I love portobello mushrooms, but I could never figure out an easy, tasty way to cook them. I’ve sauteed and grilled in the past and used red wine, but I always thought that there must be some better way. Enter tamari sauce and coconut oil! Wow! Grilling these with just two ingredients made all the difference in the world! These mushrooms came out with a smoky, salty taste like they just came off of a real grill! Suffice it to say, I won’t be cooking them any other way from now on! 😉

In case you haven’t noticed from my over 20 hummus recipes and other chickpea dishes, chickpeas are one of my favorite vegan staples 🙂 Not only are they an excellent source of protein, but they also contain folate, fiber, magnesium, zinc, copper, and other vitamins! They are a great addition to any meal, and they make an excellent meal on their own (if you haven’t tried my chickpea avocado wraps, click here)! In fact, just search the word “chickpea” or “garbanzo” on this blog, and you will see how many hits pop up!

Basil pesto is also one of my favorite things. I made a great raw vegan basil pesto for my quinoa stuffed peppers recipe, so I used the same one for this meal. With the addition of a couple other vegetables on the side, I came out with a pretty great dish, filled with colors, vitamins and all the nutrients you need for a complete meal!

This recipe is very quick and easy to make, however, if you plan to cook the chickpeas yourself and not used canned, make sure to set aside some extra time so you can get that done.

So without further ado…let us begin!

For the mushrooms and side dishes you will need:

• 4 large portobello mushrooms (hint: you want the mushrooms to be round and deep. If you pick ones that are large and shallow, they will fall open when cooking, which won’t be good for stuffing)
• 1 large sweet potato
• 1/3 cup fresh basil
• a couple spoons of coconut oil
• 1 tomato
• 3 to 4 tablespoons tamari sauce
• any choice of a green salad

For the chickpea basil pesto you will need:

• 2 cups uncooked chickpeas or 2 1/5 cups cooked chickpeas (2 cans of cooked chickpeas are enough)
• 1 1/2 cups of soaked walnuts (drain the water out)
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 1 medium chopped zucchinni
• 1 handful fresh basil
• 1 handful fresh arugula
• 1 handful parsley
• 1 handful fresh cilantro
• 1 clove garlic
• couple sprigs of fresh rosemary
• couple sprigs of fresh thyme, stems removed
• salt and pepper to taste

Step 1:

If you haven’t cooked your chickpeas yet, be sure to do so first. Make sure your chickpeas are cooked, then set aside. You do not have to cool them, you can mix the hot chickpeas with the basil pesto. Be sure to drain the chickpeas of the water, and add to a large glass bowl.

Step 2:

Peel the sweet potato and cut into cubes. Fill a small pot with water and put on a stove. Cook covered on medium high heat until potatoes are soft.

Step 3:

If you are using canned chickpeas or you already put your chickpeas on the stove to cook, it’s time to prepare the mushrooms for baking! Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Wash and dry the mushrooms. Cut off the stem in the middle and cut out any extra flesh that is lining the inside of the mushroom. You want to be sure that there is as much space inside for stuffing.

Using a brush or spatula, brush the outsides of each mushroom, then place them on an oiled baking tray or baking sheet, with the gill side facing up. Next, drizzle the tamari sauce generously over the mushrooms, then put the pan in the oven to bake for about 20 minutes.

Step 4:

While the mushroom are baking, you can prepare the walnut basil pesto for the chickpeas. In your high-powered blender, throw in all the ingredients for the walnut basil pesto, and pulse/blend until the mixture becomes creamy and smooth:

Once the mixture is done, add to the chickpeas if they are done cooking, and mix together thoroughly.

Step 5:

By now the mushrooms should be done roasting in the oven. Take them out of the oven, and smell the sweet, savory smell of perfectly roasted mushrooms!

Step 6:

Now it’s time to stuff the mushrooms! Use a spoon to heap the chickpea basil pesto mix on each mushroom. Place on a large plate or dish, and be ready to add the rest of the sides. Take the tomato, slice it up, and place on the plate. Drain the water out of the boiled sweet potatoes, and add some in. If you chose to have a side salad, add it on the plate as well.

And voila! You are done! Time to start eating!

These stuffed mushrooms as best when eaten right away while the mushroom cups are still hot, but they also save great in the fridge for eating over the next couple days.

Eat the rainbow! Nature’s candy! Look at all the colors!

Enjoy!