Garlic and Herb Sauteed Mushrooms
Mushrooms seared hard until golden, then tossed with garlic and parsley at the last second. The whole point is heat and patience: crowd the pan and they steam instead of browning.
By Vegan Cook. Published 5 August 2026
Ingredients
Serves 3.
- 400 gbutton or chestnut mushrooms, wiped clean and thickly sliced
- 4 clovesgarlic, minced
- 3 tbspolive oil
- 1 tbspvegan butter, optional, for richness
- 3 tbspfresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tsplemon juice
- 1/2 tspsalt
- 1/4 tspblack pepper
Cookware
- Wide, heavy frying pan
Method
Read each step end-to-end before starting.
- 01
Clean without washing
Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp cloth rather than rinsing them. Mushrooms soak up water like a sponge, and wet ones will never brown. Slice them thickly, as they shrink a great deal.
- 02
Get the pan hot
Heat the olive oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the mushrooms in a single layer and leave them completely undisturbed for 3-4 minutes, which is the key to this recipe. If you move them too early, they release their water and steam to a dull grey instead of searing to a golden brown.
- 03
Sear the other side
Once the underside is deeply golden, toss and sear the other side for another 2-3 minutes. They should be shrunken, glossy and browned.
- 04
Add garlic last
Add the garlic, and the vegan butter if using, and cook for just 1 minute more, stirring, until fragrant. Garlic added any earlier would burn in the time the mushrooms need.
- 05
Finish
Off the heat, season with salt and pepper, add the lemon juice and toss through the parsley. Serve immediately, on toast or as a side.
Allergen profile
Every recipe here is fully plant-based. Cross-contamination risk depends on your kitchen, so check all packaging.
Swap note
Naturally gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free.