vegetarian for certain family members. Even the carnivores in the family asked for the recipe. Yum!

Janice April 14, 2017

if I don't want to use the wine is there a non-alcoholic option?

BR95510 December 2, 2016

Delish! Loved the flavor! I used veggie broth and thickened with a slurry of water and flour. Completely vegan and wonderful! Served over eggless noodles and it received 2 thumbs up from my husband. Thanks for the great recipe!

Rhonda35 November 15, 2016

This was delicious!

WildRiceLLC May 19, 2016

This is a wonderful recipe. I actually veganized it by the use of vegan butter and noodles without eggs in them. I didn't have pearl onions so I added chick peas which added a nice texture and punched up the fiber in this dish. The sauce was rich and luscious over the noodles. It would taste good over rice or quinoa as well. It was hard for me to stop tasting it while it was cooking. I was thinking this would be delicious over a thick slice of Texas toast as well. Thank you for posting this.

Suzy Q. December 9, 2017

I imagine this might do well over cauliflower rice as well? Anyone tried than?
I try to stay away from gluten. Thanks all!

karencooks February 2, 2016

I have Deb's cookbook, read her blog and make many of her wonderful recipes!!! This recipe is definitely a winner! My husband and I love it!

Chris January 20, 2016

Does anyone know if this can be frozen?

Shwillary December 30, 2020

i read several reviews on deb's site from her original post of users who froze this dish, or portions of it, successfully.
have not tried it personally but i'd advise giving it a go!

insecureepicure January 18, 2016

I bought the Genius Recipes cookbook and made this recipe. I served it over Polenta. It was amazing. My meat lover husband didn't even notice it was missing meat. One thing I will do next time, though, is precook the onions. They were hard and kind of dissonant with the rest of the dish. Yum

whatshername November 1, 2015

I know I'm a little late in seeing this post , but I recently made this dish for a meatless Monday. It was fantastic!! I used fresh 'hen of the woods' mushrooms from my neighbors' yard.I did find I had to cook them a little longer than written. It was a very hearty meal that even my 'meat and potatoes' husband enjoyed very much! Thanks for the recipe!

lasciviouslunch March 16, 2015

This meal is such a pleasure. As a more recent vegetarian I miss hearty stews very much, but this was flavorful, warm, and filling. I served it on top of mash potatoes (at my husbands request) and served next day leftovers with pappardelle. Heaven!

NotTooSweet March 9, 2015

I made this (through step 3) two days ago and then finished it for dinner last night. Wow - so delicious! Three requests for the recipe and not a drop of food left. I served it over bow-tie pasta and included a crisp, green salad. No one missed the meat at all and I doubt I will ever bother making it with meat again. Thanks so much for this truly genius recipe.

Jordan K. December 18, 2014

I made this for dinner tonight for my family, and the vegetarians and meat-eaters all loved it! It is a delicious wintery dish. I will definitely be making it again.

PassTheSpice May 6, 2014

Yes! The flavor will only get better the longer it sits. Just reheat on the stove. You probably want to add the pearl onions when you reheat and also cook the noodles/whatever you are serving it with the day of as well. Such a fantastic recipe! Enjoy!

gerry L. May 6, 2014

Is is okay to make this 2 days ahead of time?

kayacro February 2, 2014

I made this. It was fabulous. I made my own pappardelle. I didn't have a pound of fresh mushrooms on hand. I was short about 5 oz. I did add approximately 2 oz of reconstituted porcini mushrooms. I also used one cup of the liquid used to reconstitute the dried mushrooms in place for one cup of the two cups of vegetable stock called for. I absolutely love this dish. I could not believe there was no animal protein in it. As a vegetarian I am always looking for nice hearty dishes for the winter time. This is a keeper.

lindamettler January 19, 2014

I made it ahead...twice, and it was perfect. I don't think you can ruin this dish!

souptastic December 11, 2013

I added Parmesan rind to the simmer to bump the umami. I also added canellini beans to the stew and blended some separately into the stock to thicken instead of using flour.

PassTheSpice October 15, 2013

I love this recipe! I have been making it forever...it's easy, delicious, comforting, and vegetarian. It's a home run.

MJ May 6, 2013

So easy and delicious! I used the veg broth, and it totally tasted beefy. I put it over mashed potatoes.

shirley April 8, 2013

Made this last night. It's a KEEPER !! Wonderful.

Edwardsd March 28, 2013

Made this and used farro -great combination. Now have some on the stove to be served with Kosher for passover quinoa - so tired of eggs and salmon.

MaSaBeMama March 18, 2013

Made this last week and it's wonderful. Making it again tomorrow evening to celebrate my mom's 85th birthday (sister and niece are vegetarian and EVERYONE loves mushrooms!) Thanks Deb and Food52

Rattatouille March 7, 2013

I cannot wait to try this recipe! The suggestion of farro sounds amazing and I love that 1 cup of wine is used as opposed to the entire bottle, there'll be enough left for a glass with dinner. Thank you!

lindamettler March 6, 2013

This was terrific! I made one pot vegetarian as written, but a second pot with some cubed sirloin thrown in and a bit of Bisto to thicken it up. Both versions were a big hit and the leftovers were even better! Thanks for this one.

lindamettler February 17, 2013

Am going to triple the recipe for a dinner party and will use an assortment of different mushrooms. Looks like a good cook-ahead option and very hearty!

Sarahgran January 19, 2014

I am thinking about making this dish ahead of time for a dinner party. How'd it turn out when you did it?

DAVILCHICK December 26, 2012

Made this last night for xmas dinner. As a side for the Waxman's brisket but as a full course for our lone vegetarian. All I can say is WOW. The perfect meatless yet TOTALLY SATISFYING meal. As suggested I made it through step 3 the day before and then reheated and thickened it right before serving and it was truly out of this world fantastic.

triedntrue December 17, 2012

Totally delicious. Adding this to my list of tried and true recipes. Used baby bella mushrooms and beef broth. Sour cream at the end definitely lends a creaminess to the dish.

Whitney G. December 15, 2012

This was very tasty and easy to make. I served it over egg noodles (paparedelle). The dish had a rich taste. I would also consider making it exactly the same, but browning some stew beef as a first step, and adding it back for the simmer round. I would make again as a nice meat free alternative to stew or as a base recipe for short ribs too.

neighome December 14, 2012

I made this tonight for the second time. The first time I made it as written. While brilliant for a healthier weeknight version of beef bourguignon, it was, as noted by fearlessem, a little one note. So with an eye to keep all the positive elements of the original, I punched it up a bit by tossing in a bay leaf and a couple tablespoons of dry vermouth into the simmer. It didn't take any more time, and deepened the flavor a bit. I'll be making this again.

fearlessem December 5, 2012

I made this tonight, and it was certainly very good, but somehow it felt just a little one-note to me. Would happily make this for vegetarian friends, but I don't know if I'd make it just for myself again...

Saxivore November 27, 2012

This receep kicked ass ... my not Vegan partner (dairy free vegetarian) said it was the best thing I ever cooked for her (despite not getting the glorious sour cream). She was a bit upset that I used the "good wine" but I read somewhere that if it's not good enough to drink it's not good enough to cook with. I thought it was fantastic too!

tweeter10 November 25, 2012

Perfect, perfect, perfect ! All the ingredients in the pantry, clear instrucitons, easy to make and the taste is divine! This recipe is a keeper!

Betty A. November 23, 2012

I love this! It seems so easy to do on a weeknight. Even for a busy weekend, it's just perfect! Thanks for making our lives easier with this recipe :-)

drbabs November 19, 2012

I have only one thing to say: O. M. G. Thank you for finding this amazing recipe!

MarieH November 11, 2012

Excellent meatless meal. Rich flavor and easy preparation.

bkdice November 8, 2012

Made this last night and it was wonderful. My husband barely likes mushrooms, and he at it all. I did add a shallot and a little balsamic. I finished it with truffle salt and it was to die for. Thank you for this wonderful vegetarian (I used veg broth) dish!!!

Teresa58 November 5, 2012

Yum! Could I sub Marsala for the red wine? Can't wait to try this.

Teresa58 November 5, 2012

Yum! Can I make this with Marsala? Can't wait to try it.

JORJ November 4, 2012

are you missing the step here where you brown the pearl onions? or do they just get cooked in the sauce?

Genius R. November 4, 2012

Thank you for asking! I just updated the recipe and this step should be showing up any moment -- you brown the onions with the mushrooms.

Lkw1080 November 4, 2012

Very tasty recipe! I really enjoyed it. Made it as is.

darksideofthespoon November 3, 2012

Very excited to make this on Monday. Will report with results!