This Vegan Mushroom Recipe is sweet, smoky, and savory with caramelized Oyster Mushrooms. Using some fresh ingredients and pantry staples, you’ll have yourself a tasty and easy weeknight meal.

 

 

Vegan Korean Bulgogi with Oyster Mushrooms

 

Bulgogi is a traditional Korean barbecue dish that is made with thinly sliced beef that has been marinated in a delicious savory sauce. In this vegan version, oyster mushrooms are used instead of beef, but the flavor of the traditional sauce is retained. The pear is essential to this dish, as its intended use was to tenderize the meat due to a certain enzyme in the fruit while adding a delicious sweetness.

 

This Recipe was Inspired by an early Saturday morning at the Farmer’s Market. I love to shop for locally grown produce and build my recipes off the ingredients I find, and this time it was these beautiful Oyster Mushrooms. Just days before I had been watching a documentary on Netflix called “You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment.” The documentary was based on an 8-week science experiment, that explored how identical twins were impacted by different diets. The two diets were vegan and omnivore. The Vegan diet surpassed Omnivore in almost every category. Though I haven’t transitioned to vegan, I enjoy partaking in yummy recipes that showcase how much enjoyment can come from a vegan meal and the health benefits that come with that as well. So, I bought the mushrooms and immediately started scrolling Pinterest for ideas when I came across Mushroom Bulgogi. I knew immediately I wanted to try it out for myself and put my twist on it, after recently making Teriyaki Beef Bowls and being told it was akin to Bulgogi.

 

 

 

To Make this Recipe You Will Need

 

Fresh Oyster Mushrooms – I picked up mine at my local farmer’s market!

Pear – I recommend Asian pear, but any kind will be just fine for this recipe

Onion – Again very versatile, I used red onion but use what you have on hand

Sugar – Or use your favorite sugar substitute

Carrots

Garlic

Soy Sauce – you can use coconut aminos in place to reduce the sodium content

Sesame Oil – strong and nutty, this is a key ingredient to add that savory flavor

Paprika – this will add a sweet, smoky, and spicy flavor

This is not an authentic recipe and is simply a variation of the original and is open to interpretation. You might consider adding fresh ginger or incorporating other vegetables that you enjoy. You could try this recipe with different types of mushrooms such as shiitake, portobello, or jackfruit to keep it vegan. Ultimately the staple is the sauce made with sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, and garlic. What goes into the “meat” mixture and how it’s served is versatile. To add heat, you can add chili flakes or gochujang. I served mine over jasmine rice with fresh cucumber, sesame seeds, and green onion. Bulgogi is often enjoyed with ingredients like Bok choy, Broccoli, or Kimchi. If you have some Romaine you can use that to make lettuce wraps.

 

 

 

Drink Pairing

 

This Dish Would Pair Well With a light-bodied red wine like a Chianti or Soju a distilled spirit, prevalent in Korea.

 

Ingredients

 

For the “Meat”

1 lb Fresh Oyster Mushrooms

1 Sliced Asian Pear

2 Grated Carrots

1 Red Onion

4-5 Garlic Cloves

For the Sauce

1 Tbsp Cane Sugar

5 Tbsp Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp Pure Sesame Oil

2 tsp Paprika

Toppings (Optional)

White Sesame Seeds

Green Onion

 

 

 

How to make Mushroom Bulgogi

 

1. Using your hands pull the Oyster Mushrooms into shreds and place in a large bowl.

2. Add the garlic, sugar, soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil, and paprika to the bowl.

3. Chop the Onion, Carrots, and Pear and add them to the bowl, mix well and let marinate at least 1 hour, ideally 2 in the fridge.

4. Heat oil in a grill pan over medium-high heat. Then add marinated mushrooms and remaining sauce and cook until the mushrooms begin to caramelize and slightly char.

5. Remove from heat and serve over Jasmine Rice with fresh chopped cucumber.

6. Top with Sesame Seeds and Green Onion.

 

Substitutions and Suggestions

 

Instead of mushrooms, you can use vegan ground beef or hydrated soy curls.

Instead of soy sauce, you can use coconut aminos for lower sodium or tamari to make it gluten-free.

Instead of cane sugar, you could use agave syrup, honey, maple syrup, granulated or brown sugar.

Freshly grated ginger would be the most incredible addition to this dish.

Add gochujang or chili flakes to kick up the heat.

Romaine Lettuce if you want to add it to lettuce wraps!

I used jasmine rice but basmati, white or rice would work just as perfectly.