Vegan Mushroom Paste
A magical mushroom paste, in the spirit of the french Mushroom Duxelle, acts as an umami booster in many recipes in my kitchen. This is one of the staples in my fridge that I keep reaching for over and over again.
Ingredients
- 16 oz Mushroom *mixed between basic Bella and other fancy types
- 1 Cup Crushed/chopped Onion *2 medium bulbs
- 1/2 Cup Crushed/Chopped Carrots * 3 medium or 2 large sticks
- 4 Garlic Cloves *chopped
- 1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1/2 tbsp Dried Thyme
- 1 tsp Dried Rosemary
- 1 tsp Dried Marjoram
- 1 tsp Dried Parsley
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Celery
Instructions
- In a shallow pot set over low to medium heat, add in the vegetable oil and onions. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. The goal is to cook to the onions slowly until it starts to caramelize on the edges. This process takes time. Stir constantly for about 15-20 minutes.
- Add in the garlic, celery, and carrot into the pot. Stir until evenly distributed. Cook until celery starts to become translucent. This takes about 5 minutes.
- Pour in the mushroom as well as all the dried herbs and remaining salt. Stir to distribute evenly. Cook on low heat, stirring frequently. Don't be tempted to season the mushroom to taste since this paste goes into other dishes. You want it to be undersalted so that you can use it as you desire.
- The mushroom paste is ready when mushroom stops releasing liquid in the pan. It shrinks to about 1/3 to 1/4 of its original volume in the pan. This takes between 15-25 minutes.
- Store in a fridge in a tightly closed container for a couple of weeks or in a freezer for up to 4 weeks.