Who needs beef when you have mushrooms?
We’re taking the ultimate one-pot meal and putting a plant-based spin on it! Our vegan pot roast Instant Pot recipe is made with Mushrooms and is every bit as satisfying as a meaty, beefy pot roast, but with significantly more nutrition. Traditional pot roast made with beef chuck roast has almost 500 calories per three-ounce serving, not to mention that it contains about 20 grams of fat. Our mushroom pot roast contains only 200 calories per serving and a single gram of fat.
Beyond nutrition, this Instant Pot Vegan Pot Roast with Mushrooms is also ready in a fraction of the time. It takes an hour in the Instant Pot versus six to eight hours in the slow cooker. Quick, easy, and delicious. What’s not to love?
What Are the Best Mushrooms For Vegan “Pot Roast”?
Grocery shopping for mushrooms used to be simple. There were white button mushrooms, brown crimini mushrooms, and large Portobello caps. Today, you’ll find a plethora of options, from shiitake and oyster mushrooms to more exotic choices like hen of the woods, maitake, lion’s mane, reishi, and more. How do you know the best mushrooms to choose for making a plant-based pot roast?
For this recipe, it’s all about texture. We’ll cook the pot roast in the Instant Pot for 20 minutes, so the mushrooms need to be able to hold up to that long cooking time. If you used small mushrooms (like shiitake), they might turn to mush by the time the potatoes cook through.
This is why we chose crimini mushrooms or Portobello mushrooms for our vegan pot roast Instant Pot recipe. Both have a meaty texture that holds up well to extended cook times. Plus, they’ll both taste great when they’re infused with the flavorful cooking broth.
The Best Way to Serve Vegan “Pot Roast”?
You have a few options when serving this vegan pot roast Instant Pot recipe. After the vegetables are cooked in the Instant Pot, we whisk in a cornstarch slurry and simmer the mixture for three to five minutes. The cornstarch binds to the liquid in the pot roast, thickening it up until it has a gravy-like texture. That means you can enjoy this pot roast on its own, as it will be more than satisfying.
If you have extra calories to spare for the day, feel free to whip up a side dish while the pot roast cooks. Traditionally, pot roast is served with the vegetables it’s cooked with, but many choose to serve it over a side of mashed potatoes to add a rich, creamy texture. Try serving it over our healthy mashed potatoes, or you can make smashed sweet potatoes or mashed cauliflower instead.
You can also look to grains to make this vegan pot roast Instant Pot recipe more filling. This pot roast tastes great over brown rice, pearl couscous, grits, or polenta. To amp up the protein content, try serving it over quinoa. Of course, you can also make a tasty quinoa salad to serve on the side if you prefer.
What if I Don’t Have an Instant Pot?
We love our Instant Pot, but not everyone has one in their arsenal. Never fear: If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can still make this Vegan Pot Roast with Mushrooms. Use your slow cooker and cook it on low for six to eight hours (or on high for three to four hours). You could cook it in a Dutch oven on the stovetop as well, simmering it for about an hour until the potatoes are cooked through.
The Best Vegan Pot Roast Instant Pot Recipe
Instant Pot Vegan “Pot Roast” with Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 1 pound crimini mushrooms cut in half, or 5 large Portobello mushrooms, sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 1 pound yukon gold potatoes cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 carrots large, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 onion large, diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 thyme sprigs fresh
- 3 sage leaves fresh, minced
- 1 teaspoon rosemary fresh, chopped
- 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock or water
- 1/4 cup tamari or lite soy sauce
- 1/4 cup dry red wine
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon molasses
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper ground
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients (except the cornstarch) into the bowl of a 6-quart Instant Pot and stir to combine. Secure the lid and set the vent to “Sealing.” Using the “Manual” button, adjust the pressure for “High Pressure” and cook for 20 minutes.
- Let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes before manually releasing the remaining pressure.
- In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with 1/4 cup water. Add the slurry to the Instant Pot and stir to combine.
- Turn the Instant Pot on with the “Saute” button and simmer the mixture until it’s thick, about 3 to 5 minutes. Serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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You won’t even miss the meat in this vegan pot roast Instant Pot recipe, thanks to the addition of hearty, savory mushrooms. Swapping in mushrooms for meat isn’t just a great option for those on a plant-based or flexitarian diet—it also slashes the calories of this recipe compared to traditional pot roast!
Have you tried this vegan pot roast Instant Pot recipe? We’d love to hear what you think! Drop us a line in the comments section to let us know your thoughts!
Enjoyed this post? Check out more:
- Instant Pot Chicken Pot Roast
- Slow Cooker Classic Pot Roast
- Easy Veggie Roast
- Garlic and Herb Beef Roast with Potatoes
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1793mg sodium PER SERVING???? WOW.
Carol, You’re right, that was a lot. It was actually a misprint. I did remove the 1/2 tsp salt from the ingredients because Tamari has plenty of sodium on its own. The recipe now has 692 grams sodium. Much better! Thank you so much for pointing this out.
My family loved this Pot Roast even without the meat. It’s nice to have a meat free dinner every now and then. Delicious and Healthy! Thanks, Skinny Ms..
I made this on the stovetop and it was better than the real deal. Amazing!