Do you like mushrooms? I do. They provide added nutrition and have a lot of health benefits. Mushrooms also give variety to your food. Porcini mushrooms are edible mushrooms that can be eaten either fresh or dried.
They are essential ingredients for rice dishes, pasta, sauces, soups, and Italian dishes like risotto. What if your recipe calls for it and you want to use an ingredient with a different texture? You are fortunate since porcini mushrooms have many substitutes.
In no particular order, here’s the list of porcini mushroom substitutes.
- Oyster Mushroom
- Chanterelle Mushroom
- Portobello Mushroom
- Cremini Mushroom
- Shiitake Mushroom
- Button Mushroom
- Dried Truffles
Let us know more about the benefits of porcini mushrooms before discussing its many alternative options.
Quick Fact
Did you know porcini mushrooms have health benefits too? They have vitamin C, beta-carotene, lycopene, and plenty of antioxidants.
13 Best Substitute For Porcini Mushroom
Porcini Mushrooms grow in groups close to trees in the forests found in Asia, North America, and Europe, especially in Italy. [source]
They vary in shape, size, and color and have the following characteristics;
- It has a solid, hard white under cap
- When sliced, it looks like a half-moon
- Its rounded cap is colored tan to dark brown
- Its circular stem is cream-colored
- It has a broad base then becomes thin towards the top
Porcini mushrooms can intensify the flavor of the broth, pasta, eggs, vegetarian dishes, sauce, and meat. They have a unique flavor. You have to eat them slowly to savor the delicious taste. [source]
We all know how important antioxidants are to our bodies since they combat stress and inflammation. In addition, you get 2 grams of fiber for every 100 grams serving of porcini mushrooms. The dietary fiber relieves constipation, thus improving your digestive health. They don’t contain saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol. [source]
Furthermore, porcini mushrooms also aid in combatting colon cancer and help in weight loss.
Among the many substitutes for porcini mushrooms, I prefer portobello mushrooms because of their availability and versatility.
They give the same flavor as porcini mushrooms, added with an earthy smell and delicate velvety taste. In this manner, I don’t need to worry about the taste of my dish if I use it as a replacement.
Another reason why I pick portobello mushrooms as the best substitute is I love meat and fish. Portobello mushrooms are ideal for recipes using chicken, beef, veal, or pork.
Oyster Mushrooms
Oyster Mushrooms are beautiful and have that distinct look. They come in different colors, like gold, pink, and gray.
Like porcini mushroom, it has an umami flavor and meaty texture. The advantage of oyster mushrooms is you can cook them rapidly.
You may mix it with stir-fries, soups, stews, and sauces. Oyster mushrooms will make a delicious topping for your pizza. If you love pizza, this is for you!
You may serve them as your main course and then add either rice, potatoes, or pasta as your side dishes. Oyster mushrooms are readily available, but expensive.
Chanterelle Mushroom
Chanterelle mushroom looks similar to an oyster mushroom. It has the same texture as porcini.
It also has the same meaty and earthy texture, making it a usual replacement for meat.
Aside from its distinct umami flavor, it has a fruity taste like apricots with a slightly peppery flavor. It does not taste the same when dried.
It is better to cook fresh chanterelle mushrooms because you will get the flavor. It makes a fantastic addition to your stews, soups, sauté dishes, or fried recipes.
It will do justice to any recipe needing mushrooms.
Portobello Mushroom
Portobello mushroom has a meaty texture, light umami flavor, and is juicy. Do you know that it is huge? Its flat, circular cap reaches up to 15 centimeters and can grow bigger than your hand upon reaching maturity!
The best part of the portobello mushroom is its availability. It is easy to find in most grocery stores and is available all year round.
It is another substitute for porcini mushrooms and is fantastic for rice dishes, stews, soups, and salads. Portobello mushroom is usually a substitute for meat in burgers.
It is ideal for baking, grilling, sauteing, and boiling your dishes. You may splash lemon juice on the portobello mushrooms to make your dish tastier.
Cremini Mushroom
Can you guess what mushroom is similar to the button mushroom?
The correct answer is cremini mushroom. It resembles the button mushroom but also tastes like porcini. Raw or cooked cremini mushrooms are edible and tasty.
Cremini mushrooms like portobello are also available all year round. If you couldn’t find porcini mushrooms, you can use cremini instead.
It is a good source of manganese, vitamin D, riboflavin, folate, selenium, zinc, amino acids, and phosphorous.
Cremini mushroom gives a nutty and spicy taste to your dishes such as your omelets, salads, casseroles, stews, and sauces.
Shiitake Mushroom
Shiitake mushroom has the same appearance and texture as porcini mushroom. It has an intense meaty, creamy, nutty, and homey flavor.
The nice thing about shiitake mushroom is its shape remains intact even when you cooked it. You can utilize the stems of shiitake mushrooms as a flavoring for stocks and soups.
Shiitake mushrooms taste slightly sweeter than porcini and are more earthy and strong so it goes well with rice, pasta, and potatoes.
You may replace porcini mushrooms with shiitake mushrooms in equivalent amounts for risotto, soups, stews, pies, gravies, and other dishes.
Button Mushroom
Button mushroom is another substitute for porcini mushroom. It is smaller in size with a less meaty texture. It means you have to use more of it when you add it to your dish.
It is seasonal like porcini but very affordable. It also has an earthy, umami flavor, and you can use it in many of your dishes.
Button mushroom is essential for creating salads, gravies, sauces, souffles, pies, and main courses. You may fry, pickle, boil, bake, stew, and dry button mushrooms.
Truffle Oil
Truffle oil comes from dried or fresh truffles soaked with oil. It gives a fat-abundant, bland, mushroom-like flavor, and also an adverse fragrance.
It promotes healthy digestion because it has potassium, sodium, iron, and fat. It is expensive and you may most likely find it in high-class restaurants rather than in ordinary homes.
Dried Truffles
Truffles may taste a little different but they have normally an earthy, delicate umami flavor. They taste crunchy and can replace dried porcini mushrooms.
You may grate or rehydrate dried truffles, mix them into your dish, and taste the same umami flavor.
Dried truffles must be kept in the fridge at 18 degrees to preserve their properties for a minimum of 3 years.
Tomato Paste
Tomato paste is a wonderful alternative to porcini mushrooms. It is great for your sauces, soups, and stews, adding a thick and savory umami flavor.
Tomato paste is creamy, sweet, and concentrated. It will make your vegetable stew, rice, pizza, pasta, and pies taste delicious!
It is also suitable for fish, meatballs, and as a dry rub for steaks, giving richness to your food. Keep in mind though that tomato paste is not fit for sauteing.
Soy Sauce
Soy sauce is a salty liquid condiment produced through the fermentation of wheat and soybeans. It originally came from China. At present, many Asian countries are now manufacturing soy sauce.
Soy sauce gives an umami flavor suitable for your stews, soups, and sauces. You may use soy sauce as another option for porcini mushrooms if you have nothing else.
Adding a few drops of soy sauce will do wonders to your dish. Keep in mind to use only a small amount as it may affect the taste of your dish.
Dried Thyme
Dried thyme is the best substitute for dried porcini mushrooms. Thyme comes from the Greek word “thymus†meaning courage.
It is a traditional ingredient of French cuisine and tastes a little spicy, and earthy, giving off a warm flavor.
Dried thyme gives a characteristic bitterness and pungent spice to your dish. It makes your fish dishes, vegetables, poultry, sauces, meat, and cream sauces more flavorful.
Fresh Thyme
Fresh thyme is another alternative for porcini mushrooms. You can utilize fresh thyme to enhance the flavor of your vegetable dishes, meat, and fish.
Fresh thyme and dried thyme are essential as a seasoning in various dishes in cooking fish, chicken, and meat. They are the go-to ingredients in making broths, vegetable salads, soups, marinades, and sauces.
Zucchini
Did you know that zucchini is a thin vegetable that may reach up to 40 inches long?
It is suitable for people who want a low-calorie diet. You only get 17 kilocalories for every 100 grams of zucchini with 261 milligrams of potassium, 100 grams of folate, and 200 international units of provitamin A.
It is a fantastic substitute for dried porcini mushrooms because they have a similar flavor. It is earthy, fruity, and a little bit sweet.
Porcini Mushroom Substitute Related FAQs
What does porcini mushroom taste like?
It tastes strong, rich, and meaty, with a slightly nutty and woodsy taste.
How do you eat porcini mushrooms?
You can eat them as a side dish. Porcini mushrooms can stand as a single dish and are essential in cooking risotto.
You don’t need to cook them for a long time because they are delicate. Porcini mushrooms are great for stews, sauces, fries, and other dishes.
You can eat them either raw or cooked.
What mushrooms are similar to porcini?
Shiitake mushrooms closely resemble porcini mushrooms because they have the same texture. They slightly differ in flavor because shiitake mushrooms are less intense and earthy.
What are porcini mushrooms good for?
Porcini mushrooms are a good source of antioxidants and protein, and help in weight loss. They lessen inflammation, may combat colon cancer, and enhance gut health.
Is portobello the same as porcini?
Not exactly. Portobello is another kind of mushroom. Porcini is a mushroom you can eat and is known for its flavor.
Portobello is also edible, but it does not resemble porcini. It is quite large and is the mature form of cremini mushroom.
On the other hand, porcini is a small mushroom.
REFERENCES
https://www.organicfacts.net/porcini-mushrooms.html
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-soy-sauce-bad-for-you#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3
