Roasted Portobello Mushroom 'Burgers' with Nutty Quinoa

Delicious, savory, filling, and borderline meaty. Here's a roasted portobello mushrooms recipe for plant lovers that's hearty enough for carnivores. It's quick and easy to get on the table. And can be cooked either in the oven or in an air fryer. Sandwich a serving of nutty quinoa between two portobellos for a satisfying, umami-filled dish.

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• The Story
• How to Store
• How to Clean
• The Ingredients
• The Method
• Dietary Accommodations
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Edible Epilogue
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The Story

While typically lopped into the vegetable category, mushrooms of any kind are actually fungi. And many, including portobellos, are a great source of vitamin B-12. They're an equal-opportunity addition to any dish for any diet. And absolutely enticing when roasted to a deep golden brown and delicious (technical culinary term).

On the subject of color, the darker the mushroom, the more intense the flavor. So the deeply-colored portobello is one of the most flavorful mushrooms you can enjoy. Not to mention that can't-quite-put-your-finger-on-it umami flavor.

How to Store

Since mushrooms keep metabolizing (growing) after picking, store them in the refrigerator wrapped in dry paper towels to absorb any moisture they give off. I like to space them out on a small sheet pan so they don't suffocate each other. Try and cook mushrooms within of few days of bringing them home.

How to Clean

For some chefs and home cooks, washing mushrooms is sacrilege because it supposedly makes them soggy and dilutes their flavor. But since mushrooms are 80-90% water in the first place, they actually can't absorb much more. So I recommend gently wiping mushrooms with a damp towel to remove residual dirt.

Portobellos also have "gills" underneath their cap, which almost look like a dark brown accordion. Remove the gills by scraping them away with the edge of a small spoon. Removing the stem on smaller mushroom varieties isn't necessary. But portobellos are large and the stem is rather woody, so pull or cut it off.

1. While cradling the top of the mushroom in one hand, use the other to twist and gently pull the stem away from the cap. Repeat for each mushroom.
2. With a damp paper towel, wipe to tops of the mushrooms to remove any residual dirt.
3. To remove the gills, take a small spoon and scrape these away gently with the edge. A circular motion that follows the outside of the cap of the mushroom works well. Be aware gills will be hiding under the rim of the cap, too.

The Ingredients

Most grocery stores carry fresh portobello mushrooms and dried quinoa. The lettuce is just to give this dish a burger look but isn't crucial. Use whatever salad mix or fresh tender greens you have on hand, or leave them out.

When choosing stock or broth, look for brands without any added salt, "flavorings", or concentrates. My favorite brands are Pacific Foods, Bare Bones, Kettle & Fire, and Bonafide. Homemade broth or vegetable stock would be the holy grail!

• portobello mushrooms
• vegetable oil such as olive or avocado
• sliced cheddar, dairy or plant-based
• quinoa
• vegetable stock or chicken bone broth (or water)
• salt
• dried tart fruit such as cranberries and apricots, optional
• slivered or sliced almonds, optional
• lettuce or leafy green of any kind, for garnish, optional

The Method

For roasted portobello mushrooms, the technique is the same as for most any other vegetable. To roast successfully - achieving tender yet beautifully browned and flavorful mushrooms - you need high heat and ample oil. And most importantly, to cook the food undisturbed. So fight the urge to open the oven and fiddle with the mushrooms while they cook. One single flip halfway through cooking is the ticket.

A traditional oven is all you need for delicious roasted portobellos. But if you happen to own an air fryer, the convention will get the job done in less than half the time (my favorite part about air fryers is the quick cooking).

The Steps

For the Roasted Portobellos

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Or preheat your air fryer to 375° F (use the Roast setting if your has one). 
2. Remove the stems from the portobellos, and wipe the tops clean with a damp cloth or paper towel. Using a small spoon, gently scrape away the gills (the dark, accordion-like membrane) of the mushrooms.
3. Drizzle the caps with oil, sprinkle them with salt, and place them on a large baking pan if using the oven. 
4. Roast the mushrooms for about 20 minutes until they darken, shrivel a bit, and give away most of their moisture. Flip the mushrooms once halfway through roasting. If using an air fryer, it will take between five and seven minutes, so flip the mushrooms after about four minutes of cooking. Air fryer roasted portobellos will shrivel more during cooking and be crispier.
5. Remove the mushrooms once they're nicely browned and tender. You can cover them with foil to keep them warm if the quinoa is not tender yet.

For the Nutty Quinoa

1. In a large pot, combine the quinoa, dried fruit, broth, and salt.
2. Bring it all to a boil and reduce the heat to low.
3. Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the quinoa is tender and the liquid is completely absorbed. Taste the quinoa to tell if it's tender. The grains should be plump and easy to bite into with your front teeth. If the water is all absorbed before the quinoa is tender, simply add a little more and keep cooking. 
4. If you'd like to toast the almonds, preheat a shallow sauté pan over medium heat. Add the almonds, and gently shake the pan occasionally until they begin to brown. Remove the almonds immediately, and set them aside (they can go from toasted to burned quickly).
5. Gently stir the almonds into the finished quinoa and season with black pepper, if you like. 

For Portobello 'Burgers'

1. Turn your oven broiler on high, around 500° F.
2. Remove half of the roasted mushroom caps from the pan.
3. Then on the same pan, flip the remaining caps upside-down. Scoop a nice helping of the cooked quinoa on each cap (or vegetables for grain-free), then top with a slice of cheese.
4. Place the pan on the top rack of the oven just until the cheese melts. Watch closely, as this only takes a minute or so.
5. Remove the pan from the oven and top each "burger" with a few leaves of lettuce and another roasted portobello cap. 
6. Serve warm, garnished with a drizzle of olive oil or a dollop of yogurt.

Dietary Accommodations

Vegan. Leave the cheese out. Or use your favorite plant-based "cheese".

Lower in carbs. Instead of sandwiching a cooked grain like quinoa between the portobellos, choose lots of veggies instead. Sautéed cabbage or dark greens like spinach and kale complement the mushrooms wonderfully. For a higher fat dish suitable for a ketogenic diet, add an extra drizzle of olive oil or a dollop of sour cream.

GAPS Diet. For a vegan dish suitable for the gut-healing diet protocol, substitute cabbage or dark leafy greens for the quinoa. Adding a few splashes of homemade bone broth to the vegetables is a great way to add flavor. Ditch the sliced cheese and opt for a slice of hard cheese like gruyère (you slice yourself). Spoon a little homemade yogurt on top to finish.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Edible Epilogue

Now don't get me wrong, I'm fully aware this concoction is tricky to eat like an actual burger. Although you can if you really try (my husband manages it). But either way, you can't beat oozing cheese, a meaty roasted mushroom, and umami coming at you from all sides.

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