Wowza… now this is how to eat mushrooms! I always said I disliked mushrooms but since switching to a plant based diet and discovering how to cook with different kinds of mushrooms… I’ve taken that back! These vegan scallops made with oyster mushroom are perfect for a special meal at home that has restaurant worthy feels!
Soft, tender & succulent marinated mushroom “scallops“
Atop golden quinoa
A creamy parsnip puree
And bordered by crumbled candied walnuts
How Quick Are Vegan Oyster Mushroom Scallops
What’s better than treating yourself to a restaurant worthy meal (for a fraction of the price) at home? It doesn’t take an insanely long time to prepare!
Oyster mushrooms have such a mild and buttery taste that you can just slice them, throw them on a pan with oil, butter, lemon juice, and some seasonings and they will taste great. BUT… taking a few minutes to marinate them will give their flavour a huge boost and crank up the “fishy” taste too.
- Make a 2 minute marinade and soak the mushrooms for at least 30 minutes but preferably overnight.
- The delicious parsnip puree takes 15 minutes and can be made ahead,
- Cook the quinoa in 15 minutes,
- And toss some walnuts in maple syrup and bake for 6-8 minutes!
In a total of 40 minutes, this delicious meal can be on your table. AND you can do the majority of the work ahead of time. Cook the mushroom scallops in about 10 minutes, reheat the other elements, and serve!
Ingredients For Vegan Scallops
King oyster mushrooms are the star of this dish.
They have thick stems and a firm texture, perfect for slicing into “scallops”. I am able to find king oyster mushrooms at my international grocery store but not at my local grocery store. My local grocery store only carries baby king oyster mushrooms which are smaller and will produce smaller “scallops”. If you can only find baby king oyster, don’t despair! I have made this dish a number of times with the smaller mushrooms and it has still looked great and tasted delicious.
Feel free to plate these vegan oyster mushroom scallops however you would like. Atop pasta would be lovely too! But if you love the look of my creation then grab some:
- Parsnips
- Golden Quinoa
- And Walnuts
Make this dish even easier to prepare by utilizing some of the ingredients for a salad to have on the side. Serve this with my Orange Persimmon Salad With Quinoa and that way:
- You can decorate this dish with some of the baby greens from the salad,
- Top the salad with candied walnuts and crush a few for the “scallop” dish,
- And use the golden quinoa in both!
The Marinade
I tried quite a few different variations of a marinade for these vegan scallops. My favourite was:
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon miso paste
- 2 teaspoon brine from a jar of capers
- And ½ teaspoon salt
You can easily adjust these amounts depending on how many mushrooms you are using and their size. I tend to half these measurements if I’m using baby king oyster mushrooms.
Simply whisk all the marinade ingredients together and pour them over your sliced “scallops”. I like to gently score the tops of the mushrooms with a checkerboard pattern to help them soak up as much of the marinade as possible. The more marinade they soak up… the softer, juicier, and fishier they will be!
Quick Parsnip Puree
Parsnips. Where have they been all my life? They have such a unique flavour and blend down into the creamiest of purees!
This 5 ingredient parsnip puree takes only 15 minutes!
- Peel and slice half a pound of parsnips (I use 1-2 depending on their size),
- Saute some garlic in butter,
- Add the parsnips, raw cashews, and plant milk.
- Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes.
- Then blend!
How To Cook Vegan Oyster Mushroom Scallops
When you’re ready to serve your special date night dinner, heat a pan with a neutral oil. (I love using my cast iron pans for these scallops to get a really nice char on the edges).
Remove the mushroom “scallops” from the marinade and carefully add them to the pan with the hot oil (careful of splashing oil).
Cook on the first side for 2-3 minutes until nicely browned. Flip and cook on the second side for another 2-3 minutes. The outsides of the “scallops” should be a wonderful golden colour and now it’s time to soften the centres.
Lower the heat a bit and add butter. Baste the scallops with the butter so they soak up all that flavour for a few more minutes and then serve!
Plating These Vegan Oyster Mushroom Scallops
Spread creamy parsnip puree on the plate. Top with cooked quinoa, lay the cooked mushroom scallops on top and apply the finishing touches!
Spoon crushed candied walnuts along the edge of the parsnip puree.
And add any baby greens or microgreens you might have, pickled red onion, and a twist of lemon!
Recipe Cost
This vegan oyster mushroom “scallop” date night dish costs us roughly CAD $7-$10 depending on where we buy our mushrooms!
Using organic king oyster mushrooms from our international grocery store costs us just $2.99. Baby king oyster mushrooms from our local grocery store cost us $5.99.
If we were to buy sea scallops for this recipe they could cost us anywhere from $3.50-$15 depending on their size and freshness.
Let me know in the comments below if you make these vegan scallops and how you like them!
For another super cool vegan fish substitute, check out these unreal Watermelon “Tuna” Steaks. And you might like this Smoky Carrot Lox too!
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Vegan “Scallops” & Parsnip Puree For A Special Date
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: serves 2
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Oyster mushroom vegan scallops are perfect for Valentine’s or a special date night! Serve with easy parsnip puree & candied walnuts!
Ingredients
“Scallop” Marinade
- 3 king oyster mushrooms (or 200g baby king oyster mushrooms)
- 1 –2 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ – ½ tsp salt
- ½ – 1 teaspoon miso paste
- 1 – 2 teaspoon caper brine
Parsnip Puree
- .5 lb parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced (I used 1 ¼ large parsnips)*
- 1 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¾ cup soy milk (or plant milk of choice)
- ¼ cup cashews, raw
Cooking The “Scallops”
- ½ tbsp neutral oil
- 1 ½ tbsp vegan butter
- Sprinkle of sea salt and pepper
- Splash of lemon juice
Consider Serving With:
- ¼ cup cooked golden quinoa
- Pickled red onion
- ¼ cup crushed candied walnuts
- Orange Persimmon Salad With Quinoa And Candied Walnuts
Instructions
- Mix the “scallop” marinade ingredients in a shallow dish (I use the lesser amount if I’m using baby king oyster mushrooms and the larger amount for the larger king oyster mushrooms). Use a small whisk or fork to dissolve the miso paste. Slice off the pointy base and the top of the mushrooms (reserve for another use). Chop the stem into one, two, or three “scallops” depending on their size. Gently use the tip of your knife to score one side of the “scallops” with a checkerboard pattern.
- Add the “scallops” to the marinade, coating each side, and laying the “scallop” cut side down to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes but the longer the better (feel free to marinate overnight).
- To make the parsnip puree, peel and thinly slice the parsnips. Melt the butter in a small pot and add the minced garlic. Cook the garlic for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the parsnips, cashews, and milk. Bring to a low boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the pot lid and simmer uncovered for an additional 5 minutes or until the parsnips are soft and the milk has reduced a little bit (if the heat was too high and most of the milk has boiled off, you can add a bit more to help the mixture blend if needed). Puree the mixture using an immersion blender or transfer to your stand up blender when cool. Set aside or refrigerate and reheat when needed.
- If serving this dish, as I have with quinoa and candied walnuts, you can cook your quinoa in advance according to the package instructions. You won’t need much to lay under the “scallops” but I like serving this with my Orange Persimmon Salad which includes both the quinoa and candied walnuts (and adds extra protein to the meal). To candy walnuts just drizzle some maple syrup on the walnuts and toast at 350 degrees F for 6-8 minutes until lightly browned and fragrant.
- When ready to cook the “scallops”, heat a cast iron pan or skillet over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and when the oil is hot (be careful of splashing) lay the “scallops” on the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook the scallops for 2-3 minutes on the first side. Flip and cook on the second side, sprinkling with more salt and pepper. The “scallops” should be nicely browned around the edges now and you can lower the heat of the pan a bit. Add the butter and baste the “scallops” with the butter to help them cook through and soak up the flavour. Continue to cook for another 2-4 minutes until the mushroom “scallops” are nicely cooked through.
- To plate the mushroom scallops, spread parsnip puree on the plate, sprinkle with cooked golden quinoa, lay the mushrooms on top and decorate with crushed candied walnuts, baby greens, pickled red onion, and a lemon twist.
- Feel free to serve these mushroom “scallops” over pasta or rice or however you desire! Make sure to watch the video below to see how I prepare this dish for a vegan Valentine’s Day dinner.
Notes
Approximate Cost: “Scallops” CAD $3.53 – $6.44 depending on where we buy our mushrooms and using lemon juice from concentrate. Using a fresh lemon adds $1 to the cost. King oyster mushrooms from our international grocer cost us $2.99; using baby king oyster mushrooms from our local grocery store cost us $5.99; buying sea scallops could cost us anywhere from $3.50 to $15 or more depending on the size, freshness, and whether we buy them from our local grocery store or wholesale store.
Approximate cost for this full meal: CAD $6.64 – $9.55 + $3.66 for the orange persimmon salad. ($2.60 for parsnip puree, $0.07 for ¼ cup quinoa, $0.44 walnuts).
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American, Canadian
Rory
Woah. This was pretty cool. I wasn’t sure if I would make all of the elements but I’m glad I did. I think I’ll probably make the mushroom scallops on their own for pastas and stuff going forward. I’ll definitely make the parsnip puree again too. Or at least cook with parsnips more. I was pretty shocked by the flavour and smoothness. Thanks for an interesting and pretty cool meal that was really surprising and delicious. Keep it up.
Kathryn Alexandre
Thank you for trying this one and deciding to give all of the elements a go! I’m really glad that you found it worthwhile and were surprised and inspired by the flavours and textures. I’ve definitely had a pasta with the “scallops” in the back of my mind and will hopefully get around to creating a recipe for that sometime in the not too distant future. Thank you for the encouragement to keep creating and for your lovely star review.
Lauren
This one is so believable, and in my opinion, better than the real deal. We love making this for dinner every once in a while. So easy, so yummy, and it feels good eating it too!
Kathryn Alexandre
Oh cool! That’s a ringing endorsement for sure! Thank you so much for letting me know you love this one!
David C
This was bananas good. So creative and cool!
Had never done much with parnips in the past – but the purée was excellent and good to note for making batches in the future for other dishes.
Kathryn Alexandre
hahaha this is such a cool one I’m glad you thought so too! And yes, I need to make this parsnip puree more often myself and have it alongside other dishes. I’m so glad you had fun making it and enjoyed eating it too!