I can’t remember where I saw something about a mushroom chorizo - we tend to scroll so much social media - but I remember when I saw it, I thought it would be a great recipe to make. In my current lifestyle, I try to eat more plant based dishes, and this mushroom one scratches the chorizo itch very well indeed!
When I was thinking of this recipe, I thought it could be almost a straight copy of the pork one, only with a few tweaks. If you have made my chorizo recipe, you will notice that the spice and chile mixture is almost the same, but the ratios are slightly different. I also added some bay leaf, to give the mushrooms more of an herbal edge.
I have made this recipe a few times, varying the cut of the mushrooms - from a regular 1/4” dice, to a half dice and half mince version. Both are delicious, and choosing one or the other would depend on how you want to use the final product. The chunky version is great if you want to use it as a spiced side dish or filling, while the more minced version resembles the traditional pork chorizo more closely. I have also made this using different ratios of guajillos to anchos. All are delicious, but if you use the amounts as written in the recipe, you will have a deeper, darker chorizo, and when you swap some of the anchos for more guajillos, you get a brighter, lighter and really red chorizo. All versions are delicious, so play around with the recipe as you like!
I have been enjoying this mushroom chorizo in many ways - as a filling for tetelas, as a topping for sopes, in scrambled eggs, etc. Basically, use it anywhere you would use traditional chorizo. While it is not the regular, it does give us a tasty, plant-based version. And having choices is great!
CHORIZO DE HONGOS
Mushroom Chorizo
2 ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded and deveined
2 guajillo chiles, stemmed, seeded and deveined
2 garlic cloves, peeled
¾ Tbsp black pepper
¾ Tbsp Mexican oregano
¾ Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp kosher salt, or more to taste
2 Mexican bay leaves or 1 regular bay leaf
750g cremini or white mushrooms, trimmed and cleaned
2 Tbsp avocado or extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
Place ancho and guajillo chiles in a medium saucepan and cover with water by about 2 inches.
Place over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Once water boils, cover pan and turn off the heat. Leave chiles resting in the covered saucepan for 15-20 minutes, stirring every so often, until soft and pliable.
Remove chiles from liquid and place in blender jar along with the garlic, black pepper, Mexican oregano, cumin, salt and bay leaves. Add ½ cup of the chile soaking liquid and blend until completely smooth. Reserve.
Chop half of the mushrooms into ¼” pieces, and mince the other half.
In large frying pan, heat oil over medium high heat. When oil is hot, add mushrooms and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until mushrooms have released all their liquid, about 10 minutes. Continue cooking until they acquire some colour and start to look golden brown, this could take another 10 minutes.
Once mushrooms are golden and sizzling, add chile paste and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add apple cider vinegar and simmer for another 10 minutes, or until mixture thickens. Taste for salt and adjust seasoning as necessary.
Let cool and use in whatever application you desire.
Makes about 2 1/2 cups.