Kale Pesto Stuffed Baby Mushrooms

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Hey friends!!
Whoa, where have I been!? It feels like it's been foreverrr since I have posted a new recipe... in reality it's only been two weeks since my last post, but since getting into the groove of posting twice a week, it just feels very weird to go so long without posting!
Anyway... the lover and I went on a much needed 'mountain' get-away to the west coast, which we hold near and dear to our hearts. We had a lovely time hiking and taking in the beautiful views of the Oregon coast. And I promised myself that I would do ZERO work while we were away.
But now we're back... and ready to share so many amazing great vegan recipes.
Today's recipe was initially suppose to go out on the week of St. Patrick's day, but ya know.. life happens. Oh and if you're still not over everything-green, you should definitely check out my 'everything green' St. Patty's Day Recipe Round Up. Some of the recipes featured on that round up are SO perfect for Spring.
Kale Pesto stuffed mushrooms
The inspiration for this recipe comes from a raw chef course that I was a part of last year. I was immediately drawn to this recipe because it looks fun, it tastes amazing, and it's so so simple and effective.
All you have to do is make some oil free kale pesto, stuff the mushrooms with said pesto... and either dehydrate (to keep them raw), or roast in the oven. You can also just eat them as is, no cooking or dehydrating necessary, but I personally prefer when the mushrooms are softer and just a bit cooked.
fun finger food for the win
Appetizers don't have to be boring. Just because you're hosting a vegan dinner party, doesn't mean you have to fill the table with baby carrots and sliced red bell peppers as your 'appy'. Stuffed mushrooms are a great crowd pleaser, and when you stuff them with homemade oil free pesto, you've got a winner.
This recipe calls for soaking the mushrooms in tamari sauce (you can sub soy sauce or coconut aminos) ... and this step is pretty crucial. Now, the longer you soak the mushrooms in tamari, or soy sauce, or coconut aminos.. the BETTER they will taste obviously... but if you don't have all night to soak them or you're in a time crunch, you CAN get away with just soaking them for say 20 to 30 minutes.
But remember, the longer you soak them in the sauce = the better they'll taste.
Any left over pesto can be used as a pesto sauce for pasta or as a spread with crackers... There ya go.. dinner's ready for at least 2 nights out of the week. 😛
All right friends, that's all for today.. hope you enjoy this one. Let me know below in the comments what you think about this recipe...
Also, let's be friends on Instagram: @sproutingzeneats
with love + gratitude,
Jen ♥
Stuffed Baby Mushrooms With Kale Pesto

Stuffed baby mushrooms with homemade kale pesto that is oil free. A deliciously tasting finger food great for parties or to serve on the side of a larger dish.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 3 to 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 or 2 packages (8oz) of crimini or baby bella mushrooms
- 1/2 to 1 cup of tamari sauce, soy sauce, or coconut aminos (enough to soak the mushrooms in)
For the Oil Free Kale Pesto:
- 1 cup packed of basil (around 20g)
- 1 cup packed of kale (around 20g)
- 1/2 cup of walnuts
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon of Himalayan pink salt
- dash of black pepper
- You can also add 1 to 2 teaspoons of nutritional yeast for a hint of cheezy flavor. This is totally optional and the pesto will still be super tasty without it.
Instructions
- Remove the stems from the mushrooms and soak in tamari, soy sauce, or coconut amino sauce for a minimum of 30 minutes in the fridge. The longer you soak the mushrooms, the better they will taste. If you can prepare this part the night before and let them sit overnight in the sauce, it’s even better. I would say about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of tamari sauce is enough. You don’t have to completely cover the mushrooms in the sauce.. but just enough to coat all of them. I usually put them in an airtight container and every so often I give the container a little swirl so that the sauce moves around and gets all of the mushrooms evenly.
- Make Your Pesto: In a food processor add all of the ingredients for the pesto: basil, kale, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, salt and black pepper. Nutritional Yeast is optional. Process for about 10 to 15 seconds, just enough to break all the ingredients down. If you over process, you’ll be left with very little pesto. This pesto is intended to be chunky, not super smooth.
- Remove mushrooms from fridge and place on a dehydrator sheet (if dehydrating) or on a baking sheet if roasting. Place about 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of pesto in each mushroom. There should be enough pesto for about 20 baby mushrooms give or take. Any left over pesto can you used as a spread or served with pasta.
- If using a dehydrator: Dehydrate at 115F for 1 to 2 hours, then serve. If using an oven: Roast at 325F for 10 to 15 minutes, then serve. You can also totally eat these right out of the fridge without dehydrating or roasting them, but they will be cold and the mushrooms will be a bit firmer. I like them better cooked or dehydrated.
Notes
- Remember not to over-process the pesto because you’ll end up with very little quantity.
- You can eat these straight out of the fridge without dehydrating or roasting, but the mushrooms will be raw and cold and a lot firmer than if you roast them a bit in the oven. I personally like served warm and a little softer/chewier.
- This will make about 1/2 cup of pesto which is enough for 2 packages of mushrooms, but if you have left over pesto you can store it in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 2 to 3 days max.
- Feel free to experiment with the pesto – if you don’t have kale you can use 1 whole cup of basil, or 1/2 cup of spinach.