Vegan mushroom “Lancashire-style” hotpot loaded with chunky mushrooms and dried porcini, cooked in a rich gravy and topped with potatoes.
This recipe takes around an hour and a half to cook and it can be prepared in advance, then thrown in the oven 45-50 minutes before you want to serve.
Vegan “Lancashire”ish Hotpot
Lancashire hotpot is a classic old-school British potato-topped “pie” packed with loads of lamb goodness.
It’s one of my favourite dishes and one that I have played around with plenty already on my website. I have a spicy North African inspired beef hotpot, a fine and delicious sausage and onion hotpot and a fabulous creamy chicken and leek hotpot.
My latest take on an “lancashire”ish hotpot is a wonderful vegan mushroom number.
It’s packed with chestnut mushrooms, dried porcini mushrooms, onions and gets a real boost of flavour thanks to the magic of mushroom ketchup.
It then gets topped with sliced potatoes and baked until all sticky and unctuous with a golden crispy topping.
It’s proper old-fashioned simple cooking and it tastes wonderful.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is mushroom ketchup?
Mushroom ketchup is an old-school British condiment made by Watkins. Rest assured it is nothing like tomato ketchup!
It is a thin liquid similar but different in flavour to Worcestershire sauce and it is magical stuff. If you are from the US you may need to order it online or consider Henderson’s relish, another vegan sauce that is wonderful.
If you are in the UK, it is in the same place as Worcestershire sauce in larger supermarkets.
Do I have to use dried porcini mushrooms?
Dried mushrooms help turn the flavour up to 11 on this dish, they are expensive but a little goes a long way.
You can use other dried mushrooms but they will not have the same level of flavour.
Can I use different types of fresh mushrooms?
Yes, by all means, use anything you like! I’ve made this with everything from regular button mushrooms to Portobello mushrooms.
You can even mix it up and add some shiitake, oyster or king oyster mushrooms into the mix.
Can I make this in advance?
I wouldn’t make this to completion then reheat it, because it tends to dry out too much.
But you can make the mushroom stew 3-4 days in advance, and keep it in an airtight tub in the fridge. Then just top it with potatoes and bake it when you are ready.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve my mushroom hotpot recipe as individual potato-topped pies with a side or two of green veggies.
Here I have used a real staple that I cook all of the time in my kitchen, roasted tenderstem broccoli.
It’s delicious, super simple and convenient too, because you can just throw it in the lower level of the oven with the hotpot.
Other vegetable side dishes that work well are my air fryer asparagus and even my buttered savoy cabbage recipe.
If you want something a little more “showy” then my braised cavolo nero with shallots recipe is perfect.
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But, if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/Stovetop.
- Oven.
- Grill/Broiler.
- 30cm or 12″ frying pan.
- 2 x 15cm (6″) x 10cm (4″) baking or gratin dishes.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Mandolin (optional).
- Stirring spoons.
- A combination of weighing scales and or a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
Vegan Mushroom (Lancashire-Style) Hotpot Recipe
My vegan mushroom hotpot is loaded with chunky mushrooms and dried porcini mushrooms in a gravy flavoured with mushroom ketchup... so if you don't like mushrooms... oopsie! It's then topped with potatoes and baked in the oven.
Ingredients
- 1 Medium-Large (225g) Onion
- 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 500g (5-6 Cups) Chestnut Mushrooms
- 3 Garlic Cloves
- 15g (3-4 Tbsp) Dried Porcini Mushrooms
- 125ml (½ Cup) Boiling Water
- 1 Tbsp Flour
- ¼ Tsp Salt
- ¼ Tsp Black Pepper
- ½ Tsp Dried Thyme
- 3 Tbsp Mushroom Ketchup
- 125ml (½ Cup) Vegetable Stock
- 400g (4 Small) Potatoes
- Pinch of Coarse Sea Salt
Instructions
- Cut the onion in half, peel it, and then cut it into a 1cm (½") dice.
- Heat a 30cm or 12" frying pan over a medium-high heat and add two tablespoons of the olive oil, then cook the onions for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Cut the mushrooms into bite-sized pieces.
- Peel and thinly slice the garlic cloves.
- When the onions have softened add the mushrooms, turn the heat up to high and fry them for 10 minutes tossing them occasionally.
- Whilst the mushrooms are cooking pour the boiling water over the dried mushrooms and allow them to steep for 10-12 minutes.
- Throw the garlic into the pan and cook for a minute.
- Add the flour, salt, pepper and thyme to the pan and cook for another minute.
- Strain the steeping liquid from the dried mushrooms into the pan, add the mushroom ketchup and vegetable stick and stir.
- Roughly chop the dried soaked dried mushrooms, add them to the pan, reduce the heat to low and allow the mushrooms to simmer gently whilst you prepare the potatoes.
- Cut the potatoes into 5-6mm (¼") thick slices and place them in a bowl, then drizzle over the remaining tablespoon of oil and toss them to coat.
- Divide the mushrooms between two 15cm (6") x 10cm (4") baking dishes, then top them with a layer of potatoes, and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Then bake them for 40-45 minutes at 180°C or 350°F.
- Then slide them under the grill for 4-5 minutes to get the potatoes nice and crispy on top.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 527Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 749mgCarbohydrates: 77gFiber: 12gSugar: 16gProtein: 13g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.