Just because I’ve never had beef bourguignon before, that doesn’t mean I can’t try a vegetarian version! I mean, sometimes you want to serve up a fancy meal, but you don’t want to have meat, because you want pie and ice cream for dessert.
Just so you know, two pounds of mushrooms is really a lot of mushrooms, so if you don’t want to buy all portobellos, I don’t blame you! I’m here to tell you that you can mix with cheaper mushrooms and it will still be tasty! (I know, because I was feeling cheap at the store the day I made this, and I still made a delicious sauce). Next, maybe think I’ll try the classic beef version! Even though beef is way more expensive than mushrooms, even portobellos…
Mushroom Bourguignon from smitten kitchen
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 pounds mushrooms, in 1/4-inch slices (I used a mixture of portobello, cremini and button mushrooms)
- 1/2 carrot, finely diced
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup red wine (I used a cabernet sauvignon)
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup pearl onions, peeled (thawed if frozen)
- salt and pepper
- 12 oz. cooked egg noodles, for serving
- Sour cream and chopped chives or parsley, for garnish (optional)
Directions:
- Heat one tablespoon each of the olive oil and butter in a heavy sauce pan (I used my Le Creuset) over high heat. Sear the mushrooms and pearl onions for about three to four minutes—until they begin to darken, before they start releasing liquid. Remove them from pan.
- Lower the flame to medium and add the rest of the olive oil. Saute the carrots, onions, thyme, a few good pinches of salt and a several grinds of black pepper into the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for one more minute.
- Add the wine, scraping any stuck bits off the bottom, then turn the heat up to high and reduce it by half. Stir in the tomato paste and the vegetable broth.
- Add the mushrooms and pearl onions back into the pot, along with any juices that have collected. Bring to a boil then lower the temperature and simmer for 20 minutes, or until mushrooms are very tender.
- Combine remaining butter and the flour in a small bowl and stir it into the stew. Simmer for 10 more minutes. If the sauce is too thin, boil it down to reduce to the right consistency. Season to taste.
- To serve, spoon the stew over a bowl of egg noodles.
- If you want to be fancy, dollop with sour cream and sprinkle with chives or parsley to garnish.
