5 Common Types of Mushrooms (And How To Use Them)

Running through the five main types of mushrooms and how to use them to add savory, meaty flavor and texture to your vegetarian cooking!

Types of mushrooms on white paper - Running through the main types of mushrooms and how to use them to add savory, meaty flavor and texture to your vegetarian cooking!

I was firmly on the side of people-who-hate-mushrooms up until a few months ago, when I decided to really give portobello burgers a go. Which led to giving portobello gyros a go. Which let to branching out from Portobellos to king oysters, where I fell in love with BBQ “pulled pork” mushrooms (which we’ve since worked into our weekly weeknight dinner lineup).

I guess what I’m trying to say is…I sort of love mushrooms now. And we’re about to cook them up for 3 (ya heard it right, THREE) weeks as our spotlight ingredient.

To give you some starters before we jump into the mushroom recipes, I’m sharing a few of my newfound favorite ways to use the main types of mushrooms.

1. Common (Button) Mushroom

Ah the humble button mushroom, the most well-known and omnipresent of the mushrooms. Button mushrooms are perfect steeped in soup for umami mushroom flavor, or sliced and scattered through your dish (raw or cooked).

2. Portobello Mushroom

Similar in texture and flavor to the common mushroom, but much MUCH bigger! Portobello mushrooms are great for throwing on the grill as a plant-based burger substitute.

Portobello mushroom on white paper - Running through the main types of mushrooms and how to use them to add savory, meaty flavor and texture to your vegetarian cooking!

3. Oyster/King Oyster Mushroom

With a delicate texture that shreds easily with a fork, oyster mushrooms are great for shredding into pulled meat substitutes.

Regular oyster mushrooms have a small stem and thin caps, making them great for quick cooking. The king oyster mushrooms have a large stem that can also take on a shredded texture, but that are also great for slicing into planks (like to make the bacon below!)

King oyster mushrooms on white paper - Running through the main types of mushrooms and how to use them to add savory, meaty flavor and texture to your vegetarian cooking!

4. Shiitake Mushrooms

Distinct from the other types of mushrooms with an intensely, well, mushroomy, woody flavor. The shiitake mushroom is great for bringing a lot of flavor, and has a texture that is chewier than it is spongey.

Shiitake mushroom on white paper - Running through the main types of mushrooms and how to use them to add savory, meaty flavor and texture to your vegetarian cooking!

5. Enoki Mushrooms

These long, thin mushrooms make a great replacement to noodles. They’re like the tofu of the mushroom world, ready to absorb any flavors you throw at ’em.