The ultimate one-pot family meal - Rich and hearty Vegan Portobello Pot Roast with red wine, herbs & vegetables. They all combine to make a delicious plant-based feast!
Recipe from The Plant-Based Journey by Lani Muelrath. Shared with permission from both Lani and Ben Bella Books. Image rights belong to Melanie McDonald of A Virtual Vegan.
This Portobello Pot Roast recipe is the ultimate one-pot family meal. With meaty portobello mushrooms, chunky vegetables, red wine and herbs, it's rich, flavourful and hearty.
How to make Portobello Pot Roast
A traditional Pot Roast is made by searing the meat, then placing it in a pot with the vegetables, broth, sometimes some wine and herbs. It's then all roasted together really slowly in the oven.
This Vegan Pot Roast is made in much the same way, by searing the portobello mushrooms then cooking them with the vegetables and broth in the oven.
Remember when you put it all together, that not much evaporation happens in the oven because it has a lid on it, so don't add too much broth at first. Check it as it's cooking and add a little more if you think it needs it. You can always add more but you can't take it away.
I like to use the broth sparingly when I make this recipe so that the gravy is really thick, dark, rich and flavourful like in the photos, but you can add more broth (like in my video), so it is much thinner if you prefer. It's almost like a stew then.
Serving suggestions
This Portobello Pot Roast smells amazing and is so rich and delicious.
Serve it with some extra oil-free crispy roasted potatoes or my vegan mashed potatoes and some crusty bread to mop up that tasty gravy.
Also on the side, some steamed vegetables, roasted red cabbage, a little horseradish sauce and a big glass of red wine. The horseradish complements it perfectly.... as does the wine - hic ...
Got an Instant Pot?
If you have an Instant Pot, I have created a Vegan Portobello Instant Pot Pot Roast which you will love!
Here it is:
Possible variations
This recipe has become a staple for us. I do however add a little more red wine to the sauce and a bit less stock. A few dried and rehydrated porcini mushrooms to intensify the flavour a little are amazing too. Some other ideas:
- Cook it, let it cool and use it as a pie filling. Make it as directed so the gravy is pretty thick. Then make a pastry crust and fill it with the pot roast to make a pie. Divine is the word!
- Cook in a slow cooker - Directions are in the recipe
Hungry for more?
Love hearty stews? You might also enjoy my Vegan Irish Stew.
Portobello Pot Roast
Author:
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup | 120mls red or white wine , I think red works best
- 4 large portobello mushrooms sliced into 3/4-inch pieces
- 1 large onion sliced
- 2 cloves garlic pressed
- 3 tablespoons flour if sensitive to gluten use gluten-free flour
- 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 3 cups | 720mls vegetable broth divided. If you use all the broth it will end up with thin gravy like in my video. I personally prefer to use less and have a thicker gravy. Usually about 500 mls total.
- 4 large potatoes quartered
- 4 large carrots cut into 3-inch pieces
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper or lemon pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce , or 1 tablespoon of soy sauce or tamari
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (for slow cooker instructions see recipe notes)
- In a large saucepan (or a large stovetop to oven like a Dutch Oven , heat 1/4 cup of the wine and add the portobello mushroom slices. Allow them to cook through and brown a bit—you’ll need to keep moving them around and turning them—and then remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1/4 cup wine to the pan and add the onion and garlic. Caramelize the onions by stirring them until they wilt and begin to brown. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside.
- Mix the flour, sage, and basil together in a small bowl. Stir in 1/4 cup of the broth to create a paste, and pour the mixture into the same pan you used for the mushrooms and onions. While stirring constantly over medium heat, very slowly add the rest of the broth so that you create a gravy or sauce.
- When the mixture just starts to boil, turn the heat off and add any additional seasonings you prefer, such dried herbs and black pepper.
- Add the potatoes, carrots, salt and pepper, and Worcestershire sauce to the gravy mixture. If more liquid is needed to keep the vegetables from drying out, add more broth.
- Add the mushrooms and onions to the mixture and ladle into a large ceramic or glass pot or casserole dish with a lid, layering in the sprigs of rosemary and thyme. Place the lid on and put into the oven and bake for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and serve hot.
NOTES
NUTRITION
Nutritional information is provided for convenience & as a courtesy. The data is a computer generated estimate so should be used as a guide only.
This is a popular recipe that was previously published on A Virtual Vegan in 2015. I have updated the post and added a video to make it even better!
Lani Muelrath says
Melanie, what a treat to see my recipe make a reappearance on your blog, with video no less! Bravissima!
A Virtual Vegan says
Ah, glad you spotted it Lani! I gave it a bit of a facelift as it's been a while (Google likes that ;O) and made a quick video too because Google now wants them in blog posts as well. Got to keep those Google gods happy and in turn it should keep it popular in search engines and hopefully sell you more books!
Forest Grace says
This is utterly delicious. I put the potatoes in with everything else too. The Focaccia Bread is an excellent accompaniment to this meal as well. Thank you, Mel ❤️❗️
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you so much for stopping by to leave feedback. So glad you enjoyed both recipes!
Ruth says
Delicious!
I made this for the family and it's a winner. Such comforting flavours for these autumn days.
Thank you
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so pleased you all enjoyed it Ruth. Thank you for taking the time to come back to leave feedback!
Kelc says
Hey there,
When removing the onions from the pan, do you leave any liquid in there for the gravy making? OR do you remove it all and start fresh with the gravy making?
Thanks!
A Virtual Vegan says
You will find that by the time the onions have sautéed, the wine will have evaporated so there will be no liquid, or very little left. So you remove the onions, mix up the gravy ingredients in a little bowl as directed, then add that to the same pan you used for the onions, so any caramelized bits on the bottom will be soaked up in the gravy. Hope that helps!
MC Fortin says
This was excellent. Had it over rice this time and will try it over pasta tomorrow! I added a couple of shakes of Tabasco for heat and a fresh bay leaf.
Jennifer Pickner says
Any suggestions for converting this recipe for the Instant Pot?
A Virtual Vegan says
Ooo I'd love to. It's something I haven't tried. I am really busy writing my first cookbook at the moment but I have added it to my list of things to work on once I've finished. I would think you could follow the sautéing instructions, take the mushrooms out, add everything else minus the flour and cook it then add the mushrooms and a flour slurry at the end and just let them warm through in the gravy. Maybe 10 mins with NPR? That's what I'd go for first. Good luck if you give it a try!
Lee says
Delicious! ! Next time I make it, I’ll put it over noodles or rice.
My husband liked it too. The recipe made enough for 2 dinners for both of us.
Will definitely make it again.
Jwiltz says
Yum! Cannot wait to make it again.
Karl Yates says
Delicious! I made this today - as a pie -with your Easy Vegan Mushroom Pie pastry, and just had it for tea. My wife said it was delicious too, and she's still a meat eater - though she doesn't eat as much meat these days. I'm steadily moving towards a vegan lifestyle, and have found your website a great help - so many great wholesome recipes. I also make your vegan butter - that's how I found your website during a vegan butter search - it's the only butter I use now.
I'll definitely make the Portobello Pot Roast again.
Thanks for sharing these great recipes.
A Virtual Vegan says
I actually made this as a pie for our Christmas dinner so know how good it is like that! I'm really glad you enjoyed it Karl and thank you for your kind words. It's so nice to know my recipes are helping you move towards being vegan. I think realizing you can still eat really well is half the battle!
Ginger says
How many ounces are in your servings?
A Virtual Vegan says
I state the number of servings you will get from the recipe in the recipe card at the top just above where the ingredients are listed, then the calories just below that are an approximate calculation of the number of calories in one of those servings. There is also a nutritional info table below the recipe with more info like carbs, protein, sodium etc. I don't weigh the finished dish and work out the servings by weight. Hope that helps!
Tori says
It was my turn to make the office meal today and I decided to make this since I have a vegan coworker and enjoy trying new things.. It's all gone already so needless to say it was a hit. I used pinot noir, a crockpot, homemade vegan worcestershire, and half the needed potatoes (I made three times what this recipe calls for) and it was very sweet and aromatic. It was pretty good. I personally am not a fan of sweet meals but I would make it again for a group for sure.
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so glad everyone enjoyed it and what a great office you work in!
Jeannine says
Thank you for the great recipe! This is certainly a make again. Next time, I'd like to make it in the slow cooker using a pinot noir wine.
A Virtual Vegan says
So glad you enjoyed it Jeannine!
Charlie says
Hi, this looks fab and I am planing on making it tomorrow but....it says to add potatoes to the gravey...I don’t see any potatoes in the dish? Just the roast potatoes on the side? As I reading it wrong??
A Virtual Vegan says
You aren't reading it wrong. Potatoes are included in the recipe and if you read the post it explains why the potatoes aren't in the gravy in the photos.
Charlie says
Haha! I did read that but it didn’t comput in my brain.....right great I’m not going to add them either I much prefer the look of them on the side! Sorry to sound dumb! I’m so new to cooking and only 8 weeks vegan so it’s all new to me.
A Virtual Vegan says
No worries! I much prefer having crispy golden potatoes with it. Hope you enjoy it when you get to give it a try!
Betty Bogda says
This was excellent and very filling. I think I will add some turnips or parsnips next time, but was very good just as written.
A Virtual Vegan says
So glad you enjoyed it Betty! Turnips or parsnips would make a great addition!
Connie Goudy says
I don't drink alcohol. Can I use the vegetable broth instead?
Connie Goudy says
I read the other comments and found my answer about the wine. Pacific brand Mushroom broth with a vinegar added. Thank you.
Janel Barthe says
(1) nonalchol substitution with which vinegar added, please?
(2) I plan to use a crockpot to cook this rercipe. Do I do all the stove cooking first, then continue in crockpot. What are steps (1) and step (6)
A Virtual Vegan says
I would just use a really great, strong tasting broth instead of the wine. I love Pacific brand mushroom broth. It has a really deep tasting flavour and is great for gravies and sauces etc. If you have some, add a couple tablespoons of good balsamic vinegar too. It will help give a little more depth and a winey richness.
I have amended the directions for the slow cooker. I used to have numbered steps on all of my recipes and changed it to a check off list instead a little while ago so my instructions here did not make sense! It should be clear now.