You're not going to believe how delicious this fresh Vegan Scallops with Garlic Pasta is! It truly tastes of the sea, but yet is made with King Oyster Mushrooms and some clever flavouring with seaweed to give a beautiful seafood pasta dish that is also totally plant-based.
If you have ever worried about not being able to eat a plate of Spaghetti Vongole or a seafood pasta topped with juicy scallops becuase you now are vegan or plant based, this dish is for you. The tender scallops made with King Oyster Mushrooms are just magic, while the clever use of nori and kombu seasoning in combination with a light lemon and garlic sauce is totally addictive.
This dish definitely feels like a special occasion to eat and would be wonderful to serve at a dinner party, however if you want to try some other seafood inspired dishes that have been made vegan, you need to check out my Vegan Tuna Casserole (Tu-no Noodle) , or the classic Vegan Chickpea of the Sea 'Tuna' Sandwiches.
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🍄Ingredients
See below for the ingredients to make the King Oyster Mushroom Scallops and the fresh Lemon Garlic Pasta. The full recipe including quantities is in the recipe card.
- King Oyster Mushrooms: King Oyster mushrooms are perfect for making into vegan scallops. They have a large thick white stem that can be easily cut into a round scallop shape. They also take on a similar texture to a sea scallop when simmered in broth, making the taste illusion even more delicious.
- Kombu Stock Powder: You can find this at Asian markets. Make sure to get the seaweed version, not the fish version!
- Nori Sheet: These are the sheets that you wrap your sushi in and are available at most supermarkets, or at Asian grocery stores.
- Olive Oil: I like to use rich olive oil to replace the butter that would traditionally be used to fry the scallops in.
- Mirin or White Wine: Either work well to bring out the natural sweetness of the mushrooms, in the same way that you would use with real scallops.
- Fresh Garlic: As much as your heart desires.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice is best.
- Parsley: A really generous handful of fresh parsley tossed through the pasta at the end of the cooking brings all the flavours together.
- Pasta of Choice: I like using a long pasta such as linguine or spaghhetti
- Vegan Chorizo: or vegan bacon. Scallops are often paired with salty spicy chorizo or rich smokey bacon, and here it gives a really lovely foil to the sweet salty mushroom scallops.
- Sea Salt and a little freshly ground black pepper to taste.
See recipe card for full quantities and see substitution section for alternatives and other ideas.
👩🍳Instructions
Follow along with these visual aides for the perfect vegan scallop dish!
1.Finely chop or crush the nori sheet.
2. Chop the plump king oyster mushroom stems into 2cm slices and score to help them absorb more of the seafood flavored broth.
3. In a saucepan combine the nori flakes, kombu stock powder, olive oil, mirin, lemon juice and a little water. Add the mushroom slices.
4. Simmer the mushrooms over medium-low heat while you make the rest of the pasta.
5. Pan fry the vegan chorizo or bacon over medium heat until crispy. Put aside.
Meanwhile cook the pasta according to the packet directions.
6. Remove the mushroom scallops from their broth and pan fry in a large skillet along with the garlic until they get a little golden brown. Add the broth over the mushrooms to create the pasta sauce, and toss through the cooked pasta.
Finish the dish by tossing the pasta through the mushrooms, adding a big squeeze of lemon as well as plenty of chopped fresh parsley.
Serve with the vegan chorizo sprinkled over the top and the nicest looking mushroom scallops on top of the pasta.
Hint: Make sure to pan fry the mushrooms for a minute or two before adding the garlic. This prevents the garlic from burning and becoming bitter.
🌶️Substitutions & Variations
Here are some clever ideas so you can use to make this King Oyster Scallops recipe to your own taste.
- Gluten Free- choose your favourite gluten-free pasta. The rest of the ingredients are already gluten-free.
- No Pasta - These delicious scallop mushrooms can be used as a canape or starter on their own, or try them over lentils, pea puree or creamy polenta.
- No Kombu Stock - if you can't find kombu stock powder, use regular veggie boullion or vegetable broth. A little caper brine is also good for adding a slight tangy seafood flavor.
- Without Alcohol- If you abstain from alcohol, substitute with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar and a teaspoon of sugar with a little water.
- Spicy- add red pepper flakes or chili flakes.
- Creamy Sauce- make this into a creamy pasta by adding nutritional yeast and soy cream or other non-dairy milk into the pan at the same time you add in the broth from marinading the mushrooms.
- Hearts of Palm- some vegan scallops use hearts of palm to create the scallops effect. Essentially it is the same method with a seafood marinade and pan frying.
- Alternative to the Vegan Chorizo: Swap the chorizo with these easy to make Tofu Bacon Bits.
🔪Equipment
You'll need a sharp knife, a good large frying pan or skillet and two saucepans to make this vegan recipe.
🫙Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Warm through on the stove top or microwave to reaheat. I don't recommend freezing this recipe.
Top tip
Make sure to cut the vegan scallops into quite thick rounds and simmer in their broth for at least 10 minutes before pan frying to get the pretty golden color.
❓FAQ
Scallops are a mollusc that live on the sea floor. They are not considered vegan. You can make a vegan version of scallops by marinating plump king oyster mushroom stems in a seaweed stock.
Other Vegan Seafood recipes:
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
Serve a lovely fresh salad with this Vegan Scallops Recipe:
📖 Recipe
Vegan Scallops with Garlic Pasta (King Oyster Mushroom)
Equipment
- 1 Large frying pan
- 1 small saucepan
Ingredients Note:
For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.
(Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)
Ingredients
Mushroom Scallops
- 200 g King Oyster Mushrooms (about 3)
- 1 tablespoon kombu stock powder
- 1 sheet nori seaweed
- 25 ml lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 100 ml mirin (or white wine)
- 100 ml water (just enough to cover the mushrooms)
For the rest of the dish
- 200 g pasta
- 150 g vegan chorizo or bacon (optional)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 20 g fresh parsley
- 20 ml lemon juice
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
To prepare the Mushroom Scallops
- Chop the stems of the King Oyster Mushrooms into 2-3 cm (1") slices. Keep the caps for something else.200 g King Oyster Mushrooms
- Finely chop or crumble the nori sheet into a saucepan along with the kombu powder, Juice of half a lemon, white wine or mirin, a dash of olive oil and enough water to just cover the mushrooms.1 tablespoon kombu stock powder, 1 sheet nori seaweed, 25 ml lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 100 ml mirin, 100 ml water
- Bring the marinade to a simmer and simmer on low for 10-15 minutes while you make the rest of the dish.
To prepare the Pasta Dish
- Make the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.200 g pasta
- Finely chop the garlic and parsley.4 cloves garlic, 20 g fresh parsley
- Finely chop the chorizo or bacon and pan fry it until crispy. Put aside.150 g vegan chorizo or bacon
- Remove the mushrooms from the marinade (keep the marinade,to one side) Pan fry the mushrooms with the garlic and optional pepper flakes until the mushroom starts to colour golden1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Add the marinade in with the mushrooms. Drain the pasta and toss through the mushrooms with the marinade.
- Stir through the parsley and serve with the chorizo sprinkled over the pasta and the large mushroom scallops arranged on top.20 ml lemon juice, sea salt and black pepper to taste
Notes
- Gluten Free- choose your favourite gluten-free pasta. The rest of the ingredients are already gluten-free.
- No Pasta - These delicious scallop mushrooms can be used as a canape or starter on their own, or try them over lentils, pea puree or creamy polenta.
- No Kombu Stock - if you can't find kombu stock powder, use regular veggie boullion or vegetable broth. A little caper brine is also good for adding a slight tangy seafood flavor.
- Without Alcohol- If you abstain from alcohol, substitute with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar and a teaspoon of sugar with a little water.
- Spicy- add red pepper flakes or chili flakes.
- Creamy Sauce- make this into a creamy pasta by adding nutritional yeast and soy cream or other non-dairy milk into the pan at the same time you add in the broth from marinading the mushrooms.
- Hearts of Palm- some vegan scallops use hearts of palm to create the scallops effect. Essentially it is the same method with a seafood marinade and pan frying.
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