These vegetarian Portobello mushroom tacos feature juicy marinated and roasted portobello mushrooms, sliced and layered into soft tortillas. Burritos also contain tender baked sweet potato chips and tasty toppings, including pickled Onions, green vegetables, and plant-based cheeses. You can prepare these ingredients ahead of time for a quick, colorful, and nutritious meal.
Earlier this past summer, there was a time when I ate these portobello mushroom tacos for breakfast almost every day.
I love a good breakfast, and I make breakfast tacos most often.
Breakfast tacos are delicious, hot or cold. If you prepare a few ingredients before a meal, they are easy to assemble and have unlimited variations.
A while back, I made sweet potato tacos with black bean sauce. This recipe became a must-have for me. It proved that baked sweet potatoes make a great taco filling: tender enough that they’re not complex to eat in a taco but hearty sufficient that the taco feels full.
This recipe is similar to that one, but I think it has more texture and more vegetables! You can find mushrooms, greens, sweet potatoes, and Onions here.
Tortillas have become one of my favorite foods to add nutritious mushrooms to my diet.
Rich and wholesome Portobello mushrooms
Portobello mushrooms have a place in many plant-based recipes. They are versatile and have a satisfying taste.
Portobellos are often described as “meaty” thanks to their thick caps and chewy consistency.
Portobello mushroom caps can be left whole or sliced in recipes. They contribute texture, flavor, and nutrition to recipes.
Portobello mushroom nutrition
Portobello mushrooms are a good source of potassium, an electrolyte that contributes to hydration and fluid balance.
They are also an excellent source of selenium. Selenium has antioxidant properties, which means it may protect against the stresses of biological and environmental aging. Proper selenium intake is also important for thyroid health.
Portobello mushrooms also provide niacin or vitamin B3. Niacin is involved in energy production, recycling, and anti-oxidation.
Finally, spinach is rich in dietary fiber and also suitable for healthy blood fats. In addition, dietary fiber is associated with gastrointestinal normality and overall digestive health.
Portobello vs portobella
Am I the only one wondering about this?!
If you’re wondering why these mushrooms are sometimes called portobello and sometimes portobello, the answer is that both names are acceptable.
Therefore, these masculine and feminine nouns are spelled differently. Both words can describe the delicious mushrooms that many of us know and love to use in our cooking.
Portobello mushroom tacos
The ingredients for these brightly colored burritos are simple. In no particular order:
Portobello mushrooms
You’ll need 4 regular-sized (or 3 huge) Portobello mushroom caps. Dry and clean them before continuing to cook.
If you want to remove the gills from the mushrooms, you can; I usually do.
Baked sweet potatoes, tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside, add a wonderful texture (and many beneficial nutrients) to burritos.
Sweet potato
Crunchy sweet potatoes and mushrooms create a vegetable filling for these tacos.
You’ll need about four sweet potatoes for this recipe.
Vegetarian cheese
A few spoonfuls of crushed plant-based ingredients are a great addition. Cheese adds umami, salt, texture, and healthy fats to the tortilla.
Homemade, tofu-based vegan “feta” cheese can be either crumbled (bottom left) or cubed (top right), depending on which shape suits your recipe better.
I recommend my savory vegan feta if you want to use homemade vegan cheese.
This cheese is tofu-based, so it will also provide vegetable protein for your tortillas.
You can also use store-bought vegan cheese. The Forager brand has made a vegan cheese that will do very well.
I’m also a big fan of vegan feta cheese from Violife and Follow Your Heart.
Quick-cured onion
At least 50% of the dishes I cook would be better served with 10 minutes of quick pickled Onions.
Salads, avocado toast, hummus toast, tofu stir-fry, and a variety of whole grain dishes add character with some quick pickled Onions on top.
These mushroom tacos are no exception. I love the sourness and saltiness that pickled Onions add to the dish – not to mention their vibrant color!
If you don’t have pickled onions at home but like the taste of pickled ones, then you can add quick-pickled carrot strips or quick-pickled cucumber slices instead.
marinade
Before these mushrooms are roasted and ready to be used as taco filling, they are soaked in a delicious mixture:
- Freshly squeezed lime juice
- Avocado oil
- Soy sauce or tamari
- Agave or maple syrup
- garlic
- cumin
- Crushed red pepper
Of course, you can also add some of your favorite things to the marinade, such as extra spices, a little hot sauce, or fresh herbs.
tacos
Soft tacos are my favorite. However, you can also use wheat or corn tortillas or other options.
If you are allergic to gluten and wheat, try tapioca tortillas, almond flour tortillas, or even large pieces of romaine lettuce.
Can I change the mushroom?
If you can’t find portobello mushrooms or don’t like them, you can definitely substitute them in a recipe.
This recipe can be used with many other types of mushrooms, from the humble sliced button mushroom to the trumpet mushroom.
However, the cooking time may be shorter if you use smaller mushrooms, such as shiitake or thinly sliced lashitake mushrooms. After roasting for 15 minutes, start checking to see if the mushrooms are done.
How to make Portobello Mushroom tacos with baked sweet potatoes
Step 1: Marinate the mushrooms
First, put the cleaned mushroom cap into a large, flat storage container with a lid.
Stir the marinated ingredients well, then pour them over the mushrooms in the container.
A large rectangular storage container is best for soaking mushroom caps for up to two days before baking.
The caps must be covered and marinated in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. If your schedule allows, they can marinate for 48 hours. I usually put them in the fridge overnight.
Step 2: Roast mushrooms and sweet potatoes
After the mushrooms are marinated, they are baked in the oven.
Meanwhile, you’re going to bake the sweet potato cubes.
Your Portobello mushroom cap and cubed sweet potatoes can be baked in the oven simultaneously.
The vegetables need 30-35 minutes to bake. Halfway through the roast, turn the mushroom lid over and stir the sweet potatoes to evenly color them.
During the last 5 minutes of baking, you can heat your tortillas. Wrap it in tinfoil and put it in the oven.
If you have room, you can put it directly on the shelf. Alternatively, wait until the vegetables are out of the oven and then heat the tortillas while you cut the mushroom caps.
Step 3: Prepare the taco ingredients
Once the mushroom caps are cool enough to handle, cut them into slices so they’re easy to stack in your tortillas.
Slice your portobello mushrooms into 1/2-inch / 1/3cm slices before adding them to your tacos.
Step 4: Assemble mushroom tortillas
I stack tortillas with baked sweet potatoes and mushrooms, a small handful of baby spinach leaves or chopped long leaves on each tortilla, and my toppings: vegan feta cheese and quick pickled Onions.
Other ingredient suggestions
If vegan cheese and pickled Onions aren’t what you’re craving, you can use plenty of other ingredients instead.
Some examples:
- roasted
- Freshly chopped coriander leaves
- Pickled pepper
- Choose chopped vegetarian cheese
- Vegetarian yellow cheese sauce
- Half and half grapes or cherry tomatoes
- Roasted red bell pepper
- Cilantro and lime sauce
- Chimichurri sauce
- Sunflower seed
- Avocado slice
- Accompaniment and service suggestions
I like serving tortillas with fresh green salad or simple vegetables. Some ideas:
- Corn and avocado salad
- Tofu feta Kale salad
- A protein-rich bean and quinoa salad
- Slice half an avocado
- Steam or roast broccoli
- Roasted zucchini
- Cut cucumbers
- Roasted red bell pepper
Vegan feta can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 6 days, and Pickled Onions can be kept for several weeks.
With at least one ingredient made ahead of time, these tortillas are a breeze to make. By preparing in advance, you’re setting yourself up for an effortless assembly, making you feel efficient and resourceful.
Ingredients
Portobello mushrooms
4 portobello mushroom caps, stem removed and cleaned (about 12 oz / 340 g)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (120ml)
1/3 cup avocado oil (80ml)
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons agave or maple syrup
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 TSP cumin powder
A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (more if you like)
Roasted Sweet Potato
4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (about 1 1/2 LBS / 680 g after preparation)
Two tablespoons of avocado oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, according to taste
tacos
8 6-inch corn or wheat soft tortillas
2 cups light-packed baby spinach leaves (40g)
1 cup vegan feta cheese (instead of 2 oz / 60 g store-bought crushed vegan feta or cheese)
1/2 cup 10-minute quick pickled onion (optional)
Instructions
- To prepare the mushrooms, place the mushroom caps in a large, flat storage container with an airtight lid. Whisk the remaining ingredients together. Pour the marinade over the mushroom lid. Use your hands or tongs to turn the LIDS over and coat both sides of each lid with the marinade. Cover the storage container and transfer it to the refrigerator. Let the cap soak overnight or for at least 8 hours and up to 48 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil (or use a non-stick baking sheet). Place the mushroom caps on a baking sheet. Place the sweet potato cubes on another prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with avocado oil. Use your hands to stir the ice cubes into the oil so that all the ice cubes are coated. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Place two baking sheets in the oven. After 20 minutes, turn the mushroom lid over and turn the sweet potato pieces over. Put them all back in the oven. Bake for another 10-15 minutes (for a total roasting time of 30-35 minutes) or until the mushrooms are significantly smaller and very tender and the sweet potatoes have soft centers and crisp, browned edges.
- During the last 5 minutes of vegetable roasting, wrap the tortillas in tinfoil and put them in the oven. Place them on the rack next to the baking sheet if you have space. If you need help, you can wait until you take the roasted vegetables out of the oven and transfer them to your rack. Heat for 5 minutes. Alternatively, cook the tortillas on the stove over low heat and carefully flip them using tongs and oven mitts. Each side should take about 1-2 minutes.
- First, cut each mushroom cap into strips (about 3/4 inch / 2 cm wide) to assemble the tortillas. Place a small handful of spinach leaves in the center of each taco. Top the spinach with 1/4 cup of baked potatoes and half a slice of roasted portobello. Finally, top the tacos with 2 tablespoons of vegan feta cheese and 1 tablespoon of quick-marinated Onions. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, 2 per person. Enjoy!
One of the great things about these mushroom tortillas is that you can enjoy them year-round, or at least for most of the year.
Mushrooms and sweet potatoes are available at grocery stores all year round or at farmers markets from early or late fall through March.
The cool weather – which I’m just beginning to experience where I live – makes it difficult for many people to eat enough vegetables. Nutrition clients often tell me they find it more difficult to eat vegetables in the fall and winter.
I’ve heard that argument before, but I’ve often pointed out that salads and other summer treats aren’t the only way to celebrate produce. Winter soups, stews, pasta, and many other recipe types allow us to present vegetables intuitively and seasonally.
As this recipe demonstrates, burritos are an excellent vehicle for baking or marinating vegetables. I hope sweet potato and mushroom tacos become your favorite, just like mine!
