Watch out! These vegan stuffed mushrooms are incredibly addictive, thanks to a filling of dreamy cashew cream cheese, smoky tempeh bacon and chives. Great for snacking, but you can absolutely make a meal of them too!
Stir together the soy sauce, liquid smoke, maple syrup and apple cider vinegar in a medium-sized bowl. Crumble the tempeh into the bowl, and stir to coat. Optionally, allow tempeh to marinade for up to 12 hours (I usually skip this, but it does enhance the flavor).
Place a medium-sized skillet over high heat. Add the crumbled tempeh, along with any excess marinade. Sauté until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Remove the tempeh from the skillet and transfer it to a bowl.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush the mushrooms lightly with olive oil and arrange them on baking sheet, stem side up. Bake for 10 minutes.
While the mushrooms bake, add the cream cheese, panko, hot sauce and chives to the tempeh mixture. Stir until everything is well mixed.
Remove the mushrooms from the oven, but leave the oven on. If a lot of water has pooled in the stem cavities, use a paper towel to suck it up. Stuff each mushroom generously the with tempeh mixture, piling a bit on top.
Place the mushrooms back into the oven and bake until the tops are lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Serve.
If you plan to use my cashew cream cheese for this recipe, get started early, as the cashews require several hours of soaking. You'll end up with about a half of a batch leftover. It will keep in the refrigerator for about a week, and goes great on bagels, crackers, and in a handful of other recipes in my archives. You can also freeze it in a well sealed container for long term storage.
The filling can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. My preference is to store it in a sealed container in the fridge, then stuff and bake the mushrooms on the day of serving. Another option would be to do all the prep in advance, including stuffing the mushrooms, then store them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Bake on the day of serving.