How to Boil Champignons (3 Methods of Boiling Mushrooms)

General cooking rules

Let's start with the general cooking rules that apply to any recipe: for salad, for soup, and so on. In most cases, fresh or frozen champignons are used. Depending on the mushrooms used, the cooking rules will differ, which will be discussed above. By the way, you can cook champignons in a frying pan, but in this case we are not talking about cooking, but about stewing. But in this article this recipe will also be discussed with step-by-step instructions. Now let’s look at the general rules on how to cook frozen and fresh champignons. Let's start with fresh mushrooms!

Fresh mushrooms

First of all, I would like to talk about the issue of safety. In Russia, many families collect mushrooms on their own in the summer. But few suspect that in the forest you can find false champignon, which is a poisonous mushroom. To avoid poisoning yourself and your family by mistake, be sure to read the article “How to distinguish champignon from toadstool.” That article describes in detail what must be done to ensure the safety of mushrooms. All these same actions must be carried out before cooking.

When it comes to personal safety when eating champignons, one cannot help but remember how to distinguish spoiled mushrooms. This is also described in detail in the article “How to distinguish a champignon from a toadstool,” so be sure to follow the link and read the material. In short: there should be no strange smell, spots, worm holes, flat slimy cap, blackness on the cut of the stem. If there is at least one sign, then it is recommended to think about the advisability of eating such mushrooms.

The last general recommendation for cooking fresh mushrooms is how to choose the appropriate spices. Many housewives settle on the classic set of seasonings: salt and ground black pepper. I recommend adding bay leaf and allspice to this set. There is no need to add any other spices, since boiled champignons should have a taste close to neutral. By the way, the champignons darken during cooking - this is a normal reaction of mushroom substances. To avoid this, you can immediately add citric acid to the water. Usually, 1 gram of this substance is enough for half a kilo of champignons.

Frozen

Frozen champignons can also spoil, just like fresh ones. In the article above, which is called “How to distinguish a champignon from a toadstool,” this information is also written in detail. Here, let's briefly outline the situation: frozen champignons should not be too dark and slimy - these are the main signs of spoilage of frozen mushrooms. If you buy this product in a store, you should pay special attention to the ice. A massive and thick ice crust indicates that the mushroom was defrosted and frozen more than once. And this casts doubt on the fact that the champignons are fresh (and even if they are fresh, frequent defrosting and freezing worsen the taste of the product).

Therefore, it is better to purchase mushrooms with a thin ice crust; do not forget to pay attention to the color of the champignons. Before cooking, frozen champignons must be defrosted, and then the cooking process is exactly the same as for fresh mushrooms (a step-by-step recipe will be discussed in the article below). The only thing is that frozen champignons can be cooked in a little less time: about 3-5 minutes less. By the way, in the case of fresh and frozen mushrooms, the cooking time depends on the size of the champignons. Accordingly, the smaller the mushrooms are chopped, the less you need to boil them. Read more about this in the recipes below.

Sauce selection in the store

It’s not easy to find sauces for mushrooms in the store; they are not as popular as gravies for meat dishes. Read also: How long to fry chicken.

Therefore, you can purchase tomato or white sauce based on them and prepare the simplest sauce for mushrooms with the addition of the necessary spices and herbs. In any case, the recommendations for purchasing a product in a store are the same:

It is advisable to purchase sauce in glass containers, which allows you to familiarize yourself with the appearance of the product;
choose sauce only with natural ingredients, without synthetic additives;
carefully study the date of manufacture and shelf life;
Store opened sauce in the refrigerator for no longer than 5 days.

For the salad

Some salads require the addition of champignons. But raw mushrooms should not be eaten, so you need to cook them first. The cooking process is somewhat different from cooking champignons for soup or other dishes. By the way, if you decide to cook the mushrooms in advance and prepare the salad later, then it is important to know how to properly store the champignons. After the mushrooms are cooked, they should be chopped, placed in a jar and poured with the marinade that formed during the cooking process. And if you prepare the salad right away, you don’t need to put the mushrooms in the container. Now let's look at how to cook champignons for salad at home.

Ingredients:

champignons - required quantity;
water - should completely cover the mushrooms;
salt - to taste;
bay leaf – 1 piece;
citric acid – 1 pinch;
allspice – 3-5 peas.

Step-by-step recipe for cooking champignons in a pan:

Rinse the champignons thoroughly under running water.
Cut off the lower part of the stem of clean mushrooms and then rinse.
Pour water into the pan, add salt, allspice, bay leaf, citric acid.
Mix the ingredients thoroughly in the pan and turn on the heat to maximum.
Wait until the water boils.
As soon as the liquid begins to bubble, reduce the heat to medium, add the mushrooms and mix thoroughly.
Cook the mushrooms over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, no need to stir with a spoon during the process.
At the end of the specified time, drain the boiled mushrooms in a colander and wait for the liquid to drain (if you plan to prepare the salad later, you should save the mushroom broth to store the mushrooms in).
Wait 10-15 minutes until the mushrooms cool slightly, then cut the champignons into pieces of the required size.
Add a mushroom ingredient to your salad!

Champignons - beneficial properties and possible harm

Champignons were first used as an ingredient in dishes in ancient Rome. Since that time, mushrooms began to be actively grown for food consumption, and the product itself became quite popular in almost all countries of the world.

Today it is difficult to find a person who does not like champignons. These mushrooms are present in every restaurant, because without this ingredient the creation of many great dishes is simply impossible.

The beneficial properties of champignons are presented:

high content of vegetable protein, which is quickly and easily absorbed by the human body;
the content of many useful substances, among which the leading place is occupied by vitamins B, C and D, amino acids and trace elements represented by magnesium and potassium;
the ability to quickly saturate the human body without causing weight gain;
correction of cholesterol levels in the blood;
ensuring the normal functioning of many internal organs and systems;
providing a beneficial effect on nerve cells, which helps normalize the functioning of the nervous system;
removing toxins and other harmful accumulations from the body;
providing an antioxidant effect on the body.

Experts strongly recommend including champignons in the diet of those patients who suffer from diabetes, atherosclerosis, anemia, and dysfunction of the nervous system.

But despite all the usefulness of mushrooms, they are not recommended for use by children and patients with diagnosed liver diseases, which is due to the high content of chitin in the product.

It is also necessary to take into account the fact that eating mushrooms can cause serious intoxication of the human body and even lead to death.

This is due to the developmental characteristics of champignons, which absorb harmful substances from the soil and air. To get only the maximum benefit and minimize the possible harm of eating champignons, you need to know how to cook them.

For soup

Mushroom soup turns out tasty, tender and appetizing. You can prepare this lunch in a saucepan, slow cooker or pressure cooker. All three of these recipes will be discussed in this article, and we’ll start by preparing mushroom soup in a saucepan. It’s worth noting right away that in this case we will need a frying pan for frying vegetables and mushrooms. The calorie content of champignon soup in a saucepan is 157 kcal per 100 grams. This low energy value is due to the lack of meat or meat ingredients. Nevertheless, the lunch turns out to be quite filling, healthy, and most importantly – tasty. Let's find out how to cook mushroom soup in a saucepan with your own hands quickly and tasty.

List of ingredients:

champignons – 400 g;
carrot – 1 piece;
vermicelli – 4 large spoons;
potatoes – 3-4 pcs;
salt - to taste;
onions – 1 piece;
water – 3000 ml;
greens - to taste;
bay leaf and ground pepper - at your discretion.

Step-by-step recipe for champignon soup in a saucepan:

Peel and process the mushrooms; if they are frozen, defrost them (this must be done under natural conditions, that is, at room temperature).
Pour 3 liters of water into a saucepan, add a little salt and put on fire, wait until the liquid boils.
During this time, the mushrooms should be chopped into portioned pieces (you can cut them either large or small; it depends on your taste preferences).
As soon as the water boils, add the champignons to the pan and cook for half an hour.
Peel the potatoes, cut into small cubes (one side should be about one centimeter).
Once 30 minutes are up, add potatoes and spices to your liking and cook for 10 minutes.
During this time, peel the onion and finely chop it with a knife, then add it to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes.
Grate the carrots on a coarse or medium grater, then add them to the pan with the rest of the ingredients, don’t forget to mix thoroughly and cook for another 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, add vermicelli to the pan, taste it (add a little spices and salt if necessary), add chopped herbs and cook the mushroom soup until tender (5-10 minutes).
The finished soup with champignons can be poured into bowls and served.
Bon appetit!

Recipe 5. Fried champignons with cracklings

Ingredients:

Champignons 0.5 kg.
Lard – 50 gr.
Onion – 2 pcs.
Salt, pepper.
Dill, coriander.

Cooking method:

The mushrooms need to be poured with salted water, and after some time, drain the liquid, dry the champignons and cut into strips.

The onion needs to be peeled and chopped into small cubes.

The lard also needs to be cut into cubes and placed in a frying pan, and then fried until golden brown.

Then you need to add mushrooms and onions to the greaves and fry everything. Next, when the water from the mushrooms has evaporated, you need to add salt to them and continue cooking under the lid for another 10 minutes.

After cooking the mushrooms, they need to be decorated with herbs.

In a slow cooker

Cooking champignons for salad in a slow cooker is necessary in the same way as on the stove. But the recipe for mushroom soup in an electrical appliance will be slightly different from the one described above. First of all, the caloric content of lunch differs. Thus, the number of calories in soup prepared in a slow cooker is 149 kcal per 100 grams. The fact is that this electrical appliance cooks dishes at a gentle temperature. Thanks to this, not only does the calorie content not increase, but also a large amount of useful substances and properties of the ingredients are preserved. Let's find out how to easily cook champignons in a slow cooker for soup.

Take:

champignons – 400 g;
salt - to taste;
vegetable oil - several large spoons;
carrot – 1 piece;
potatoes – 3-4 pcs;
onions – 1 piece;
water – 3000 ml;
greens - to taste;
vermicelli – 4 large spoons;
bay leaf and ground pepper - at your discretion.

Step-by-step recipe for champignon soup in a slow cooker:

Peel and process the mushrooms; if they are frozen, defrost them (this was discussed in detail in the article above).
Chop the mushrooms into portions (you can cut them either large or small; it depends on your taste preferences).
Pour 3 liters of water into the pan, add a little salt and turn on the “Cooking” mode, wait until the liquid boils.
As soon as the water boils, add the champignons to the pan and cook for half an hour.
At the end of the time, pour the broth into a separate container, first strain to separate the mushrooms.
Wash the multicooker, dry it, turn on the “Frying” mode, and sprinkle the bottom of the device with vegetable oil.
During this time, peel the onion and finely chop it with a knife, then add it to the slow cooker.
Grate the carrots on a coarse or medium grater, then add them to the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients, don’t forget to mix thoroughly.
Add boiled champignons, stir and fry mushrooms with vegetables for 8-10 minutes.
Peel the potatoes, cut into small cubes (one side should be about one centimeter).
Pour the reserved broth into the slow cooker, add potatoes and spices to your taste.
Turn on the “Soup” mode and cook for half an hour.
20 minutes after start, add vermicelli to the multicooker, taste it (add a little spices and salt if necessary), add chopped herbs and cook mushroom soup until the end of the program
The finished soup with champignons can be poured into bowls and served.
Bon appetit!

Recipe 6. Fried champignons with cabbage

Ingredients:

Mushrooms – 250 gr.
Onion – 200 gr.
Cabbage – 450 gr.
Carrot – 180 gr.
Oil (vegetable) – 180 ml.
Salt, pepper.

Cooking method:

The cabbage needs to be chopped into thin strips. Cut the sweet pepper into rings. It is better to grate the carrots.

Then the vegetables prepared in this way must be mixed together in a deep salad bowl, salt and pepper.

Then put the onion and pre-washed, peeled and sliced champignons into a frying pan in heated oil.

You need to fry the mushrooms until the onion becomes soft.

Next you need to add cabbage, peppers, carrots to the mushrooms and continue to fry all the ingredients over low heat, stirring regularly for some more time.

Afterwards, you can eat the delicious dish by placing it in a salad bowl and garnishing it with sprigs of herbs.

In a pressure cooker

The last appliance that is often used for cooking in the kitchen is the pressure cooker. It is important to note that there is also a steamer. But in this electrical appliance, champignon soup is prepared in exactly the same way as in a slow cooker. Therefore, only the recipe for preparing mushroom soup in a pressure cooker will be considered here. The calorie content of this dish is approximately the same: 150 kcal per 100 grams. But the main advantage of a pressure cooker is its fast cooking speed, as can be seen from the name of the device. Indeed, the time difference is simply stunning. Therefore, if you have little time to cook dinner, then a pressure cooker will help you out. Let's learn how to cook mushroom soup in a pressure cooker at home.

Ingredients:

champignons – 400 g;
potatoes – 3-4 pcs;
onions – 1 piece;
water – 3000 ml;
carrot – 1 piece;
vermicelli – 4 large spoons;
greens - to taste;
salt - to taste;
bay leaf and ground pepper - at your discretion.

How to cook mushroom soup from champignons in a pressure cooker:

Peel and process the mushrooms; if they are frozen, defrost them (this was discussed in detail in the article above).
Pour 3 liters of water into the pressure cooker, add a little salt and turn on the “Cooking” mode, wait until the liquid boils.
During this time, the mushrooms should be chopped into portioned pieces (you can cut them either large or small; it depends on your taste preferences).
As soon as the water boils, add the champignons to the pressure cooker and cook for 15-20 minutes.
Peel the potatoes, cut into small cubes (one side should be about one centimeter).
Once 15-20 minutes have passed, add potatoes and spices to your liking and cook for 5 minutes.
During this time, peel the onion and finely chop it with a knife, then add it to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes.
Grate the carrots on a coarse or medium grater, then add them to the pan with the rest of the ingredients, don’t forget to mix thoroughly and cook for another 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, add vermicelli to the pan, taste (add a little spices and salt if necessary), add chopped herbs and cook the mushroom soup until tender (about 5 minutes).
The finished soup with champignons can be poured into bowls and served.
Bon appetit!

How long to cook the champignons until tender?

The champignons must be fried in a frying pan for as long as the mushrooms require. And this depends on their size and initial condition. Exactly the same rules apply to cooking champignons. The larger the mushrooms, the longer they need to be cooked on the stove, in a slow cooker, or even a pressure cooker. But the cooking time of the main ingredient does not only depend on this. This is also influenced by the initial condition of the mushrooms: champignons can be fresh or frozen. In the article below, each point that affects cooking time is discussed in as much detail as possible.

How long to cook fresh champignons

Let's start with the most common form - fresh mushrooms. Usually we talk about them if we have recently picked mushrooms in the forest. In this case, the mushrooms need to be boiled, frozen or pickled. Cook the champignons according to exactly the same recipe as for the salad (just exclude the spices and seasonings). Approximately the cooking time takes 10-15 minutes, but this is if the champignons are not chopped. And if the mushrooms are small or you cut them into portions in advance, then such champignons need to be boiled for 7-9 minutes. In other appliances: a multicooker, a double boiler, a pressure cooker, and so on, the cooking time remains approximately the same.

How long to cook frozen champignons

Frozen champignons need to be cooked a little less, since under the influence of ice they have already slightly changed their structure. But pre-frozen mushrooms (this applies to everyone, including champignons) must be defrosted naturally. That is, you need to take the mushrooms out of the freezer, put them on a plate and wait several hours for them to defrost. It would seem, why do this if there is a special mode in the microwave or, in extreme cases, hot water. The fact is that when mushrooms are defrosted unnaturally quickly, they lose their taste and beneficial qualities. You need to cook already defrosted champignons for 10-12 minutes, and if you somehow managed to cut them, then 5-8 minutes. These time figures apply to all containers and cooking appliances in the kitchen.

How long to cook champignons in soup

Recipes for soup with champignons have already been discussed in detail in the article above. But not a single recipe contained meat, and many people cannot imagine lunch without meat components. Therefore, I propose to consider a recipe for mushroom soup with chicken on the stove. Although exactly the same recipe can be transferred to a multicooker with a double boiler, cooking in a pressure cooker requires some changes. The calorie content of chicken soup with champignons in a saucepan is 179 kcal per 100 grams. This big difference is explained by the addition of chicken and some other ingredients to the lunch. Now let's find out how to cook mushroom soup with chicken on the stove - it turns out quickly, tasty and appetizing.

List of ingredients:

champignons – 400 g;
chicken fillet – 300 g;
potatoes – 3-4 pcs;
onions – 1 piece;
water – 3000 ml;
carrot – 1 piece;
vermicelli – 4 large spoons;
greens - to taste;
salt - to taste;
bay leaf and ground pepper - at your discretion.

How to cook mushroom soup with meat in a saucepan on the stove:

Peel and process the mushrooms; if they are frozen, defrost them (this was discussed in detail in the article above).
Pour 3 liters of water into a saucepan, add a little salt and put on fire, wait until the liquid boils.
As soon as the water boils, add the chicken fillet inside and cook the meat for 30-40 minutes (stir occasionally and remove any foam that forms).
During this time, the mushrooms should be chopped into portioned pieces (you can cut them either large or small; it depends on your taste preferences).
Add the champignons to the chicken and continue cooking the main ingredients of the soup in the pan for another 20 minutes.
Peel the potatoes, cut into small cubes (one side should be about one centimeter).
Once 20 minutes have passed, add potatoes and spices to your liking and cook for 10 minutes.
During this time, peel the onion and finely chop it with a knife, then add it to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes.
Grate the carrots on a coarse or medium grater, then add them to the pan with the rest of the ingredients, don’t forget to mix thoroughly and cook for another 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, add vermicelli to the pan, taste it (add a little spices and salt if necessary), add chopped herbs and cook the mushroom soup until tender (5-10 minutes).
The finished soup with champignons can be poured into bowls and served.
Bon appetit!

Recipe 4. Champignons fried with onions and herbs

Ingredients:

Champignons 8-10 pcs.
Butter (butter) – 30 gr.
Lemon juice – 30 ml.
Salt, pepper.
Greens (dill, parsley).

Cooking method:

First you need to rinse the mushrooms thoroughly and scald them with boiling water.

Mushroom caps must be cleared of films. If the caps are large, then they need to be cut into several parts. The stems of the mushrooms must also be cut off.

You also need to prepare the onion - peel it and chop it.

Next, fry the onion in oil until transparent. Then you need to add champignons to the onions and fry the ingredients together until the mushrooms are browned.

Afterwards, add salt and pepper to the onions and champignons. Then you need to add chopped greens and cook for another 10-12 minutes.

When the champignons become soft, add cream, lemon juice and boil the whole mixture again.

Prepared in this way, mushrooms can be served for lunch or dinner as a side dish.

Nutritional value of boiled champignons

The article above discussed the calorie content for all recipes, except for boiling champignons for salad. The energy value of this recipe is 43 kcal per 100 grams. If this difference seems so big to you, then remember that the salad recipe uses only mushrooms and seasonings, while the rest of the dishes contain a number of vegetables, noodles and other high-calorie ingredients. By the way, you can boil champignons on the stove or in a slow cooker without any additives at all, including without spices and seasonings. In this case, the nutritional value of boiled mushrooms will be 26 kcal per 100 grams, which is an extremely low figure.

Cooking features

The recipe for cooking champignons for salad can be transferred to any device: a multicooker, a pressure cooker or even a double boiler. In any case, the cooking recipe will be the same. By the way, it is not recommended to add a lot of different spices to this dish, since in a salad it may not turn out as tasty as planned. In general, champignons are often cooked for salad in a saucepan without any spices or seasonings, except salt and bay leaf.

By the way, mushroom soup can be prepared not only with chicken, but also with beef (it doesn’t taste good with pork, I don’t like it and I don’t recommend it). The cooking process is exactly the same, only the meat needs to be boiled longer. I also recommend adding sour cream to mushroom soup 5 minutes before the end of cooking. This ingredient will make the dish more tasty, tender and finger-licking appetizing. Some people use mayonnaise instead of sour cream. It turns out pretty good too, but it can’t be compared with sour cream.

Boiling champignons: tips and tricks

To obtain a delicious dish, the components of which are champignons, you can follow the following recommendations from professional chefs:

Avoid prolonged soaking in water. Regardless of what dish you plan to cook with these mushrooms, it is not recommended to soak champignons in water for a long time. Many cooks insist that simply rubbing the mushrooms before cooking using a kitchen towel will be sufficient. This will ensure that the density, aroma and taste of the product are preserved.
As for the duration of pre-boiling champignons, in the case of a fresh product it should not exceed 5 minutes.
If the mushrooms are intended for subsequent frying, they should be boiled in water without adding salt and pepper. It is better to add spices directly during the cooking process of mushrooms.

Bon appetit!

Recipe video

If you need clarity, I recommend watching the cooking video in the article below. The author shares a recipe for mushroom soup, which was not discussed in this article. I recommend mandatory viewing with sound, as the author voices several more life hacks and cooking secrets. Thanks to this, you can easily, quickly and tasty prepare delicious champignon soup with your own hands. Well, if you still have questions about preparing boiled champignons for soup, then ask them in the comments. And now, enjoy watching!

How to cook boiled champignons

The last recipe that will be discussed in this article is how to cook champignons without spices. The article above mentioned more than once a cooking method in which no seasonings are used, except salt and bay leaf. Although in fact, you can get rid of the bay leaf if you don’t like this flavor enhancer. In any case, the result is a simple, light dish with low energy value: 26 kcal per 100 grams. Boiled champignons cannot be called tasty, because they have a neutral, ordinary taste. But if you add them to a salad, then the mushrooms become tastier against the general background. Let's learn how to cook mushrooms on the stove for salad.

Ingredients

champignons - required quantity;
water - should completely cover the mushrooms;
salt - to taste;
bay leaf – 1 pc.

Description of preparation

Rinse the champignons thoroughly under running water.
Cut off the lower part of the stem of clean mushrooms and then rinse.
Pour water into the pan, add salt and bay leaf.
Mix the ingredients thoroughly in the pan and turn on the heat to maximum.
Wait until the water boils.
As soon as the liquid begins to bubble, reduce the heat to medium, add the mushrooms and mix thoroughly.
Cook the mushrooms over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, no need to stir with a spoon during the process.
At the end of the specified time, drain the boiled mushrooms in a colander and wait for the liquid to drain (if you plan to prepare the salad later, you should save the mushroom broth to store the mushrooms in).
Wait 10-15 minutes until the mushrooms cool slightly, then cut the champignons into pieces of the required size.
Add a mushroom ingredient to your salad!

What does cooking affect? And do you need to boil the champignons?

Most scientists argue that due to the ability of mushrooms to absorb substances from the external environment, they often accumulate life-threatening chemical compounds, as well as the remains of insects, bacteria... Which must be gotten rid of by long-term soaking followed by heat treatment.

During this process, the mushroom is filled with liquid, and the harmful components contained in it come out, forming foam on the surface of the pan, which should be removed with a slotted spoon. But you should not overdo it with either the temperature or the holding time, since along with the harmful substances, the beneficial ones that give the food that very taste evaporate.

To summarize

Now you know how to cook champignons for salad or as soup. The article above discussed different recipes for the stove, slow cooker, steamer or pressure cooker. Be sure to watch the video with the recipe for mushroom soup, which turns out tender, tasty and appetizing. And if you want to make your lunch more varied, try adding sour cream to the soup or, as a last resort, mayonnaise. This dish will sparkle with new colors and become even tastier (but also a little higher in calories). Write in the comments what container or device you use to cook champignons. If you have questions, ask in the comments below the article. We will definitely answer them as quickly as possible. Bon appetit, see you soon!