You can cook specialty mushrooms (oyster mushrooms, lion's mane, shiitake, chestnut mushrooms, etc.) just like any other mushroom; the only difference is the flavor and texture that comes out will range from nutty to savory, sweet in some cases, bitter in other cases.

For enhanced texture and flavor, use medium-high to high heat in a dry pan to dry-fry the mushrooms for a few minutes to evaporate some of the moisture content (depending on the water content). After 3 to 5 minutes, you can then add a little bit of seasoning and your choice of oil (or fat) like olive oil, avocado oil, sesame oil (John's favorite), beef tallow, etc., and the remaining moisture will be sealed in.

If your pan has a good non-stick quality, you can go with medium to medium-high heat, but if your pan has lost its non-stick quality, then be sure to PRE-HEAT the pan for a few minutes to get it hot. This will help prevent the mushrooms (or anything, really) from sticking to it.

Keep your pan uncovered so that steam doesn't build up (unless your recipe calls for it). This is because steaming mushrooms makes them chewier, while letting water vapor escape will keep your mushrooms tender.

Some mushrooms that have a bitter taste may just need additional cooking time. Lion's Mane, for example, carries sweet and bitter flavor notes, which usually turn savory as you cook it thoroughly. We recommend cooking all mushrooms thoroughly anyway, because heat breaks down the cell walls and makes more of the mushrooms' nutritional content available to your body's metabolism.

Fresh mushrooms may last up to several weeks in your refrigerator, but cooking them sooner is generally best. A few common tricks to preserve mushrooms, however: Let them dry-out in your refrigerator; most refrigerators are negative-pressure systems that will help pull out the moisture from your mushrooms—you can then use dried mushrooms later in wet dishes.

Alternatively, some people wish to freeze their mushrooms, but remember to partially cook them first ("par-cooking") which keeps the mushroom's cells from exploding during the freezing process and getting too "mushy" when you thaw them.

If you leave fresh (live) mushrooms in your refrigerator, you may notice a white fuzz develop on them—this is normal. The mushroom organism is a white filamentous network of fungal threads (mycelium) that will try to seek out nutrients to grow again. In general, mushroom mycelium (of edible mushrooms) is safe to eat, but mold isn't. If you plan on keeping mushrooms for more than a week, then be careful of black, green, blue, orange, or pink mold, which may likely be harmful to consume.

Dried mushrooms can go in soups, stews, or they can be simmered in sauces to add a delicious umami quality to your meal. If you want to reconstitute dried mushrooms in warm water (about 15-20 minutes) so that they can be sautéed like fresh mushrooms, be aware that reconstituted mushrooms will be chewier than their fresh counterparts. The water can still be used in cooking, like for boiling pasta, or to serve as the base for a nice broth.

Feldman's Cream of Mushroom Soup (soup kit variant)

June 8, 2025

Gluten-Free

Ingredients (makes one 2-cup serving):

1 spice mix pack from our Mushroom Soup Starter Kit

1/2 oz dried mushrooms (half of one dried mushroom pack from the starter kit)

1 cup vegetable stock

2 cups half-and-half

1 tbsp butter (or olive oil)

1 tbsp small diced red onion

1 tbsp garlic paste (or minced)

1 tsp ground mustard

1 tsp Sriracha sauce (or chili sauce)

1/4 cup diced, boiled potatoes

1 tbsp Parmesan cheese

1 oz shredded Gouda cheese

Instructions:

In a soup pot, melt your butter and add the onion. Cook until onions are translucent.

Add garlic paste and stir well.

Add Sriracha and ground mustard, followed by vegetable stock.

Bring stock to a boil and reduce to half volume by evaporation, add half-and-half, then reduce heat to a simmer.

Once little bubbles form, add 1/2 ounce dried mushrooms (half of one dried mushroom pack) and stir well.

Add potatoes and stir them in.

Add cheese and stir until completely melted.

Cook on low heat for about 2 minutes, or until the soup coats the back of a spoon, then remove from heat.

Season to taste (salt, pepper, whatever you need).

Enjoy!

Vegan Thai Chili Mushroom Soup (soup kit variant)

June 8, 2025

Vegan

Ingredients:

1 spice mix pack from our Mushroom Soup Starter Kit

1 tbsp garlic paste

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tbsp lemongrass paste (or substitute with thinly sliced fresh lemongrass)

1 tsp red chili pepper, minced

1 tsp red onion, minced

1 tsp Sriracha

1 tsp brown sugar (optional)

1 tsp vegetable oil

2 cups vegetable stock

optional, garnish with spinach leaves pulled apart and a lime wedge

Instructions:

In a soup pot, heat oil and sauté red onion and red chili peppers until onions are translucent.

Add garlic, ginger, and lemongrass paste and stir well.

Add vegetable stock and add 1 packet of mushroom soup spice mix and stir well.

Bring to a boil for 30 seconds before reducing heat and continue to let simmer for 2 minutes.

To serve, place pulled spinach in a bowl, add the hot soup, then squeeze lime to taste.

Brain-Boosting Lion's Mane Green Beans

January 27, 2021

Vegan

Ingredients:

1/4 lb. Lion's Mane mushroom (fresh)

1 can or 1/2 lb. of fresh green beans

1 Tbsp olive oil

1-2 cloves of minced garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Chop the Lion’s Mane into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces and sauté in garlic and olive oil.

Start heating canned green beans in a pot with the juice included. If fresh, boil them in water until right before the desired tenderness.

Scoop the oil, garlic and Lion’s Mane into the heated green beans and let simmer for 15-20 minutes. If desired, add salt and pepper.

Serve your delicious, brain-boosting dish!

Classic Sautéed Oyster Mushrooms or Lion's Mane

January 27, 2021

Vegetarian, Vegan option available

Ingredients:

1 lb. of Lion’s Mane mushroom or Oyster mushrooms, sliced into 3/4-inch fillets, excess water pressed out

1 Tbsp ghee (clarified butter, or substitute with Vegan butter alternative)

1/2 cup dry white wine or 2 Tbsp dry sherry

1 medium shallot or 3 cloves of garlic, minced

Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Season the Lion’s Mane fillets of oyster mushroom slices with salt and pepper.

Heat ghee in a large skillet on medium-high heat.

Add Lion’s Mane and sauté on both sides, pressing down as it cooks, until brown and tender.

Lower heat. Add wine or sherry and shallot or garlic, cover and cook until garlic is soft.

Serve with your favorite sides and enjoy the health benefits of Lion’s Mane, deliciously!

Vegan "C-food" Alfredo with Lion's Mane

January 22, 2021

Vegan, Gluten-Free option available

Ingredients:

8 to 10 ounces gluten-free pasta (linguini, spaghetti, or fusilli)

3 Tbsp olive or avocado oil

4 large cloves of garlic (minced)

4 Tbsp arrowroot powder (or sub all-purpose flour if not GF)

1-3/4 to 2 cups unsweetened plain almond milk

~1/2 tsp each salt and pepper (to taste)

1/4 cup vegan parmesan cheese (plus more for topping)

4 to 6 Tbsp nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp garlic powder

FOR SERVING, optional:

1 cup green peas (if frozen, thaw at room temperature while pasta cooks)

Red pepper flakes

Instructions:

Add pasta to a large pot of boiling, well-salted water and cook according to package instructions. Drain and cover to prevent drying.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add olive oil and garlic, stirring quickly to ensure it doesn’t burn.

Next, reduce heat slightly and add arrowroot or flour and whisk to combine. Cook for about a minute and then add almond milk 1/4 cup at a time (as original recipe is written, 1 3/4 cups total, working up to 2 cups later on if needed // adjust if altering batch size) and whisk to prevent clumps. Cook for 2 minutes.

Transfer to a blender and add salt, pepper, vegan parmesan cheese, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and blend on high until creamy and smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed – you want it to be pretty cheesy and salty so don't be shy.

Return sauce back to skillet and cook on medium heat until it bubbles, then reduce heat to low and cook until thickened, stirring frequently.

If sauce is too thick, add a little more milk. If too thin, scoop out some sauce in a 1/2 cup measuring cup and whisk in 1-2 tsp more arrowroot or flour (amounts as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). Whisk to combine and add back to sauce. Repeat as needed until desired consistency is reached.

Once sauce is ready, add pasta, peas and toss. Cook for 1-2 minutes to warm through, and then serve with additional vegan parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.

Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for up to a few days, though best when fresh.

Source:
https://minimalistbaker.com/30-minute-vegan-alfredo-vegan-gf/

Alternative Alfredo

Ingredients:

1 medium white onion, diced (200g) (MAKE SURE to measure out 1-1/2 cups because this is where lots of flavor comes)

1-2 cups (240-480g) low sodium vegetable broth, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 x-large (15g) minced garlic cloves

1/2 heaping cup (75g) raw unsalted cashews (see Notes)

1-2 tablespoons lemon juice (start with just 1 and taste after blended!)

2-4 tablespoons nutritional yeast (I highly recommend this Sari brand, it is non-fortified with much better taste.)

Notes:

It is not recommended to sub or eliminate any of these ingredients, as I cannot vouch for the results if any are changed. The lemon juice is crucial, as it eliminates any cashew flavor.

If you are using raw cashews and you don't have a high-powered blender, then you must soak them overnight in a bowl of water, drain and rinse. Otherwise, your result will be gritty and NOT creamy. A food processor usually works better with soaked cashews versus a blender that isn't very powerful.

Instructions:

Add the onion and ONLY 1 cup of the broth to a large pan over medium to medium-high heat. Cook for about 8 minutes until the onion is very tender. (Add a tiny bit more broth if it is cooking too fast or turn the heat down, so the onions don't burn) After 8 minutes, add the garlic and cook a couple of minutes more, stirring often. All the broth should have evaporated by now. If not, keep letting it cook until the broth is GONE. You don't want any more liquid once it's done cooking, so the end result is thick and creamy.

Add the cooked veggies (the onion and garlic) to a blender. Start out by adding JUST 1/2 cup more of the remaining broth and add the remaining ingredients (salt, pepper, cashews, starting with JUST 1 tablespoon lemon juice, nutritional yeast-starting with just 2 tablespoons yeast). Blend on high for a couple of minutes until very creamy and smooth. Add any more broth to reach desired consistency, if necessary. I did not. If you don't add more broth, you would likely not need any more yeast. Taste and add any more salt & pepper or lemon, if desired.

Serve over preferred pasta. Note: When preparing your pasta, make sure to salt your water well, so your pasta has flavor and isn't bland, which can affect the end flavor result of the dish. I add around a tablespoon to a large pot of boiling water. Garnish with parsley, lemon zest and salt & pepper, if desired. Add any veggies you like. I like to add broccoli or even peas. Store leftovers in the fridge. The sauce will thicken up even more overnight, which you can thin out a little with a touch of broth when reheating, if necessary.

Source:
https://thevegan8.com/vegan-garlic-alfredo-sauce/

Desert Pearl Mushrooms' Chili

January 22, 2021

Vegan, Vegetarian option available

Ingredients:

1 yellow onion

1 bell pepper (red or orange)

1 zucchini

4 garlic cloves

1 can of corn (or 1 ear of grilled corn, shaven)

1 can of black beans, drained and washed (or ¾-cup dried beans soaked over 24 hours)

1 can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed (or 3 oz dried beans soaked over 24 hours)

1 lb. oyster and/or Lion's Mane mushrooms

12 oz of triple-blend Mexican cheese, or your favorite vegan cheese

Sauce/Seasoning:

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 12-oz can of Trader Joe's Salsa Authentica Red Salsa

1 12-oz can of Trader Joe's Hatch Valley Salsa

Optional Additions:

½-bundle of cilantro

1 lime

blue corn tortilla chips

Optional 1 lb. of ground turkey or vegan “beef” crumbles

Instructions:

Start by cutting your vegetables before cooking. Onions should be a fine small rectangle cut. Cut the zucchini, mushrooms, and bell pepper into ¼-inch chunks, and dice the garlic into small chunks.

In a large saucepan bring 1 tablespoon of oil to temperature and add the pound of diced mushrooms (oyster and/or Lion’s Mane). After 2 to 3 minutes of pan frying, add half of the seasoning ingredients. Cook until the mushrooms are golden brown and have some texture to them. If you decided to add turkey, add the turkey with a little extra olive oil to the pan with the mushrooms. Add another round of seasoning to the turkey and cook until golden brown. Once cooked remove from pan and set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon of oil into the pan and bring up to temperature. Add the diced onion and cook for 3 minutes until translucent. Once the onion is translucent add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Next add in the red bell pepper and zucchini into the batch. After three minutes to five minutes of stir frying add the remaining seasoning, stir, and let the vegetables cook with a lid for a few minutes.

When the vegetables are soft and textured add both cans of salsa and the mushrooms and stir thoroughly. Add the can of corn (drained) or the grilled corn cut off the cob and stir. Add the two cans of beans (drained and rinsed) or the soaked beans without liquid. Bring ingredients to a light boil and then reduce the temperature to low. Cook until the liquid is half its height in the pot, stirring regularly.

Add half bag to a full bag of cheese to the chili depending on taste and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve hot with tortilla chips on the side for a nice crunchy texture addition and enjoy.

Vegan Fried Oyster Mushroom "Cheesesteak" Sandwich

January 22, 2021

Vegan, Vegetarian option available

Ingredients (for 2 servings):

5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 green pepper, sliced into long strips

2 teaspoons vegan butter

10 oz oyster mushroom

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1-1/4 teaspoons onion powder, divided

Sauce/Seasoning:

1-1/4 teaspoons garlic powder, divided

1 teaspoon black pepper, divided

1 teaspoon salt, divided

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon vegan worcestershire

1 carrot, cooked, peeled, and cut into large chunks

1 cup vegetable broth, or more depending on consistency wanted

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/2 teaspoon tomato paste

1 large potato, cooked, peeled, and cut into large chunks

2 large hoagie rolls

fresh parsley, for garnish, optional

Instructions:

In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.

Add the onion and sauté for about 3 minutes until translucent.

Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, until fragrant.

Add the green pepper. Stir and sauté for about 5 minutes until tender.

Transfer the sautéed vegetables to a bowl and set aside.

Melt the vegan butter in the pan.

Add the mushrooms and stir to coat in the butter.

Add the paprika, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir well and sauté for about 7 minutes until the mushrooms are dark brown and reduce in size by half.

Add the green pepper, onion, and garlic mixture back to the pan and stir.

Add the soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well and continue to sauté for about 7 minutes until the liquid has thickened.

In the meantime, place the carrot, vegetable broth, remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil, the lemon juice, nutritional yeast, remaining teaspoon of onion powder, remaining teaspoon of garlic powder, the tomato paste, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of pepper in a food processor. Blend until it forms a smooth and homogenous sauce.

Add the potato and blend until homogenous.

Fill the hoagies with the mushroom mixture.

Top the mushroom mixture with the vegan “cheese”, and parsley. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Source:
https://tasty.co/recipe/vegan-mushroom-cheesesteak-sandwich

Fried King Oyster Mushroom Meatless "Calamari"

January 22, 2021

Vegan

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. King Oyster mushrooms (or black king oyster hybrids)

2 lemon wedges, as garnish

the tartar sauce from the broke bank vegan, for dipping

finely chopped parsley, as garnish (optional)

vegetable oil, for frying

Batter:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper

1/8 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

up to 1 cup of club soda

Instructions:

Slice mushroom stems width-wise into 1/8-inch and 1/4-inch rounds. Reserve the mushroom tops for another use.

Depending on the thickness of your oyster mushroom stems, use a 1/2-inch round cookie cutter or the round end of a metal piping tip to punch holes into the center of each mushroom round. You’ll also batter and fry up the inside circles you punch out.

You can deep-fry in a large flat-bottomed pot or a deep fryer. After doing the deep fryer method in the video on the linked page (below), we recommend doing this with a pot with a thermometer attached. This way you have more control over separating the mushroom pieces. The mushroom clusters may sink and stick to the bottom of the fry basket. If using the pot, ensure you add enough vegetable oil, so you have at least 2-inches of oil on the bottom. Ensure oil is heated to 350°F before frying the mushrooms.

To make the batter, in a medium bowl whisk together all-purpose flour, cornstarch, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, sea salt, and ground pepper until well combined. Slowly add the club soda while whisking until you get a pancake-like batter. You might not use the entire 1 cup of club soda to achieve this consistency. It should stick well to the mushroom pieces and not drip off too much.

Working in batches, add half the mushroom pieces to the batter and toss to evenly coat with your hands. Tap off the excess and gently add a couple pieces at a time to the frying oil.

Use a wooden spoon or chopstick to separate the mushroom pieces, while frying, so they don’t stick together.

Once the pieces float to the surface in about 2 minutes, flip and fry the other side for about 2 more minutes. It should take about 4 to 5 minutes total to reach a nice golden-brown color.

Remove the fried mushrooms with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel lined baking sheet or large platter. Repeat until all remaining mushroom pieces are fried.

Squeeze some lemon juice over the vegan calamari just before serving and use the tartar sauce from the hot for food cookbook for dipping or use a pre-made vegan tartar sauce. Regular shrimp cocktail sauce is also vegan friendly, or you can whip up your own by combining ketchup and horseradish. That’s all it is, anyway! You could add a bit of garlic and/or lemon juice if you really want!

Source:
https://www.hotforfoodblog.com/recipes/2019/01/09/vegan-calamari/

Lion's Mane Herbal Tea

January 22, 2021

Vegan, Gluten-Free

Ingredients:

2 cups water

1/4 lb. fresh Lion’s Mane mushroom

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

Instructions:

Bring water to boil, then add ingredients.

Reduce heat to a simmer and let steep for about 20 minutes.

Sip and enjoy this delicious tea in your favorite hot beverage cup! (Be sure to let it cool enough to not burn you!)

Crab-less Lion's Mane "Crab Cakes"

January 17, 2021

Vegan, Vegetarian option available

Ingredients (General):

1/2 to 2/3 lb. of Lion’s Mane

2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

1 tbsp minced garlic

Batter Ingredients:

1.5 tbsp nutritional yeast

2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce

2.5 tbsp vegan mayonnaise

3/4 cup breadcrumbs (for GF option, use 1/2 cup rice breadcrumbs along with 1/3 cup chickpea breadcrumbs—if breadcrumbs are not seasoned, add a variety of herbs; you can peek at a regular breadcrumb ingredient list and borrow some of those ingredients.)

1.5 tbsp minced flaxseed, mixed with recommended water from packaging (use 2 eggs for vegetarian version)

1-2 tbsp white wine or water

1 tbsp minced garlic (more or less to your preference)

2-3 tbsp fresh minced parsley

1 tsp paprika

1/2 lemon for juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Cut into 1”-2” chunks, add EVOO and minced garlic to spread over the mushrooms and then bake for 20 mins at 375 deg. Fahrenheit.

Once cooked, pulse in food processor for 2-3 short pulses. If you like larger ‘crab’ chunks (“jumbo lump”), only pulse twice.

Mix crab cake batter ingredients together in large bowl.

Once ingredients are mixed, hand mold into patties and fry in EVOO or place in air fryer for 7-10 minutes on 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Serve with horseradish or the classic horseradish sauce mixture (horseradish, vegan mayo, paprika, lemon squeeze).

OPTIONAL. Add lightly-sautéed chopped onion to crab cake batter before frying into cake patties for a nice twist.

Recipes and Tips

Some Ideas and Cooking Tips to Help Get You Started

Contents

General Tips For Using Specialty Culinary Mushrooms

September 20, 2023

Feldman's Cream of Mushroom Soup (soup kit variant)

June 8, 2025

Vegan Thai Chili Mushroom Soup (soup kit variant)

June 8, 2025

Brain-Boosting Lion's Mane Green Beans

January 27, 2021

Classic Sautéed Oyster Mushrooms or Lion's Mane

January 27, 2021

Vegan "C-food" Alfredo with Lion's Mane

January 22, 2021

Alternative Alfredo

Desert Pearl Mushrooms' Chili

January 22, 2021

Vegan Fried Oyster Mushroom "Cheesesteak" Sandwich

January 22, 2021

Fried King Oyster Mushroom Meatless "Calamari"

January 22, 2021

Lion's Mane Herbal Tea

January 22, 2021

Crab-less Lion's Mane "Crab Cakes"

January 17, 2021

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