Opies Pickled Walnuts Recipe: Mushroom Stew
Ad – Opies pickled walnuts gifted so I could put together a recipe and some ideas of what to do with pickled walnuts
Opies pickled walnuts recipes are few and far between, especially when you’re looking for something vegetarian. Before creating this recipe, I had only had pickled walnuts on their own as part of a buffet. I’d never thought of cooking with them. When I looked for recipes, lots of people were using them with a meaty stew. I could see the attraction, the pickled walnuts would cut through a flavourful broth and give it some extra depth. So, this is a vegetarian take on a stew with pickled walnuts.
What to do with pickled walnuts
Pickled walnuts have a distinctive sweet and tangy flavour which makes them a surprisingly versatile ingredient. I absolutely love them straight from the jar, but I think I may be in the minority here. So, if you’ve tried them like that and you’re not immediately keen, do consider cooking with them. They’re particularly good in savoury recipes where you want to add a little extra depth and acidity.
If you’re looking for recipes using pickled walnuts, here are a few ideas:
- Mushroom stew: Add chopped pickled walnuts to a rich mushroom stew for extra flavour and texture.
- Cheese boards: Slice them and serve alongside strong cheeses and crackers.
- Sandwiches: Chop pickled walnuts finely and mix into a sandwich filling or add slices to a cheese sandwich.
- Salads: Add small pieces to a winter salad with leaves, nuts and cheese.
- Gravy and sauces: Finely chopped pickled walnuts can add an interesting tangy flavour to rich vegetarian gravies and sauces.
If you haven’t cooked with them before, this mushroom stew is an easy way to experiment with their flavour.
Opies pickled walnuts recipe: A vegetarian stew with basic ingredients
We’re vegetarian and eat vegan as much as possible. So, I decided to create a “meaty” stew that was completely meat-free. This stew uses mushrooms, soy sauce and marmite to give it a meaty flavour. Fleshy, plant-based ingredients even look like meat and the Opies pickled walnuts lend a distinctive taste. It’s a simple, experimental recipe that has turned out really well.
The other thing about this opies pickled walnuts recipe is that the ingredients are basic and easy to get hold of. You can use any type of mushrooms and it’s worth experimenting with different sorts to see which you prefer. Tinned jackfruit is readily available in the supermarket, with the tinned vegetables. If you can’t find it, tinned chickpeas would be a good replacement. The lentils and beans can also be substituted for something else if you prefer. Opies pickled walnuts can be purchased at all major supermarkets. Find out more about these and their other products on the Opies Foods website.
Opies pickled walnuts veggie stew recipe: Ingredients
- Tablespoonful of vegetable oil
- One large onion, chopped
- One clove of garlic, finely chopped
- One large carrot or a few smaller ones, chopped
- 300g mushrooms (I used a mixture of shiitake, oyster and eryngi but whatever you have will be fine)
- 100ml red wine (optional)
- Generous dash of soy sauce
- 1 pint of vegetable stock (add an extra 1/4 pint if you’re not using wine)
- Pinch of black pepper
- 400g tin of shredded jackfruit
- 400g tin of lentils
- 400g tin of mixed beans
- Teaspoon of marmite
- Jar of Opies Pickled Walnuts (390g, drained weight 170g)
Method
- Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil over a medium heat in a large pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened.
- Add the mushrooms and carrots. You can chop the mushrooms first but I prefer to leave them whole. This will depend on the variety you use.
- Leave to cook for about a minute, you should start to smell the mushrooms.
- Add 100ml of red wine or vegetable stock and a generous dash of soy sauce. Simmer for a couple of minutes.
- Add one pint of vegetable stock and a pinch of pepper. No salt is required in this recipe because both soy sauce and marmite are slightly salty.
- Bring to the boil then turn down the heat and simmer for five minutes.
- Add a teaspoon of marmite and drain and add the jackfruit, lentils and beans.
- Simmer for a further five minutes.
- Add the quartered pickled walnuts and two tablespoons of the pickling vinegar from the jar.
- Simmer for five minutes.
- Use a ladle to spoon the stew into bowls and serve with crusty bread.
Cooking with pickled walnuts
Pickled walnuts have quite a strong flavour, so it’s worth chopping them into relatively small pieces when adding them to a cooked dish. This allows their flavour to spread throughout the recipe without overwhelming the other ingredients.
They work particularly well with mushrooms because the earthy flavour of the mushrooms balances the sharpness of the pickling liquid. If you’re adapting another recipe to include pickled walnuts, start with a small quantity and add more to taste.
You can also experiment with adding a little of the pickling liquid to sauces and gravies for extra depth, although it’s best to do this gradually so that the finished dish doesn’t become too sharp.
Frequently asked questions
What do pickled walnuts taste like?
Pickled walnuts have a distinctive sweet, sour and tangy flavour. They are quite different from ordinary walnuts and work particularly well with savoury dishes, cheese and rich sauces.
Do you need to cook pickled walnuts?
No. Pickled walnuts are already preserved and can be eaten straight from the jar. You can also chop them into cooked dishes, such as this mushroom stew, to add extra flavour.
What goes well with pickled walnuts?
Pickled walnuts work particularly well with mushrooms, strong cheeses, salads and rich vegetarian dishes. Their tangy flavour makes them a useful addition to recipes that need a little extra depth.
Are pickled walnuts vegetarian?
Check the ingredients and labelling on the particular jar you’re buying. Opies pickled walnuts are the variety used in this recipe and these are vegetarian, but it’s always sensible to check the current packaging if you have specific dietary requirements.
Opies Pickled Walnuts recipe: Mushroom stew
Equipment
- Hob
- Knife
- Chopping board
- Large pan
- Tablespoon
- Teaspoon
- Tin opener
- Spoon to stir
- Ladle to serve
- Dish to serve
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 large carrot or two to three small carrots (chopped)
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- 300 grams mushrooms I used a mixture of shiitake, oyster and eryngi but whatever you have will be fine
- 100 ml red wine optional
- 1 generous dash soy sauce
- 1 pint vegetable stock add an extra 1/4 pint if you're not using wine
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 400 gram tin of shredded jackfruit
- 400 gram tin of lentils
- 400 gram tin of mixed beans
- 1 teaspoon marmite
- 1 jar Opies Pickled Walnuts 390g, drained weight 170g Quartered.
Instructions
- Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil over a medium heat in a large pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened.
- Add the mushrooms and carrots. You can chop the mushrooms first but I prefer to leave them whole. This will depend on the variety you use.
- Leave to cook for about a minute, you should start to smell the mushrooms.
- Add 100ml of red wine or vegetable stock and a generous dash of soy sauce. Simmer for a couple of minutes.
- Add one pint of vegetable stock and a pinch of pepper. No salt is required in this recipe because both soy sauce and marmite are slightly salty.
- Bring to the boil then turn down the heat and simmer for five minutes.
- Add a teaspoon of marmite and drain and add the jackfruit, lentils and beans.
- Simmer for a further five minutes.
- Add the quartered pickled walnuts and two tablespoons of the pickling vinegar from the jar.
- Simmer for five minutes.
- Use a ladle to spoon the stew into bowls and serve with crusty bread.
Other vegetarian recipes
If you are looking for other vegetarian recipes, you might like this veggie chilli or you could check out my review of Mindful Chef recipe boxes. If you’ve never tried cooking rice in the oven, check out this one-pot recipe. Since my children became vegetarian, we’ve been cooking exclusively veggie meals here. So it’s always good to have a quick veggie dessert option too, like these tasty cinnamon rolls.
