Almost Meaty Portobello "Pot Roast" Recipe

Pot roast is a classic comfort food that's marked by its rich flavors, tender texture, and nostalgic appeal. But, because it contains meat, can you still enjoy pot roast if you live a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle? The answer is yes and recipe developer and wellness coach Miriam Hahn is bringing you a delicious version that uses portobello mushrooms (to mimic the meat) combined with the right spices and flavorings to give you that same comfort meal you grew up with. 

"Mushrooms are my secret weapon for making a recipe taste meaty. The texture and neutral makeup of mushrooms allows you to transform their taste with sauces and spices to resemble meat, so you can still enjoy your favorite meals on a meatless diet," Hahn shares. 

This dish is packed with plenty of vegetables too, offering the benefits of a high-fiber meal. Read on to learn how to make this savory, and mouthwatering meatless "pot roast".

To make this recipe, we'll need a fair amount of produce so let's start our shopping spree in the produce aisle. Pick up some portobello mushrooms, potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic, and fresh parsley. "I love to use multicolored potatoes if I can find them because they don't need to be peeled and the different colors add different nutrients," Hahn remarks. 

Then to give our "pot roast" a rich broth, we'll start with vegetable broth paired with red wine, tomato paste, vegan Worcestershire, soy sauce, salt, thyme, pepper, and corn starch. "If you prefer to not use the wine in this recipe, a vegan beef broth will do the trick," Hahn shares. 

Then, to finish things off we'll need a small amount of oil for the sauteing step.

The "meat" in our pot roast will mainly be made up of portobello mushrooms. To clean them, just wipe them gently with a damp paper towel or tea towel. Then remove the stem and discard. Now take a spoon and scrape away the dark brown gills that are on the underside of the mushroom cap. Then go ahead and chop the mushrooms.

"I like to use a grapefruit spoon for removing the gills, but a regular spoon works fine also. The gills are edible but they will make the broth a little murky and are best if they are removed," Hahn explains. 

Finally, chop the potatoes and carrots into bite-size pieces and dice the onion and garlic.

Now that our vegetables are chopped, we can move on to the next step. Pull out your favorite soup pot and add the oil. Set the heat to medium-high and once hot add the onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Then add the mushrooms, red wine, tomato paste, Worcestershire, soy sauce, salt, thyme, and pepper. Saute on medium for 5 minutes. Now add the potatoes, carrots, and broth and stir well. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer for 30 minutes.

You'll be loving the aroma of comfort food that's filling your kitchen about now. To put our finishing touch on the pot roast, remove about a half cup of the broth from the pot and mix it in a small bowl with the corn starch. This will form a slurry and give our pot roast a gravy-like broth. Return this to the pot and simmer for 15 more minutes or until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Top with chopped parsley and serve. Hahn tells us this is a great meal prep recipe because it will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge. The next time you're craving comfort food, we've got you covered!