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Vegan King Oyster Mushroom Scallops with Truffle Pea Purée

With the holiday season coming, thanksgiving, Christmas, then new year one after another. I think we all deserve a little something fancy, BUT still secretively easy! These vegan "scallops" are made of king oyster mushrooms, simply marinated with easy to get ingredients and then pan-seared for that beautiful golden brown color and crispy edges.


And the flavors were unreal! King oyster mushrooms, or king trumpet mushrooms resemble the texture of scallops perfectly, smooth, chewy, and savory. I served them with a truffle oil infused purée that's creamy from a sunflower cream cheese base with a hint of sweetness from the peas.


Finally, I sprinkled on a handful of crispy, smoky tofu bacon bits to complete the luxury experience ;) If you make this please let me know what you think! You can also find me on Instagram @veganbunnychef where I post video recipe tutorials.


INGREDIENTS:

Vegan Scallops -
6 large king oyster mushrooms
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon white miso paste
1 nori sheet, shredded
2 tablespoon caper brine
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon tamari/soy sauce
1 tablespoon flaxseed oil

Crispy Vegan Bacon Bits -
6 oz extra firm tofu
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1/2 tablespoon coconut amino
1 tablespoon tamari/soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Truffle Pea Purée -
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon truffle oil
1/4 cup Sunflower seed cream cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

TO MAKE:

Crispy Vegan Bacon Bits
- Thinly slice the tofu into 1/8" pieces, marinate in the rest of the ingredients for 30 minutes;
- In a non-stick frying pan, heat a large drizzle of oil over medium heat, fry tofu pieces till cripsy brown, about 3-4 minutes per side, remove and break them into small bits;

Truffle Pea Puree
- In a food processor, add all ingredients and blend until completely smooth. Set aside;
Vegan Scallops
- Slice mushroom crosswise into 1" thick rounds. Score the tops and bottoms of each "scallop" with a criss-cross pattern;
- In a large bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients. Marinate for at least 1 hour, up to 4 hours;
- Heat a large drizzle of oil in a non stick pan over medium high heat, add mushrooms and pan sear on each side until the edges get a nice, golden brown color, about 5-6 minutes per side; 
- Plate the "scallops" with pea puree and tofu bacon bits;
- Enjoy!

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