There are only three ingredients in this recipe and none of them is meat. Yet you won’t believe the powerhouse of earthy, meaty flavors it possesses.

The secret is red miso.

“Seared Miso Mushrooms” is a recipe from the new cookbook, “Feasts of Veg: Plant-Based Food for Gatherings” (Kyle), of which I received a review copy. It’s by Nina Olsson, a Sweden-based photographer and recipe developer who created the blog, NourishAtelier.

The book is a collection of vegetarian recipes that take influences from around the world. Think “Caramelized Onion Tarte Tatin,” “Smoked Tofu Rillette,” “Chipotle Jackfruit Tacos,” and “Sweet Tahini Babka.”

Miso is made from soybeans fermented with rice or other grains. If all you know is the lighter tasting white and yellow varieties, it’s high time you tried its deeper, darker cousin that’s been fermented even longer. It is much more pungent, with a much deeper and stronger earthy funkiness that will give anything it touches a big boost of umami.

Equal parts butter and red miso get mashed together. Oyster mushrooms get tossed with that magical mixture as they saute on high heat in a skillet, getting caramelized and coated in it all.

Although the recipe calls for 9 ounces of mushrooms, the amount of butter and miso is actually enough to easily cook 12 ounces of oyster mushrooms, the amount they were packaged in at the store. You could also use other types of mushrooms, including cremini or shiitake.

The recipe says the dish serves 4 as a side, but 2 could easily fill up on this, as it’s so delicious.

It’s also incredibly versatile. Enjoy it with rice, tossed with pasta or Asian noodles, folded into an omelet, spooned over grilled bread, wrapped inside a tortilla or stuffed into a baked potato.

It would also be dynamite piled atop a steak.

But you didn’t hear that from me. (wink, wink)

Seared Miso Mushrooms

(Serves 2 to 4)

2 tablespoons red miso paste (aka miso)

2 tablespoons ghee, butter or vegetable oil, plus extra for frying

9 to 12 ounces oyster mushrooms

 

Mix the miso with the ghee, butter or oil until smooth. Heat a skillet over high heat. Add a little ghee, butter or oil and fry the mushrooms for 2 minutes without stirring, then fry for an additional 2 minutes while stirring. Add the miso and fry, stirring for a final minute. Serve warm as a side.

Adapted from “Feasts of Veg” by Nina Olsson

More Mushroom Recipes to Try: Green Risotto with Mushrooms

And: Roasted Portobello “Joong”

And: Portobello Mushroom & Celery Salad with Black Garlic Crumbs

And: Sauteed Shiitake Mushrooms with Sage