Mushroom Stew

This is a delicious, hearty, vegetarian mushroom stew recipe. I serve it with polenta, but it would be equally yummy ladled over mashed potatoes, sweet mashed potatoes, or rice. Garnish with fresh herbs.

Preparation Details

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 45 mins

Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• ½ ounce dried mushrooms (such as porcini)
• 1 cup hot water, or as needed
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 2 pounds assorted fresh mushrooms, cut into bite size pieces
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 ½ pounds tomatoes – peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 1 quart vegetable stock, or as needed
• 8 ounces instant polenta
• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley, or as desired

Steps

1. Place dried mushrooms in a small bowl with enough hot water to cover; let stand 20 minutes. Drain mushrooms; reserve liquid.
2. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat; cook and stir onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in garlic, thyme, and cloves; cook and stir 2 minutes more. Stir fresh mushrooms and soaked dried mushrooms into onion mixture; cook and stir until mushrooms are soft, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Stir tomatoes and reserved mushroom liquid into mushroom mixture; simmer over low heat until thickened, about 20 minutes.
4. Bring vegetable stock to a boil; whisk in polenta. Cook polenta, whisking constantly, until polenta is thick and stock is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Divide polenta into 4 bowls; ladle mushroom stew over polenta and garnish with fresh parsley.