This is The Best Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff! Made with tender mushrooms, a creamy gravy-like sauce, and noodles, this one-pot recipe is perfect for family dinners and can easily be made gluten free.
Looking for a warm and comforting family dinner that’s ready in less than 30 minutes? This creamy mushroom stroganoff is the answer!
Just like my Vegan Alfredo, Baked Ziti, and Spaghetti and Vegan Meatballs, The Best Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff was easy to “veganize” using simple ingredients. Tender mushrooms are mixed together with a gravy and cashew cream sauce before your favorite cooked noodles are stirred into the mix. After one bite, you’ll have to agree that vegan stroganoff is the ultimate comfort food!
Looking for a gluten free stroganoff? No problem! Simply swap the pasta noodles and the all purpose flour with your favorite alternatives. You can even freeze the sauce and heat it up for a quick, easy, and warming dinner to enjoy later on.
What is mushroom stroganoff?
Stroganoff is a Russian dish traditionally made with beef, noodles, and a sour cream (smetana) sauce. The popular vegetarian alternative swaps the beef for mushrooms and in this vegan version, a cashew cream sauce is used instead of dairy. It’s hearty, comforting, and so delicious!
How to make creamy vegan mushroom stroganoff
Cook your pasta according to the package instructions, then drain it well and set it aside.
If you haven’t already, quick soak the cashews by pouring boiling water over the nuts in a bowl. Let them soak for 5 minutes, then place them in a blender with fresh water and apple cider vinegar. Blend until smooth.
Add the onions and mushrooms to a large pot on the stove.
Cook them over medium-high heat until the mushrooms are tender. Stir in the garlic.
Sprinkle on the flour, then stir it in.
Slowly stir in the vegetable broth and dijon mustard next.
Bring the mixture up to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for a few minutes. Once it’s thick, stir in the cashew cream.
Finally, stir in the cooked pasta. Taste and add more seasonings as needed, then serve!
Frequently asked questions
- How do you thicken mushroom stroganoff? The stroganoff gets plenty thick due to the flour and cashew cream.
- Can I freeze it? The mushroom cream sauce can be frozen separately from the pasta. It can be frozen with the pasta, but when you reheat the pasta will be pretty mushy, so I would avoid that if possible.
Tips & Substitutions
- Gluten free – Swap the pasta noodles with your favorite gluten free pasta and the all purpose flour with brown rice flour or a gluten free flour mix. You can also serve the sauce over rice, spaghetti squash, or “zoodles”.
- Nut free – Replace the cashews with store bought sour cream (like Tofutti) or full fat coconut milk.
- Instead of cashews – Replace the cashew cream with store bought or homemade vegan sour cream.
- Noodles – Instead of mixing pasta noodles into the sauce, serve your vegan mushroom stroganoff with mashed potatoes instead.
- Make it creamier – Stir in a tablespoon or two of tahini to double down on the stroganoff’s creaminess.
Serving suggestions
Stroganoff is a hearty dish, so I recommend serving it with fresh parsley or dill on top and lighter, vegetable-forward side dishes. My favorites are green salad, steamed kale, air fried asparagus, and steamed or roasted broccoli.
Storing and reheating leftovers
For the best results, serve this as soon as it comes off the stove. The leftovers will last for 2 or 3 days in the fridge. It will thicken as it sits, so feel free to stir a few tablespoons of water into the stroganoff before reheating.
To reheat, add the leftovers to a pot over medium heat on the stove or heat them for 1 or 2 minutes in the microwave.
Want more comforting vegan dinners?
The Best Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
Ingredients
- 10 ounces pasta of choice
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 pound (16 ounces) cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- salt, to taste
Cashew Cream
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta noodles according to package instructions. Drain well and set aside.
- Make the Cashew Cream: Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Pour the hot water over the cashews and let soak for 5 minutes. Drain the cashews and discard the soaking water. Add them to a blender along with the 3/4 cup fresh water and apple cider vinegar. Blend until very smooth. Set aside.
- In a large pot or pan, add the onions and mushrooms and turn the heat to medium-high. Stir frequently until the mushrooms start to release their moisture, and then cook until the mushrooms are tender and have shrunk in size. You really don't need to add any oil here, but you could start with a tablespoon or two of olive oil if you want. The mushrooms release a ton of oil on their own. Season with a little salt + pepper.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute, then sprinkle the flour on top and stir it into the vegetables. Gradually pour in the vegetable broth and dijon mustard, stirring. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes until it thickens slightly.
- Now add the cashew cream and stir it in. You should have a very creamy mushroom gravy at this point. Stir in the cooked pasta and cook until heated throughout, about 1-2 minutes. Taste, add salt as needed. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Gluten free: Use your favorite gluten free pasta and instead of all purpose flour, use brown rice flour or a gluten free flour mix.
- May also serve mushroom stroganoff over rice, spaghetti squash or “zoodles”.
- If you want to skip slicing mushrooms, buy pre-sliced mushrooms!
- Cashew cream substitutions: You could use store bought vegan sour cream, such as Tofutti brand. Use the entire container for the recipe. Or you could substitute a can of full fat coconut milk.
- Store leftover mushroom stroganoff in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. You may freeze the sauce separate from the pasta, but it doesn’t freeze well once the pasta is added.
- Serving suggestions: I like to serve mushroom stroganoff with a side of salad, steamed kale, steamed or roasted broccoli or any other vegetable you like.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted September 2019 and has been updated with improved writing. The recipe is the same.
If I want to substitute the Tofutti sour cream for the raw cashews, how much do I use?
I would use the entire container.
Soooo delicious! My vegan husband loved it, my carnivorous son loved it and he even asked to take the leftovers home! So it’s a keeper! I did add some Upton’s seitan for a little extra protein.
Hi Maria. I’m glad the stroganoff was a hit! Thank you for sharing!
This was so easy and good! I followed it exactly and it was perfect. Thank you for the excellent recipe!
Hi Heather. I’m glad you enjoyed the stroganoff recipe! Thank you!
Amazing as usual!
Thank you, Jessica!
I have been vegan going on a year now. Sometimes it is very challenging finding recipes that actually taste good. I have scoured Pinterest for recipes, usually more miss than hit. However, all your recipes I’ve tried are EXCELLENT. I now only go to your website and the Vegan 8 for recipes because I know they will be delicious. Thank you. Seriously. Otherwise I may not have sustained being vegan.
This seriously makes me so happy to hear! I used to feel the same way, before I started sharing recipes. I learned the sites I could rely on, and I am thrilled to be that for you. ? The Vegan 8 is wonderful. ❤️
Do you think plain coconut yogurt could be a substitute in place of the cashew cream sauce. I do not have a high enough powered blender to get the creaminess from the cashews.
I’m afraid it won’t be nearly as creamy as a cashew sauce. I give a few options for substitutions in the Notes section of the recipe if that helps.
Thank you for your helpful recipes. I need to change my eating habits for health reason, and I really don’t like meat, (beef, pork, chicken, turkey and now fish) I notice with certain dairy product I have allergic reaction, so I’ve decided to try a go vegan and see what happen. My sister is a vegan I love eating her food, I just never thought I would try to go vegan. I felt overwhelmed but visiting you site and seeing all the dishes you can make and they looked so delicious, I’m ready to get started.
That’s so great! I hope it is a smooth and delicious transition for you!
This recipe is absolutely stunning! It made the most incredible dinner last night!! The apple cider vinegar really made the flavor perfect. I did make a few modifications:
1. I added 1/3 lb of finely cubed firm tofu, marinated in diluted barley miso.
2. I added a couple large handfuls of spinach.
3. I added 2-3 tsp of dried rosemary to the saute, and quite a bit of fresh ground pepper.
4. Lastly, I added 1 tsp of barley miso to the broth, and the miso water the tofu was marinading in was included in the water used to make the cashew cream.
Thank you so much for this delicious recipe. It’s now on rotation!
You’re welcome!
Amazing! Easy to make and super delicious! I’ve made this several times now and we can’t get enough. My hubby said this recipe is a keeper for sure!
That’s great!
This recipe is so delicious and so easy to make! This is my second time making it and it is going in my personal ‘cookbook’. My family loves it! It truly is the best. Thank You!! ?
You’re welcome!
Delicious and creamy. People who like the dairy version will enjoy this version.
That’s so great to hear! Thanks for the comment!
Wow this looks amazing! Is it possible to freeze portions of this? Many thanks.
You could freeze portions, but the pasta will get rather mushy once frozen. But better than wasting any!
Thanks so much! I just got round to making this yesterday and it was absolutely delicious! I have frozen individual portions of the sauce and will add fresh pasta when I defrost. Your recipes are amazing, thank you for sharing them with us!
You’re so welcome!! Thanks for the great comment!
If I am using the Tofutti vegan sour cream as a sub for soaked cashews, do I still need to add water and apple cider vinegar? Excited to try this one tonight!
You don’t need to add the water or vinegar if using the tofutti sour cream. Hope you love it!
Can you tell me how the coconut milk will change the flavor? Do I still add the other ingredients like apple cider vinegar? And should I mix it in a blender? I’m asking because this looks amazing but I only have a regular blender! Thank you!
It will change the flavor somewhat, but not too much. You could actually skip the blender and just mix 1 can of full fat coconut milk with the vinegar. Skip the water. I hope that helps and you enjoy it!
I made this tonight and although it looked great and had a beautiful texture, it seemed to lack flavor for me. To the leftover sauce, I added 1 T fresh lemon juice, 1 T red wine, 1 tsp. vegan Worcester sauce, additional salt and pepper and a few shakes of Marjoram. Seemed to wake up the flavors. Maybe my taste is off because I am sick. I’ll try it again and modify it if need be after tasting it.
I do hope you try it again as written once you are not sick, because it’s very flavorful as is. But the things you added wouldn’t hurt a thing either. 🙂 I wonder if you missed to add salt to taste. This is because sometimes the vegetable broth is very salty and flavorful and you wouldn’t need any additional salt, but if your broth is more bland and not salty, then the dish will lack flavor. I prefer using Better Than Bouillon for my broth, it provides a ton of flavor and is my go to.
While I loved the bones of this recipe ,I felt it would be improved with another level of flavors so did as suggested by Cheryl – a couple dashes of Worcestershire, squeeze of lemon, a little Marjoram and a dash of white wine. I think perhaps those of us who are newer vegetarians/vegans need a little more zip to entice the palate as we ease into this lifestyle. That said, Nora, thanks for creating this – it is creamy and delicious and so velvety – and finding recipes like this let me know that I will be able to stick with my choice of not eating animal dishes while also being able to eat delicious plant based satisfying meals. I look forward to exploring your website now! 🙂
Thanks Holly! I’m glad you enjoyed it with your extra additions. I hope you find many recipes to enjoy here!
I made this alongside my carnivore family members as they made beef stroganoff. We loved this vegan version so much, and my family members tried it and went back for seconds! Thank you for this!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad it was a success!
Nora, This will be my second time making this delicious recipe for a dinner party I’m having Saturday night. The taste of this dish is so rich and has a tang of “white wine” that I think comes from the apple cider vinegar? It’s amazing. All your recipes I have made are amazing. Thank you for creating delicious vegan recipes I can trust to make that can be enjoyed by whomever eats them, Vegan or non vegan.
Meegan
You’re so welcome! Thanks for the great comment!
Hi Nora. I have been making and enjoying your recipes, and I think I will try this one.
I really miss egg noodles for recipes like this. What type of pasta is good for hearty creams and stews?
Thanks Angie! I found the noodles in the photos at Trader Joe’s, they are so good! I just look for interested pasta at my local stores that don’t include eggs, there are usually quite a few options. Thanks!
Dear Nora, I would like to thank you for sharing this amazing blog. I came across it while looking for a vegan brownie and now I am making all my vegan recipes using yours 🙂 . Beside to be super pleased from their delicious taste is that ALL the recipes I have made so far they came with great result at the first attempt which is great as I noticed it is not always expected when you try new recipes.
Thank you so much for this comment. I love to hear that the recipes are not only delicious, but also simple to make. That is my goal! 🙂
Dear Nora,
Thank you so much for your amazing recipes. I cooked this one for the second time and it is amazing.
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you like the recipes. I love creating them. 🙂
I’m somewhat new to eating plant base and so glad I have made the change. I am so happy I found your web site, you have a lot of great recipes. We loved this one!!! Flavor was really good, I might try adding a little white wine in place of some of the vegetable broth. I will be making this over and over. Also, I was glad not to be using nutritional yeast, I’m still trying to get used to that flavor.
Thank you ?
Thanks for the feedback. I’m so glad my site has been helpful in your change, and excited to hear that you liked this recipe! Happy cooking!
Very good, closest thing to the real, not good, deal. I grated a bit of nutmeg on top.
Thank you!
Just made this as a quick weeknight dinner and it was ready in no time! I love how flavorful it is with a short ingredient list and not too much time either. Will be a go to for the stroganoff lovers in my house. Thanks Nora!
I must be a super slow cook because this took me way longer than 30 mins, but it was really really good! I will definitely be making this over and over again.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Thank you.
I was all set to make this for supper tonight, but I didn’t know we’re out of cashews! (I saw other recipes using vegan cream cheese, but that tub’s almost empty, too.)
I DO have enough almonds and sunflower seeds to substitute, but I’m not sure which, if either, would be better.
What do you think?
We are all trying to make due with what we have right now, me included! I think almonds would probably be your best choice, but sunflower seeds could work too. Just soak them well!
I made this and was SHOCKED how delicious it is. I can’t believe a vegan version of this dish can taste this good! And it was so easy to make. Thank you! This will be a regular in our house.