2 Healthy Shiitake Mushroom Recipes for Beginners

Here are some quick Shiitake Mushroom Recipes for mushroom lovers!

Shiitake mushrooms¹ are everyone’s favorite dish as it is full of valuable nutrients. They are gluten-free, low in calories, and a good source of protein and fiber.

The regular shiitake mushroom is more common in the US. Some chefs believe that freezing shiitake brings out more flavor in it. Shiitake mushroom recipes are delicious. They are known for their great taste and many health benefits.

1. What Are Shiitake Mushrooms?

Shiitakes are edible mushrooms native to East Asia. They are dark brown, and the caps are usually 2 to 4 inches wide.

Shiitakes are a fungus that grows on decaying hardwood trees. You can find them fresh, dried, or in various dietary plans.

Shiitake mushrooms are loaded with a rich and earthy flavor. You can cook shiitake by stir-frying, adding it to omelets, and making soups, and you could also serve them as a side dish.

Shiitake mushroom recipes are versatile, healthy, and highly flavorful.

2. Things You Should Know Before Getting Into The Shiitake Mushroom Recipes

• When you wash the mushrooms, make sure not to keep them in water for too long, or they might get waterlogged.
• Don’t cook or fry the mushrooms slowly on low heat. This causes the extra moisture inside the mushrooms to go off. This will result in soggy and chunky mushrooms.
• Don’t salt the mushrooms as soon as they are in the pan. This will draw out the water from the mushrooms and have less flavor. You should add salt at the end.

3. First Recipe

Let’s learn how to make some easy and healthy shiitake mushroom recipes. The first recipe is called mushroom fried rice. This is one of the latest recipes.

Don’t forget to take recipe notes. I’m pretty sure that this is gonna be one of your favorite recipes from now on.

3.1 Ingredients

1. Brown rice – 1.5 cups
2. Shiitake mushrooms – 300g
3. Frozen peas – 1.5 cups
4. Cabbage – 1/4 of medium-sized (chopped)
5. Carrot – 2 (diced)
6. Capsicum – 1 (sliced)
7. Onions – 5 to 10 shallots
8. Green chili – 2
9. Garlic – 10 to 12 cloves
10. Green onion (OPTIONAL)
11. Olive oil/ Sesame oil/ butter or any other oil- 1 tablespoon
12. Soy sauce/ coconut ami2nos- 3 teaspoons (optional)

You can buy all these from a local store or a farmer’s market in your locality.

3.2 Directions:

1. Take a huge bowl of water, add a pinch of salt, and boil it in full flame. Add one and a half cups of long-grained and well-cleansed brown rice into the bowl of boiling water.

Make sure that the rice is washed and rinsed thoroughly after soaking it for 5 minutes. Cook the rice until it is three-fourths cooked.

Let’s get the other ingredients ready while the rice is getting prepared. Chop the shiitake mushrooms, cabbage, and carrot, slice the fresh shiitake mushroom, and capsicum, and keep the frozen peas ready.

Now strain the rice using a rice strainer and allow it to cool down completely. Slice the shallots, garlic, and chili in the meantime. Take a cast iron skillet or china dish for cooking and turn the flame fully on.

Add one teaspoon of olive oil/ sesame oil or any other edible and healthy oil, and roll the pan so that the oil gets evenly coated all over the pan.

It is better if you don’t use refined oil for cooking as it can increase the risk of strokes and heart attack if you intake it regularly. After the pan of oil is heated, please keep it on medium heat.

Add the sliced garlic cloves and stir-fry it well. The oil gets infused with the garlic flavor. Add in the sliced mushrooms once the garlic starts to turn light golden.

Remember to keep stirring occasionally so that it ends up becoming super versatile. Add a pinch of salt and pepper as needed and mix well. To check whether it’s cooked, you should hear a sizzling sound and the shiitake mushrooms should water out and steam instead of sauteing.

Cook the fresh shiitake mushrooms for four to five minutes until they are tender and turn golden brown. Cook shiitake mushrooms on high flame. Cooking it on high flame makes it softer and helps shiitake mushrooms taste delicious and gives them a meaty texture and meaty flavor after it turns golden brown.

Add one teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper to the cooked shiitake mushrooms. This is the right time to add soy sauce or coconut aminos. Coconut aminos are a healthier option than soy sauce and it will help make it insanely delicious. Make sure to give it a mix after adding coconut aminos in it.

Now add the green chilies and onions which you sliced a few minutes ago. When the external side of the onions turns light pink or partly transparent you should add the fresh vegetables which you have kept chopped except the capsicum. Adding the fresh capsicum later will give it an earthy flavor.

Add two teaspoons of coconut aminos and stir fry it adequately. Once the vegetables and peas are half cooked add the chopped capsicum. Also, stir-fries are healthier than deep frying. Add salt to taste in the end.

The Final Step- Please give it a good stir. Next, add the cooked rice which was left to cool down. Keep the flame high and mix it really well.

Add some green onion for flavor. There you go! It is ready to be served. The prep time is 20-30 minutes only. Serve immediately after everything is done.

4. Second Recipe

Let’s make an unbelievably simple recipe for sauteed mushrooms. This is the comfort food of many mushroom lovers.

After going through the recipe you will be pleasantly surprised by how easy it is.

4.1 Ingredients

• Shiitake mushrooms – 200g78977
• olive oil – 2 tablespoon
• soy sauce
• pepper and salt

4.2 Directions

1. The first thing to do is to cut each one of the mushrooms in half. Now take a pan, place it on the stove, and turn the flame on.
2. Once the pan is preheated or when it’s on medium heat, go ahead and pour two tablespoons of olive oil.

After about 30 seconds, you can add the cut mushrooms to it. Now keep mixing them so that the oil gets coated all over the mushroom pieces.

After about 1 minute the color of the mushrooms will slowly change. That is the right time to season it with soy sauce.

Mix it and let it rest for a moment so that the mushroom gets cooked and the soy sauce gets infused with the shiitake mushrooms at the same time.

The soy sauce will reduce and it will get soaked into the mushrooms. Now some of the water content in the mushrooms gets steamed out and the soy sauce takes its place.

The Final Step – Add salt and pepper to taste which is optional. There we go! Sauteed mushrooms are ready to be served hot.

5. Enjoy Your Meal

These are some noteworthy recipes that provide nutrients and are very flavorsome. It is an easy recipe that will save you time. You can also improve or modify these recipes by adding chicken, parmesan cheese, corn, or butter.

The serving calories ²of the first recipe are 71 g total carbs, 66g net carbs, 14g fat, 10g protein, and 428 calories per serving. In the second recipe, one piece of sauteed shiitake mushroom contains 0.2g total carbs, 0.1g net carbs, 0.1g fat, 0.1g protein, and just 2 calories.

You can have the first recipe plain or with some gravy or sauce by the side. Storing leftovers in an airtight container can be beneficial. When you cook it again you must fry it on medium-high heat.

6. Benefits Of Shiitake Mushrooms

Mushrooms are naturally gluten³-free, fat-free, cholesterol free, and keto-friendly. Making mushrooms part of your regular diet can be advantageous.

Mushrooms are strongly anti-bacterial, and anti-viral.  Studies suggest shiitake mushrooms have a tonic effect fortifying your immune system with even reported improvements.

Compounds in Shiitake may help fight cancer, boost immunity, and support heart health.

7. Nutritional Values Of Shiitake Mushrooms (Per 100g)

• Carbohydrates – 4.1 g
• Energy – 113 kJ (27 kcal)
• Saturated Fat – 0.1 g
• Protein – 2.5 g
• Calcium – 18 mg
• Potassium – 448 mg
• Phosphorous – 120 mg

I hope that you enjoyed the shiitake mushrooms recipe thoroughly and you try it out yourself. And if you are a big-time fan of mushrooms, you can try adding sautéed shiitake mushrooms to that any of your favorite dishes.

8. FAQs

8.1 Can I Eat A Whole Shiitake Mushroom?

You can eat all of the shiitake mushrooms and even their stems. Nonetheless, because of their fibrous and woody texture, they are not the best choice for recipes.  Although the stems are too difficult to chew or eat, do save them because they will enhance the flavor of your dish.

8.2 How To Select The Best Shiitake Mushrooms?

Seek for mushrooms that are smooth and fresh-looking, with no bruising or squishy spots. While shiitake mushrooms are often used in Asian dishes, they also have a savory and earthy taste that complements a variety of other dishes such as sauces, pizzas, and soups.

8.3 Do I Have To Clean Shiitake Mushrooms?

It is crucial to clean the mushrooms before cooking shiitake mushrooms. Clean them with a damp paper towel or a soft brush to remove dirt or debris. This will help make sure that your mushrooms are safe to eat and will taste their best.

Click here to read more.

1. Ahmad, Ishtiaq, et al. “Therapeutic values and nutraceutical properties of shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes): A review.” Trends in Food Science & Technology 134 (2023): 123-135. ↩︎
2. Duregon, Eleonora, et al. “Intermittent fasting: from calories to time restriction.” Geroscience 43 (2021): 1083-1092. ↩︎
3. Lundin, Knut EA, Margit Brottveit, and Gry Skodje. “Noncoeliac gluten sensitivity.” Coeliac Disease and Gluten-Related Disorders (2022): 177-195. ↩︎

Last Updated on March 16, 2024 by Suchi