These vegan scallops are made with King Oyster mushrooms and have the PERFECT texture. Cooked in a vegan lemon garlic butter sauce with fresh parsley they are out-of-this-world delicious!
If you’ve been missing the taste of scallops in your vegan diet, then you’ll miss them no more with these awesome vegan scallops made with King Oyster mushrooms.
The stems of King Oyster mushrooms make the PERFECT scallop shape and they also happen to have the perfect scallop texture.
They are seared in a hot pan until beautifully browned and then drenched in a delicious vegan lemon garlic butter sauce.
They make a perfect appetizer or main course.
Our vegan shrimp is also made with King Oyster mushrooms, so check that one out too.
Ingredients For King Oyster Mushroom Scallops:
Ingredient Notes
- King Oyster mushrooms – have the perfect shape and texture and are the crucial ingredient in these vegan scallops.
- Lemon juice – always tastes better when it’s freshly squeezed.
How To Make Vegan Scallops
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- Cut the ends off the King Oyster mushrooms and then slice the stems into 1 inch thick discs.
- Place them on a baking tray and then brush the mushroom rounds with olive oil. Then turn them over and brush the other side.
- Sprinkle the tops with sea salt, ground black pepper and paprika.
- Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium low heat. Coat it with a thin layer of olive oil.
- Add the mushroom scallops to the hot skillet, seasoned side down. You should hear it sizzle nicely when it hits the hot pan.
- While the first side is searing, season the other side with sea salt, ground black pepper and paprika.
- Cook for around 2 minutes and then flip. The seared side should be golden brown.
- Cook the other side for around 2 minutes and when both sides are seared and golden brown, return them to the baking tray.
- Repeat with the rest of the scallops, adding (and heating) more oil if needed, until all of them are seared and golden brown.
- Then add vegan butter and crushed garlic to the same skillet that you seared the mushroom scallops in.
- Let the vegan butter and garlic cook for around 1 minute until fragrant. It should be lightly golden and fragrant, not burnt.
- Add lemon juice and parsley to the pan and then turn off the heat.
- Add all the mushroom scallops back to the pan. It’s okay to crowd them in the pan at this point because they are only going back in to get coated with sauce, or you can do them in two batches.
- Gently move the scallops around in the sauce, and use a spoon to gently pour sauce over the top of the scallops.
- Serve with a sprinkle of ground black pepper, fresh chopped parsley and fresh lemon slices.
Chef’s Tips
- Sear the oyster mushroom scallops in a very hot pan so that they get nicely browned.
- Sear them in oil, not vegan butter. The vegan butter gets added later to make the lemon garlic butter sauce.
- When you first add the mushroom scallops to the hot pan, don’t move them around. Let them sit to get a nice sear.
Serving Suggestions
Scallops are often served alongside rice or risotto and these King Oyster scallops would be divine alongside our vegan mushroom risotto. They are also great served with pasta and our vegan asparagus pasta would go great with this.
Or keep it really simple and serve them alongside some vegan bruschetta or avocado toast.
Or enjoy them alongside a delicious vegan couscous salad or vegan potato salad or on top of some delicious vegan mashed potatoes.
More Vegan Seafood Recipes
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Scallops
Ingredients
- 1 pound King Oyster Mushrooms (450g)
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil Plus more for brushing
- ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon Paprika
- 4 Tablespoons Vegan Butter
- 3 Cloves Garlic Crushed
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice Freshly Squeezed
- 2 Tablespoons Parsley Chopped
Instructions
- Cut the ends off the King Oyster mushrooms and then slice the stems into 1 inch thick discs.
- Place them on a baking tray and then brush the mushroom rounds with olive oil. Then turn them over and brush the other side.
- Sprinkle the tops with sea salt, ground black pepper and paprika.
- Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium low heat. Coat it with a thin layer of olive oil.
- Add the mushroom scallops to the hot skillet, seasoned side down. You should hear it sizzle nicely when it hits the hot pan.
- While the first side is searing, season the other side with sea salt, ground black pepper and paprika.
- Cook for around 2 minutes and then flip. The seared side should be golden brown.
- Cook the other side for around 2 minutes and when both sides are seared and golden brown, return them to the baking tray.
- Repeat with the rest of the scallops, adding (and heating) more oil if needed, until all of them are seared and golden brown.
- Then add vegan butter and crushed garlic to the same skillet that you seared the mushroom scallops in.
- Let the vegan butter and garlic cook for around 1 minute until fragrant. It should be lightly golden and fragrant, not burnt.
- Add lemon juice and parsley to the pan and then turn off the heat.
- Add all the mushroom scallops back to the pan. It's okay to crowd them in the pan at this point because they are only going back in to get coated with sauce, or you can do them in two batches.
- Gently move the scallops around in the sauce, and use a spoon to gently pour sauce over the top of the scallops.
- Serve with a sprinkle of ground black pepper, fresh chopped parsley and fresh lemon slices.
Notes
- The pan must be hot. Sear the mushroom scallops in a very hot pan so that they get nicely browned.
- Sear in oil first. Sear the mushroom scallops in oil first to get them seared and browned. Don’t use vegan butter as it will burn. The vegan butter gets added later to make the lemon garlic butter sauce.
- Don’t move them around when searing. When you first add the mushroom scallops to the hot pan, don’t move them around. Let them sit to get a nice sear.
- Storing. Keep leftovers stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can reheat them easily in the microwave.
HI ALISON,
A great site and I have just signed up. The Scallops look great and are I am sure well worth the effort.
However, this sort of thing takes time and it would be great if I could freeze the finished scallops. I have vacuum packing machine would that help in the freezing process? Will the texture of the faux Scallops be damaged by the freezing? Look forward to hearing from you. Keep up the great Vegan work!
Perfect in every way. Really great served over linguine. Didn’t change anything.
Awesome! Thanks so much for your great review David!
Fantastic! It was like eating at a very good restaurant. I put these over some fettuccini with leftover vegan bechamel. Ridiculously good! Probably high in fat when served over the fettuccini with white sauce, but will make it this way on special occasions.
Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Christina! Thanks so much for your great review!
Our ‘scallops’ were very chewy, something I did, normal, or just my batch of mushrooms? Not at all tender like a scallop. Taste was great tho.
I found these mushrooms at my local farmer’s market this morning and made this recipe and tossed it all in some fettuccine noodles with the garlic lemon butter sauce- HOLY MOLY! This was seriously one of the best things I’ve eaten in a long time.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe Genevieve!
Absolutely delicious!! I added some vegan fish sauce. Paired with mushroom risotto and asparagus. Devine!!
Wonderful!! Thanks for your review Bonnie!
Delicious and very easy to make. It was even loved by my steak eating husband. Highly recommend and will definitely make again. Alison, thank you for this great recipe.
Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Niki! Thanks so much for your great review!
Wow!! 🤩 Just wow! Thanks for this amazing recipe! I was actually able to sear in refined coconut oil and it came out perfectly. Will be making these to wow some future guests 🤗
So glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for the amazing review Monica!
Wow! I’ve never tried the trumpet mushrooms but saw them at my local store so I bought some immediately. These are amazing in texture and your recipe is lovely! Deeelish! Thank you.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the awesome review Eva!
OMG! Amazing! I had no idea this was possible! I will be making this for my family:)
Thank you!
Easy and delicious! Thanks for the excellent recipe. 🙂
Thanks Jamie!
Hi Alison 👋 I love your recipes. I was just wondering, because I am deathly allergic to mushrooms of any kind, is there a suitable substitute for them? I would love to make these and shrimp as well, but only if I can eat them too! 😋 Thank you for all you do. ❤️ Stay Safe
Hi Angelyka, you can try using hearts of palm instead. 🙂
Are there any good substitutions for the king oysters? I live in the boonies and king oysters aren’t readily available. Thanks!
Hi Mimi, you can actually use canned heart of palm, the texture is similar and also works great. I’m not 100% sure of the exact quantity but I’m thinking around two 15-ounce cans of hearts of palm (drained) would be about right.
Ooh wow! This was amazing! So realistic and taste was spot on.