Porcini mushrooms are favoured for their meaty texture, which is what makes them popular in a range of vegetarian dishes. Though they are best used in hearty stews and soups, they can be used where you would use most mushrooms.
When porcini mushrooms are out of season, they are hard to find. When you do find them, they can get quite pricey.
So, what other ingredients can you use in the few months that porcini mushrooms are out of season?
Our 5 Substitutes for Fresh Porcini Mushrooms
Like most mushrooms, porcini mushrooms have a strong umami taste, but they also have a very deep pallet that comes to life with the combination of thyme.
Here are our 5 substitutes for porcini mushrooms:
1) Portobello Mushrooms
Like porcini mushrooms, portobello mushrooms are well-loved among the vegetarian and vegan communities for being a great meat substitute.
In recent years, a portobello’s meat-like texture has been especially utilised in burgers, offering a chewy, seasonable ingredient to customise into the perfect burger patty.
Just at a glance, portobello mushrooms are a lot larger than porcini mushrooms but can be chopped up smaller and used in every way that porcini mushrooms can.
Just because portobello mushrooms are larger than porcini mushrooms does not mean that you should use less. They contain the same levels of flavour just spread over a larger area.
However, they are bulkier so only use portobello mushrooms in equal measurements to porcini mushrooms if you don’t mind adding some bulk to your dish.
Don’t Overcook
Despite their large surface area, portobello mushrooms will only take 10-15 minutes to cook. They are quick to burn so keep an eye on them when cooking them.
2) Shiitake Mushrooms
Shiitake mushrooms used to be considered a luxury item, mostly grown in Asian countries. But now they are wildly available find for a very decent price.
They do not offer the exact same flavour notes as porcini mushrooms, but they will have the same meaty texture that makes them a good vegetable paring.
Shiitake mushrooms are full of umami flavour like most mushrooms are. They are also very earthy with not much sweetness to them.
However, their earthy tones work great at elevating hearty stews and vegetable pies.
Use Fresh Shiitake for a Swap
Shiitake are more commonly sold dried, but to get the same texture as porcini mushrooms, make sure to get fresh ones.
3) Button Mushrooms
If you tend to go to the supermarket and pick up the first cheap packet of mushrooms you see, then you probably use button mushrooms all the time.
They are one of the most popular mushrooms used in everyday cooking.
Compared to porcini mushrooms, they are smaller but they still pack a powerful umami punch. Button mushrooms also have stronger earth tones than porcini mushrooms.
You will find that button mushrooms do not have a very meaty texture. Instead, they tend to be creamier. But they are so small that the texture difference doesn’t matter much.
Button mushrooms can be used in any porcini recipe so long as you use enough to bulk out the dish as required.
Spread the Flavour Well
Button mushrooms are smaller than porcini mushrooms which means that their strong flavours are more compact. To ensure that the umami tones can spread through your dish fully, make sure to distribute the mushrooms evenly when cooking.
4) Thyme
It is thyme that is most commonly paired with porcini mushrooms to help elevate their flavours and make for a more complex tasting dish.
Though it may not be able to completely replace porcini mushrooms, thyme will be able to make up for some of the lost flavours.
It is a herb better added towards the end of your cooking time as it tends to hold its flavour better that way. It will give your dish an earthy flavour without becoming overpowering.
Dried vs Fresh
When dried, thyme will be a lot stronger so you may want to add less to not overpower your dish. Fresh thyme loses its flavour quicker so add that even later when cooking.
5) Soy Sauce
If you want a powerful umami hit, very few ingredients will beat soy sauce.
It is used exclusively in some dishes for its salty, umami tones and is a very versatile ingredient you probably already have in your pantry.
However, this saltiness makes it very different to porcini mushrooms and is why it should only be used in moderation.
Balance Saltiness
If you do find that you overuse soy sauce, then add a little bit of sweetness or lemon juice to balance out the flavours again. It will alter your dishes pallet slightly, but it will be better than an overly salty soup.
Other Substitutes for Fresh Porcini Mushrooms
If you are not a fan of mushrooms or find that you are all out of the above options, here are some other porcini mushroom substitutes you can use instead:
- Cremini Mushrooms – Often used as a substitute for button mushrooms, cremini (or chestnut) mushrooms will work similarly but have a brown cap.
- Tomato Paste – A very common ingredient already used in stews and soups, tomato paste has a very tart tang but also has sharp umami flavours. Used in moderation, it can replace porcini mushrooms in stews.
Summary
Porcini mushrooms are popular mushrooms with their own unique flavour, but they are not much different to other more popular mushrooms. Fortunately, there are a number of substitutes for fresh porcini mushrooms.
Portobello mushrooms are available all year round and often for cheaper.