Attention, mushroom lovers: here’s THE perfect sauteed mushrooms recipe! It brings out the best savory flavor with lemon and fresh herbs.

Hold on to your hats. This recipe truly makes the best sauteed mushrooms. They’re tender, juicy, and meaty with a brightness at the finish. Fresh thyme and oregano give an herby punch. Take one bite and you’ll exclaim “Wow!” (Yep, we promise. We did.) This recipe is plant based with not a lick of meat or dairy, but it has the feel of taking a satisfying bite of meat. It also takes only 10 minutes to make. Your side dish game will never be the same.

How to make the best sauteed mushrooms on the planet

OK, we jest! But only a little. These sauteed mushrooms are indeed very tasty. One bite is the very definition of umami. (If you’re not familiar, that’s the mysterious fifth flavor that rounds out sweet, salty, sour and bitter with savory.)

All this is coming from a former mushroom hater. Yes, I’ve changed my tune because I’ve found that when cooked correctly, these little fungi are nature’s gift. Here’s what to do to make this easy sauteed mushrooms recipe:

• Clean the mushrooms and slice them.
• Saute the mushrooms in olive oil for 2 minutes.
• Add roughly chopped fresh thyme and oregano and continue to cook, about 4 to 5 minutes.
• When the liquid is cooked out, turn off the heat and stir in fresh lemon juice.

What’s the best type of mushroom to use?

Great question! The type we recommend for these sauteed mushrooms is baby bella mushrooms (also called cremini). Why? This variety is a more mature version of a white button mushroom, so it has a more robust flavor. As the name implies, it’s also a less mature version (baby!) of a portobello mushroom. You can use white button mushrooms if you can’t find baby bella mushrooms, but we recommend seeking them out if at all possible.

Can you use portobello mushrooms? Or a mix of other mushrooms? Yes! Portobello mushrooms have a great meaty flavor. They’ll just have a slightly different look here: simply chop the caps into bite-sized pieces. Using a mix of mushrooms is also nice (we do this in our Mushroom Pasta). Try a mix of baby bella with shiitake and oyster, which results in lots of flavor and texture contrasts.

Can you use dried herbs instead?

Short answer: No. For these sauteed mushrooms, you want the best flavor. And the very best flavor comes from using fresh herbs. The herbs we’ve used are thyme and oregano, which add an herby punch. You could definitely use other herbs you have on hand, but these offer the best flavor. It’s becoming easier to find these fresh herbs in grocery stores, and of course if it’s the summer: grow your own!

Longer answer: OK, if you absolutely must use dried, it will still taste good: just not sublime! Here’s the key: For 1 tablespoon fresh herbs, substitute 1 teaspoon dried herbs. (This works for any dried herbs.) So for the 1/3 cup fresh you’d substitute about 3 teaspoons dried oregano and 2 teaspoons dried thyme. I’m intentionally burying this info in hopes you won’t read it and just make it with the beautiful fresh herbs as stated!

Ways to serve sauteed mushrooms

There are so many ways to serve these sauteed mushrooms! They’re a fantastic whole food plant based (WFPB) side dish recipe, but there’s much more you could do with them.

• With salmon. These would be fantastic as a side for salmon, like our Lemon Dill Salmon.
• With pasta. Serve alongside Creamy Cavatappi or Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo.
• IN pasta. Boil up a pound of pasta, add these mushrooms, drizzle with olive oil and add goat cheese dollops or shredded Parmesan. YUM!
• On a burger. Imagine our Best Veggie Burger or Vegan Black Bean Burger with these mushrooms on top. Superb!
• On a pizza. They’re a natural pizza topping! Make our Homemade Cheese Pizza and throw them on top for big umami.

Mushrooms nutrition

Alex and I eat these sauteed mushrooms because of their incredible flavor. But want more reasons to eat mushrooms? According to the New York Times, here are some of the nutritional benefits of mushrooms:

• They’re low in calories and fat and cholesterol-free (like all vegetables!)
• They have over a dozen minerals and vitamins (like potassium, magnesium, zinc, B vitamins such as folate)
• They’re high in antioxidants (like selenium and GSH), which are believed to protect cells from damage and reduce chronic disease and inflammation.

Use them in pasta, bruschetta & more

These sauteed mushrooms are SO good, we’ve used the same concept of oregano, thyme and lemon juice in a few of our other recipes. There’s not just a favorite side dish, there are so many other ways to use them:

• Mushroom Pasta with Goat Cheese Add mushrooms and goat cheese to bowtie pasta for an easy dinner recipe that tastes simply incredible.
• Mushroom Pizza with Fresh Herbs A white pizza that’s covered with sauteed mushrooms, mozzarella and goat cheese. It’s perfection!
• Farro with Mushrooms Take this chewy whole grain to new heights! It’s sauteed with garlic, fresh herbs and Parmesan.
• Easy Mushroom Bruschetta Turn these sauteed mushrooms into a flavorful appetizer: throw them on toast spread with tangy goat cheese!

This sauteed mushrooms recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.

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A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes