This Mushroom Bourguignon is one of my favorite things to cook on a winter weekend. It’s so fun to put together (makes you feel a little bit like Julia Child), it fills the house with the most incredible, cozy smells, and the result is a savory, earthy dream. My husband and I cooked this for Valentine’s Day last year, and I shared the whole process on our Instagram stories. The amount of recipe requests I got afterwards had me thinking that I should write it up for the blog. Finally sharing it a whole year later!
Make this with your love or friend, or just for yourself on Valentine’s day or any other day when you’ve got some time to cozy up in the kitchen. I think you will really love it.
I find that this recipe does well with some time and care – it’s not really a weeknight type of deal, and that’s truly the fun of it. For one, I highly suggest making your own mushroom, veggie and miso broth for this stew. You can use store-bought broth and your Bourguignon will still be really delicious, but the homemade broth will take it to that next, next level. This dish is all about layers of deep flavors, and the broth is a true backbone of that. Making your own broth is also not hard at all – it’s just a matter of throwing things in the pot and letting them do their own thing. When I made the Mushroom Bourguignon pictured here, I made the broth in the morning, and it was there waiting for me when I started cooking the stew later in the day. No big deal.
I love that this dish is made mostly with very straightforward, common, pantry and crisper-friendly ingredients, but the flavor is so special and so much greater than the sum of its parts. These kinds of recipes are always my favorites. You can see how this Bourguignon comes together step-by-step on our Instagram stories later today. Enjoy!
- olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 lb crimini or other mushrooms of choice - stemmed if necessary, sliced
- sea salt
- 20 Cipollini or pearl onions
- 1 yellow onion - diced
- 2 medium carrots - sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves - chopped
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 5 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 cup red wine
- 3½ cups mushroom veggie broth (recipe below) or store-bought broth, plus more if needed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1½ tablespoon all-purpose flour
- mashed or smashed potatoes - for serving
- parsley - for garnish
- 1 oz dried porcini
- 1 large carrot
- 2-3 celery ribs
- 1 yellow onion - skin on
- 1 leek - white and green parts
- 5 cloves of garlic - smashed
- handful fresh thyme
- 1-2 pitted dates - for deeper flavor (optional)
- sea salt
- 1 tablespoon white miso
- Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pot, letting it heat up. Add the mushrooms and begin browning. Stir once to coat the mushrooms in the oil, then let sit completely undisturbed. Depending on the variety of mushrooms you're using, they will likely release lots of water. Wait for the water to cook off almost completely before stirring, about 10 minutes, that way the mushrooms will brown properly. Stir, add a generous pinch of salt, and let the mushrooms cook for a few more minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and set aside until later.
- Wipe the bottom of the pan if necessary and add another generous pour of oil. Add the Cipollini/pearl onions, stir to coat in the oil and let shimmer for the undersides to brown, about 2-3 minutes. Stir to flip and let brown for another 2-3 minutes. Add the yellow onion, carrots, thyme, smoked paprika, a generous pinch of salt, lots of of black pepper, and tomato paste. Sauté until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 more minute. Add the cooked mushrooms back to the pot and stir to incorporate with the other ingredients.
- Add the wine to the pot, bring it up to a simmer and let simmer and reduce for 3-5 minutes. Add the broth, bay leaves, and another pinch of salt, making sure to add enough broth to achieve a chunky stew consistency. Bring the stew up to a simmer and simmer, covered, for 1 hour, adding more broth if necessary. Discard the bay leaves at the end.
- Put the flour in a small bowl. Take a small ladle-full of the broth from the stew and pour over the flour. Whisk together until smooth. Pour the slurry back into the stew, mix, and let simmer for another 5 minutes for the stew to thicken. Serve the Mushroom Bourguignon over mashed or smashed potatoes, garnished with parsley.
- Combine all the ingredients in a large pot with at least 10 cups of purified water. Salt well. It's not necessary to include all the vegetables listed, but the more you include, the more flavorful the broth. You can also include any other ingredients that you like in your veggie broth like peppercorns, bay leaf, etc. Bring up to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer, covered, for about 1 hour.
- Put the miso in a small bowl and pour a little bit of the broth over it. Whisk together until you have a smooth paste. Pour it back into the pot with the broth and mix well. You will have leftover broth after making the bourguignon. It's delicious to sip on its own or in any other stew or soup, and it freezes very well.
Paulina says
Lovely recipe. So tasty (although I used a bought mushroom broth and only cooked it 30min – my daughter was soooo hungry). I‘ve been craving a Bourguigon for months but burnt the last one since I normally use a pressure cooker and don‘t have it at my current abroad home.
Thank you also for your vibrant photos!
Anya says
Hi Paulina,
So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for leaving the note about the store-bought broth and shorter cooking time too, I’m sure a bunch of people will find that helpful :)
Maureen says
Made this today. Absolutely delicious. Made it per the instructions and would not suggest any alterations. The depth of flavor was unexpected. Thank you for this recipe
Maureen
Anya says
Hi Maureen,
So glad you loved it, thank you for the feedback!
Jill says
Do frozen pearl onions work?
Anya says
Hi Jill,
They should work! Just make sure to defrost in advance.