Spinach Avocado Stuffed Portobellos

     The other day, as I was searching the web for good food ideas (who doesn’t??), I recruited the help of some of you on facebook for Valentine’s Day menu options. One of you, Stephanie, suggested stuffed portobello mushrooms (Thanks, Stephanie!!). I really don’t think I’ve ever eaten stuffed portobello mushrooms, but it sounded tasty enough, so I set out to the grocery store and returned with some nice plump portobellos. Then it dawned on me. What on earth does one stuff in a portobello mushroom?

     That’s when I found this. Kale pesto with fresh avocado all mixed together and stuffed into an oven-roasted portobello. Y to the Yum! BevCooks isn’t a vegan blog, but it has lots of great recipe ideas that can be veganized (I love doing that :D).

     So, I made my own vegan version. And it tastes wonderful.

    I must say that this recipe tastes delicious with either the large portobellos or small baby bellos or both. However, if you’re serving someone (or yourself) who isn’t used to the rich flavors of avocado and portobellos mushrooms, I recommend serving these up as appetizers using the baby bellos. They are delicious, bite-sized, and not too overwhelming. I probably wouldn’t use these as entrees, unless you or your guest are just in love with avocado and portobellos. (Me!! I totally sliced up the big ones and ate them with vegan mayo in a sandwich. Confessions of an avocado and mushroom and spinach fanatic…)

     To start, you’re going to brush the caps and rims of your ‘shrooms with a little extra virgin olive oil.

     Next, you’re going to roast them in a hot oven at 450 degrees Fahrenheit. (Yes, they were steaming, so that’s why Mr. ‘Shroom on the right looks slimy. He wasn’t. It’s just steam. :D) Make sure you dump the water out of the caps, as it’s sure to collect in there while they’re baking.

     Next, you’re going to make your filling, spoon it into your mushrooms, and sprinkle with some sliced almonds. At this point, you can either serve ’em up with the raw filling or throw them back in the oven for a couple more minutes to brown up the tops a little (my personal preference). They’re delicious both ways.

And there you have it, my friends, an easy soy-free, gluten-free, stress-free appetizer option for your Valentine’s Day dinner menu.

Don’t forget the entree: Mushroom Ravioli with Sun-dried tomato “Cream” Sauce

And the dessert: Lemon Strawberry Sweetheart Cakes

And the salad with Creamy Basil Salad Dressing

Come back tomorrow for the drink, and that will conclude our Valentine’s Day menu series.

Enjoy!

Print Recipe

4.67 from 3 votes

Spinach Avocado Stuffed Portobellos

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Hors d’oeuvres, Side

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6

Calories: 145kcal

Author: Lindsay Reynolds

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 Portobello mushrooms Or leave out the large Portabellos completely and just use 8 oz of Baby Bellos
• ▢ 4 oz Baby bellos Or 1 more large Portobello mushroom
• ▢ 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
• ▢ 1 1/2 cup baby spinach well packed
• ▢ 1 clove garlic
• ▢ 1 ripe avocado
• ▢ 1/4 cup walnuts
• ▢ 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ▢ salt to taste
• ▢ handful of sliced almonds for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Gently wash your mushrooms in cool water, then remove the stems by getting a firm hold of the base of the stem, and pulling straight out.
• Line two rimmed baking sheets with foil or your favorite non-stick waterproof liner. Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small cup, and use a pastry brush to paint the edges and caps of your mushrooms with a tiny bit of oil.
• Place your mushrooms, cap side down, on your baking sheets, putting your baby bellos and large mushrooms on separate pans, as they need to bake for different lengths of time. Sprinkle the gills with a little salt.
• Bake all mushrooms at 450 degrees F for about 7 minutes, then remove your baby bellos. Leave the big ones baking for another 3-5 minutes (total of 11-12 minutes), or until the edges are starting to get all wrinkly and dry and delicious. Pour water out of caps and put back on your baking sheet.
• For your filling, combine your spinach, garlic, walnuts, and seasonings in a strong blender or food processor. Blend until chunky, but smooth.
• Peel and remove your avocado pit, then mash the contents until it is also chunky, but smooth. Pour blender contents over mashed avocado and stir it together. Now, taste it, and add salt to your preference.
• Spoon filling into your mushrooms and sprinkle with sliced almonds.
• At this point, you can serve your mushrooms with the raw filling if you wish (This is the stage at which all of the large mushrooms were photographed.). Or, if you are like me, and you love everything to be piping hot before you eat it, put your stuffed mushrooms back in the oven at 450 degrees F for another 3-5 minutes (This is the stage at which the small mushroom close-ups were photographed). This will dry out your filling just a tiny bit, and make it even more delicious, in my opinion.

Notes

1. This recipe contains raw garlic. If you aren’t a fan of raw garlic, just throw your garlic clove in with your mushrooms and let them roast for a few minutes before blending them up with your spinach.

2. This recipe tastes delicious with either the large portobellos or small baby bellos. However, if you’re serving someone (or you yourself) who isn’t used to the rich flavors of avocado and portobellos mushrooms, I recommend serving these up as appetizers using the baby bellos. They are delicious, bite-sized, and not too overwhelming.

*This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition

Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 437mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 752IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg

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