This 30-ish minute Instant Pot vegetarian stroganoff is perfect for a comforting, easy dinner. It's filled with tender, meaty mushrooms, is hearty, filling, and a satisfying vegetarian take on the traditional beef stroganoff.
[This recipe was originally posted in February 2018. Over time, it has been updated with new photos, cooking instructions, expert tips, FAQ, related recipes, video and ways to repurpose/use up ingredients]
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If you're like me and love a good cosy meal during the winter, but don't have much time to prepare anything, this vegetarian stroganoff is perfect.
Buy all the veggies precut and ready to go, and it just takes 5 minutes of hands-on time, and 30 to cook.
Plus this recipe has such deep and delicious flavors, it tastes like it's been simmering over the stovetop for hours, when in reality, it just took you 30ish minutes. Plus you get 2 meals out of it. Perfect for leftovers.
Ingredients
Scroll down to the vegetarian stroganoff recipe card for the amounts of each ingredient, but here's a quick visual + description of what's in this recipe.
- Olive oil or vegan butter
- Onion: Use white onion, yellow onion, or whatever you have.
- Mushrooms: Use whatever kind of mushrooms you like best white button mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, shiitake, or brown button mushrooms would work. The flavor will be different between mushrooms, but still tasty!
- Garlic
- Salt
- Pepper
- Red Wine: Swap with equal parts beef or vegetable broth if you don't want to use red wine in your vegetarian stroganoff. You can also use white wines like sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, or other dry white wine.
- Green lentils: These are larger than other lentils, so they take longer to cook, and hold their shape better than some. You can use any kind of lentil that you like, just check out general cooking times compared to green lentils.
- Beef or vegetable broth: use stock or even beef or vegetable stock, which will have a bit more deep flavor than broth. Or use Better than Bouillon paste, which is what I always use!
- Egg noodles
- Plain Greek yogurt: Or use traditional sour cream. Plain Greek yogurt is a staple in my house, and tastes pretty similar to sour cream, so I use it instead.
- Parsley to garnish vegetarian stroganoff
Instructions
Scroll down to the vegetarian stroganoff recipe card for more detailed instructions. Here's a quick overview + photos to see how to make this recipe in general.
1.Set to SAUTEE setting. Once it's hot, pour olive oil into pan, then diced onions, mushrooms, salt & pepper to bowl. Stir about 5-7 minutes.
Don't skip this step, you'll want to cook out some water from the mushrooms.
2. Add garlic to your vegetarian stroganoff, then deglaze pan with red wine. Add green lentils and beef or veggie stock to sauteed vegetables. Mushrooms may not be completely covered, but that's ok.
3. Reset to MULTIGRAIN, cook for 15 minutes on HIGH. Secure lid and set vent to SEALING. Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
4. Boil water for egg noodles at this point. Cook noodles according to package directions, until al dente.
Once lentils have been sitting for 10 minutes, turn vent from SEALING to VENTING. Remove lid and add plain Greek yogurt to mixture. Mix together until incorporated.
Top hot noodles with vegetarian stroganoff mixture and garnish with chopped fresh parsley or fresh thyme if desired. Enjoy immediately.
Get a Meaty Texture
There are two ingredients in this vegetarian stroganoff that give it a nice meaty texture. And both are vegan! Mushrooms and lentils are key to getting a meaty texture in your stroganoff.
Use mushrooms. You can use any kind of mushrooms that you have, I usually use cremini mushrooms, brown button mushrooms, or white button mushrooms. Both are good in this stroganoff recipe, use what you can find.
I recommend green lentils, or lentils that don't soften up a lot when cooked. This will keep some texture in your vegetarian stroganoff, which is better than mushy in this recipe. You could use shiitake mushrooms too.
Mushrooms + lentils make for a great meatless Monday recipe.
Another note on meatiness in a plant based dish is adding in deep flavors. Wine, like red wine or even dry white wine adds deep bold flavor, so does broth. If you're keeping vegetarian, use vegetable broth, or use beef broth if that works.
Make a Creamy Stroganoff Sauce
Many classic beef stroganoff recipes call for sour cream and/or heavy cream in them. While these are great ingredients to add creaminess and richness to stroganoff, they're not the only way to add creaminess.
Through testing, I've found that plain Greek yogurt can be used instead of sour cream. It's something I always have on hand, and has extra protein compared to sour cream. I like it for those reasons.
The yogurt + wine = creamy, savory stroganoff sauce. Plus it's an easy recipe.
Storage/Reheating Tips
This recipe stores well, the stroganoff topping even gets more flavorful after some time in the fridge. That's why I make two servings of this recipe.
Store vegetarian stroganoff topping and pasta in separate airtight containers in the fridge for about a week.
To reheat, combine and microwave in a microwave safe bowl with lid. You can also cook enough noodles for each meal, for fresh noodles, you can add the stroganoff topping to finish cooking on the stove.
Substitutions/Tips
- Use green lentils instead of other colors because they're the heartiest and will maintain their shape during the cooking process.
- If you just have other lentils, adjust cooking time- Look for general cooking times for your variety online.
- To make this recipe super super easy, buy precut onions, garlic, and sliced mushrooms.
- Add a dash of soy sauce to amp up the savory-ness (umami flavor) of this vegetarian stroganoff.
- Stir your mushrooms and onions frequently to avoid burning. The sautee setting gets hot!
- If you don't use or have any red wine on hand, sub vegetable or beef stock in your vegetarian stroganoff.
- You can use sour cream instead of the Greek yogurt, just use the same amount in the recipe.
- Add fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, or other fresh herbs.
- Make it vegan with vegetable broth, vegan yogurt/sour cream.
- Other great add-ins: vegetables, but don't cook with the lentils. Add and cook for a minute or so at the end.
FAQ
The creamy sauce for stroganoff is traditionally made with the base of a roux (mixture of butter and flour). You can also make your sauce with oil, Greek yogurt, and vegetable broth like this vegetarian stroganoff recipe.
You can make vegetarian stroganoff with the mushrooms, I added lentils for added heartiness, they soften up really well in this dish.
Beef is traditional for stroganoff, but if you're looking for a vegetarian option, lentils are delicious. Vegetable or beef stock add umami and meaty flavors to this vegetarian dish.
Repurpose lentil stroganoff
- This vegetarian mushroom stroganoff could make a delicious soup if you add a cup of broth, and maybe some more red wine? and some extra veggies (hearty greens, carrots)
- Who doesn't love mushrooms over a good steak? Grill yourself up a nice steak & top with these vegetarian stroganoff leftovers
What to do with leftover ingredients
- Lentils: Lentil Spinach Curry for One
- Mushrooms: Mushroom Ravioli Sauce, Pasta with Mushrooms and Green Beans, Roasted Broccoli and Mushrooms, Creamy Mushroom Chicken with Rice, Chicken Bacon and Mushroom Pasta, Roasted Garlic Mushrooms, and Healthy Breakfast Tacos
- Greek Yogurt: Overnight Oats with Yogurt, Chicken Salad Pita, Fish Tacos with Citrus Salsa and White Sauce
Did you make this vegetarian stroganoff? leave me a comment to share how it turned out!
Vegetarian Stroganoff (Instant Pot) for Two
Equipment
- cutting board
- knife
- Instant Pot
- Stock Pot
- Large Spoon
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup diced white onion
- 1 pound mushrooms sliced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup red wine
- ½ cup green lentils rinsed
- 1 cup beef or vegetable broth
- ½ pound egg noodles
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot onto sautee setting. Once hot, pour 1T olive oil into pan, then ½ c diced onions, 1 lb sliced mushrooms, ½ teaspoon salt & ¼ teaspoon ground pepper. Stir until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add 1 clove garlic (minced), then deglaze pan with ¼ cup red wine. Stir and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Add ½ green lentils and 1 c stock to vegetables. The mushrooms will not be completely covered, but that's ok. Stir. Cancel cooking setting and reset to MULTIGRAIN and cook for 15 minutes on HIGH. Place lid on, and set vent to SEALING.
- Once timer has gone off, let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. While pressure is releasing, cook ½ lb egg noodles according to package directions. Once lentils have been sitting for 10 minutes, turn vent from SEALING to VENTING. Let remaining steam release. Open lid once it's unlocked. Add ½ c plain Greek yogurt, stir together. Pour over hot noodles, and garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Enjoy
Notes
- Use green lentils instead of other colors because they're the heartiest and will maintain their shape during the cooking process.
- To make this recipe super super easy, buy precut onions, garlic, and sliced mushrooms.
- If you don't use or have any red wine on hand, sub vegetable or beef stock
- You can use sour cream instead of the Greek yogurt, just use the same amount in the recipe
- Parmesan cheese is also great on this stroganoff!
- If you want to sub the red wine, sub with equal parts grape juice OR broth.
Doreen Rodo says
I posted this recipe on my Facebook page. It sounds really good and many of my friends have Instant Pots. #dietitianspromotingdietitians
Rebecca says
awe thanks Doreen! I really appreciate it
Amy says
I found this recipe by simply googling “vegetarian instant pot recipe,” and good grief, I have never had such success with a recipe from a random google search. Absolutely delicious, and super easy. Will definitely be in my rotation from now on. Thank you for sharing!
Rebecca says
such great news to hear, thanks for sharing!
Jason says
Fantastic recipe. Was looking for a good lentil recipe and made this tonight for my wife and I.
I made 2 changes: For the mushrooms, I used a mix of baby bella, oyster, and shitake. Next time I will use even more varieties.
Then for the stock, I used chicken stock because I find it has cleaner flavors than beef or vegetable and would let the mushrooms shine through more. I put 2 packets of unflavored gelatin into it to help add some body to the final product. Absolute home run in the end.
Rebecca says
ohhh that sounds delicious! thanks for sharing the changes you made!
Jason says
Back again with one more round of tweaks and I think I'm now done. The first round was full of mushroom flavor, but I thought I could add a few more layers of flavor. After reading a few recipes, I settled on paprika (1.5 tsp), ground thyme (.5 tsp), dijon mustard (2 tsp), soy sauce (1 tsp), worcestershire sauce (2 tsp), and asian fish sauce (1 tsp) [the last 3 came from the serious eats ultimate beef stroganoff recipe and I tend to trust JKLA on the umami bombs]. I didn't want to think too hard about it so I just dumped those all in with the salt and pepper and stirred them in after deglazing with the wine but before adding the stock, lentils, and mushrooms. Final product was still super earthy and mushroomy but a little brighter and more complex. Also added trumpet and maitake mushrooms, but I'll never keep my mushroom mix the same. That'll always just be what looks good when I'm at the grocery store.
Rebecca says
thanks for sharing
IPnewbie says
Thanks!
IPnewbie says
How many people is this supposed to serve?
Rebecca says
4-6! thanks for asking, I didn't realize I missed that
Brittany Poulson says
I need to use lentils more often. I forget about them sometimes, but really do make a great addition to many dishes!
Laura says
Wow, lentils and mushrooms are my favorite combination. Haven't thought about making stroganoff. I'm going to try that one next week 🙂
Rebecca says
right?! let me know if you try it
Summer @ summer-price.com says
I never would have thought to make a lentil stroganoff. I think that's a great idea. I always forget about the extra time to build pressure in my instant pot so it is a great reminder!
Rebecca says
ya, it turned out delicious! and yes, it pretty much doubles the cooking time
Emily says
Genius use of lentils! I have to be in the mood for stroganoff, but this looks awesome!
Rebecca says
thanks! It's not exactly the same, but a great vegetarian version
Jessica Levinson says
What an easy and delicious dinner for the family! Love your vegetarian take on this!
Rebecca says
thanks Jessica!