Vegan Fricassee with Mushrooms and Tempeh is a deliciously flavorful meal. Serve it for lunch or dinner. This easy vegetable fricassee recipe is vegan with a gluten-free option.
Vegan Fricassee with Mushrooms and Tempeh
Until I discovered a tempeh and wild mushroom fricassee recipe many years ago (unfortunately I don't remember where it was), I had never had a fricassee. At the time I wasn't even sure what a fricassee was. I just really like saying the word “fricassee”. Fricassee. Fricassee. Fricassee. It’s fun to say – try it!)
I’ve made this dish many times since that original recipe discovery, and I’ve altered the recipe to make it my own.
What is Fricassee?
Fricassee is a stew that's made with meat (ick!) that's been fried and then braised. In Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia Child described it as "halfway between a sauté and a stew." Recipes vary greatly from country to country.
How to Make Vegan Fricassse
This recipe is super easy to make!
- First you heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and add the tempeh. You cook it, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, or until it's golden brown.
- Next you add the leeks, mushrooms, and garlic to pot and sauté for 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms and leeks begin to soften.
- Then you sprinkle the flour into the pot and cook 1 more minute, stirring frequently.
- Next you add the stock, wine, tamari, thyme, and dried parsley to the pot, and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Now you reduce the heat and simmer your fricassee 15 minutes.
- Then you stir in the lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Finally you remove the pot from the heat and garnish your fricassee with fresh parsley.
Recipe Notes
- If you follow a gluten-free diet, make sure your tempeh and flour are gluten-free.
- Different types of mushrooms, such as oyster or porcini, can be used instead of the any of the mushrooms I call for in the recipe.
- You can throw in a little spinach or chopped kale when you add the vegetable stock, if you'd like to add some greens to your fricassee.
Cooking with Leeks
Leeks are part of the onion family, but they have a milder flavor. They can be found year-round, but they’re really a spring vegetable. They’re usually in season from late winter to early spring. I like to use them instead of onions in spring dishes. Leeks tend to be really dirty, so make sure you wash them well.
When slicing your leeks, you want the white and light green parts. I clean them by placing the slices in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes. The slices are then scooped up, placed in a colander and rinsed.
Cooking with Tempeh
Tempeh is a fermented soy bean patty that originated in Indonesia. Because it’s fermented, it can have discolored spots that almost look moldy. It’s perfectly safe to eat, though.
Some people say that the fermented flavor of tempeh bothers them, but I’ve never had a problem with it myself. If that’s it bothers you, simply steam it for a few minutes before cooking it or simmer it in a bath of vegetable stock for about half an hour before adding using it in the recipe.
Serving Your Vegan Fricasse
This dish is great on it’s own, but it pairs well with mashed potatoes or brown rice. I love pairing it with vegan colcannon.
Vegan Fricassee with Mushrooms and Tempeh
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon neutral-flavored vegetable oil
- 1 8-ounce tempeh cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- 2 leeks thinly sliced
- 1 cup white button mushrooms sliced
- 1 cup cremini mushrooms sliced
- 1 cup shiitake mushrooms sliced
- 1 portobello mushroom chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and add the tempeh. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, or until it's golden brown.
- Pour the tamari onto the tempeh, and continue cooking stirring frequently, until all the liquid absorbs, about 2 or 3 minutes.
- Add leeks, mushrooms, and garlic to pot and sauté for 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms and leeks begin to soften.
- Sprinkle in the flour and cook 1 more minute, stirring frequently.
- Add the stock, wine, thyme, and dried parsley, and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer 15 minutes.
- Stir in the lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Remove from the heat and garnish with fresh parsley.
Originally published May 11, 2013. Updated March 16, 2022.
More mushroom recipes you might also like include:
- Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Tart
- Roasted Mushroom and Caramelized Onion Shepherd's Pie
- Spinach Mushroom Quiche
- Mushroom Wellington
More Tempeh Recipes You Might Like Include:
- Broccoli and Tempeh with Spicy Peanut Sauce
- Sloppy Joes with Tempeh and Mushrooms
- Tempeh Piccata
- Tempeh Marsala
vegan miam
Welcome to Vegan Virtual Potluck! I'm not sure if I'm really seeing this: am I typing in this bright green background? Looks fabulous anyway! This is also my first time as well 🙂
♡ rika, vegan miam
Ashlee
Looks delish!
Poppy
Sounds very flavoursome!
Diana @ VeggieNextDoor
Yum, yum, yum - this looks delicious! How do you normally serve this? Do you eat it like a soup? or serve it over rice or noodles? (I'm guessing it's delicious either way!)
Annie
Life has a way of busting in on our kitchen time, doesn't it? I think you brought a fantastic dish. Thank you so much for participating!
sugarcoatedvegan
Wow, this looks so yummmy! Looks like a great one pot meal for when you're really not in the mood for cooking something grand! I will definitely be bookmarking this for later use! Happy VVP! 🙂
- alexis
Richa
this is something my husband will love. he is crazy about mushrooms.
Starr
I'm a big mushroom fan, so this dish looks pretty amazing and delicious to me 🙂
Susmitha - Veganosaurus
YUM! I'm feeling extremely hungry now after looking at your dish. All those mushrooms. And the flavors. Mmmmmm.
Becky
Wowee, I adore mushrooms and I love the look of this 🙂 this dish it usually too creamy for me so it is so great to see a lighter vegan alternative!
Gabby @ the veggie nook
Hey Dianne! This dish looks amazing! I love earthy heartiness of tempeh and mushrooms 🙂 This is perfect comfort food!
Happy Potluck!
Ally
Oh my! I am a big mushroom fan too, so this is right up my alley!
It looks delicious.
Yum Yum Yum...
Somer
This is what I'm talking about! Who needs a new dish for the VVP when you've got this beauty on standby! Super yummy looking Dianne!
Teresa
I love tempeh. This dish is right up my alley. Thank you for sharing!
spinachrevolution
Lots of mushrooms in the dish! Fantastic. Thank you for the great recipe.
Allison (Spontaneous Tomato)
Yum! I love the presentation-- you made mushrooms and tempeh look super appetizing, which I bet is not an easy task. I would probably use cilantro instead of parsley on my own bowl, even if I sprinkled parsley on the serving dish for everyone else. This really sounds delicious! 🙂
Vix
This looks so good and comforting. Tempeh is one of my favourite things, and I think yours is the only tempeh dish in the potluck? I have to give this a try soon!
x Vix
vixbakes.com :: vegan baking + raw desserts