Dried porcini mushrooms are a concentrated form of porcini that pack a lot of flavour into a small form and keep for several months in the cupboard.
But what happens if you need porcini but haven’t got any? What are the best substitutes for dried porcini mushrooms?
Our 4 Substitutes for Dried Porcini Mushrooms
We’ve got 4 substitutes that we recommend when you’ve not got dried porcini mushrooms on hand. You can click through the options using the links below to find out the best ways to use them:
1) Dried Shiitake Mushrooms
Honestly… Even some of the most talented and experienced chefs will struggle to tell the difference between dried porcini and dried shiitake mushrooms. Once soaked in boiling water, they’ll both add the same level of flavour to your cooking.
Use Like-for-Like
You can simply use porcini or shiitake mushrooms interchangeably. If you have a mix of the two then this will also work just as well.
2) Other Dried Mushrooms
This is the most obvious of swaps you can make for dried porcini mushrooms but it’s also the most effective.
There is a huge range of dried mushrooms you can buy – some are far easier to get hold of. If you can’t find porcini but can find chanterelles or morels then opt for these instead. They’ll still add an intense, earthy, umami flavour to your cooking.
Simply Swap Identical Quantities
All you need to do is replace 1 tablespoon of dried porcini with 1 tablespoon of any other dried mushroom you’re able to get hold of.
3) Fresh Mushrooms
If you can’t get hold of dried porcini mushrooms then fresh mushrooms will work instead. It’s important to try to get strong mushrooms such as shiitake, chanterelle or black trumpets.
Your standard button or chestnut mushrooms are not going to be rich in earthy flavour like the other varieties.
You’ll Need Double the Amount
Dried porcini mushrooms are used mainly for their flavour and not to bulk out a dish. You’ll need double the amount of fresh mushroom to add depth of flavour.
4) Truffle Oil
Porcini mushrooms are rich and packed full of umami flavours which are hard to replicate in your traditional button mushroom. And that’s where truffle oil comes in!
For every tablespoon of dried porcini mushrooms, you can use 3 drops of truffle oil instead.
You can also use any form of truffle you’re able to get hold of. Truffle oil is the easiest (and cheapest) form but you can also buy truffle salt, truffle paste, truffle powder, dried truffles and (of course) fresh truffles if you’re feeling particularly flash.
A Few Drops Go a Long Way
It’s worth remembering that truffle oil is punchy. You don’t need to use much of it to pack some flavour into your cooking.
Other Substitutes for Dried Porcini Mushrooms
The above substitutes are the 4 best options to use. But if you’re looking for some quirkier substitutions to try in place of dried porcini then why not give these a go:
- Dried Thyme – If you’re using dried porcini to add earthiness to a sauce then dried thyme can replicate this somewhat. You won’t get the same complex flavour of porcini but it will still add some depth to your cooking.
- Asafoetida – Asafoetida is unlikely to replace dried porcini that well but it’s subtle onion-like flavour can replace porcini if you’re simply looking to add extra flavours to soups, stews, casseroles and sauces.
- Nutmeg and Sage – This is by far the most outlandish substitute you could opt for. But it’s also one that’s easily available. It will add earthiness and richness to stews and sauces if you haven’t got any form of porcini mushrooms available.
Summary
There are not many ingredients that can replicate the deep, earthy and umami flavour of dried porcini mushrooms. There are, however, a few substitutions that can go some way to covering you if you need porcini but haven’t got any.