Marinated Mushrooms

Marinated mushrooms are such a great appetizer and can be served with just about any menu. With the addition of onion, carrots, bell peppers and garlic, these mushrooms are so flavorful.

Zesty and flavorful, these marinated mushrooms have the perfect balance of sweetness, saltiness and acidity. The mushrooms are still firm and not slimy at all. I love the addition of the vegetables - onion, carrots, bell peppers and garlic. They pair so well with the mushrooms.

They are the perfect appetizer, either served on their own, part of a charcuterie board or even added to other recipes, like many Russian salads, pasta salads, or even cooked with chicken, pork or steak.

What Mushrooms Are Best For Marinated Mushrooms?

Any variety of fresh mushrooms can be used for marinating. The most common ones available in grocery stores are cremini (baby bella) mushrooms or white button mushrooms. However, you can use any kind that you like.

I prefer finding mushrooms that are smaller in size, that way, I keep them whole. They look really cute and pretty when they are whole and I think the texture is better too. If you use bigger mushrooms, cut them in half or into quarters.

Adding Vegetables To Marinated Mushrooms

Vegetables make the mushrooms much more flavorful and add different textures and colors to the mushrooms. My favorite combination is onion, carrot, bell pepper, and garlic. You can simplify it by just adding garlic and onion. You can also add some hotter peppers, like jalapeños or even spicier varieties to kick up the spice level of the mushrooms.

What Spices Are Used in Marinated Mushrooms?

I this recipe, I use a combination of black pepper, ground and whole mustard seeds, ground coriander, dry bay leaves to flavor the mushrooms. You can also add dry herbs, like parsley, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, etc. You can, of course, omit any of the spices that I used and create your own flavor variations.

How To Prepare Marinated Mushrooms

This is such a simple method. Place all he ingredients except the vinegar and oil into a large skillet or pot, bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes.

The mushrooms and vegetables don't become too soft or mushy, they are still firm but cook together enough for the flavors to start to meld and the mushrooms and vegetables to soften. I love that the mushrooms don't get too slimy and still have a bite to them when you bite them.

Remember that the mushrooms will get significantly smaller as they cook. I always use my 3 quart deep skillet and all the mushrooms don't even fit into the skillet in the beginning. As soon as the mushrooms cook for a few minutes, they get smaller and I add the remaining mushrooms and they have enough time to cook through with the rest.

Adding the vinegar and oil at the end of cooking keeps the marinade bright and fresh. If you add the vinegar at the beginning of cooking, a lot of it will cook off as the mushrooms are cooking, so it's important to add it at the end.

Adjusting the Flavor of the Mushrooms

This is a very simple base recipe. You can add more vinegar if you want the mushrooms to have more acidity and brightness. You can add more or less sugar and salt.

Instead of the distilled white vinegar, you can use apple cider vinegar, sherry vinegar, red or white wine vinegar, etc. for different flavor variations. You can also use different oils, like sunflower oil, olive oil, avocado oil, etc.

You can add more dry or fresh herbs, like parsley, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, dill, etc.

Storing Marinated Mushrooms

This batch will fill about 2 (32 oz) glass mason jars. I fill the jars with the mushrooms and vegetables and them pour in the liquid that the mushrooms were cooking in until the jars are filled to the top with the marinating liquid. Discard the excess liquid.

Store the marinated mushrooms in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks. Garnish with fresh herbs before serving.

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