Description
Mushroom Thyme Crostini is a delightful appetizer featuring crispy baguette slices topped with sautéed cremini mushrooms, fresh thyme, and a savory pan sauce made with sherry vinegar and vegetable stock. Perfectly grilled or baked crostini create a crunchy base that complements the earthy mushroom topping infused with aromatic shallots and thyme.
Ingredients
Scale
Bread and Topping
- ½ crusty baguette (about 14 slices, each ¼” thick)
- 1/4 cup olive oil (plus 1-2 tbsp for brushing bread slices; or butter if not vegan)
- 16 oz. cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced no more than ¼” thick
- 1 bunch fresh thyme leaves
- 1 shallot, minced (or small onion)
- 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
Pan Sauce
- 2 teaspoons flour
- 1/4 cup vegetable stock, broth, or water
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare Bread Slices: Slice the baguette into about 14 pieces, each approximately ¼ inch thick. Brush 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil onto each slice evenly and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook Crostini: Choose your method to cook the bread slices: either grill over high heat on both sides using a grill pan or an outdoor grill until grill marks appear and bread is toasted; or bake on the middle rack of the oven preheated to 450°F (232°C) for about 7 minutes until crostini are golden brown and crispy. Set aside once done.
- Sauté Mushrooms: Heat 3-4 tablespoons of butter or olive oil in a hot skillet. Add the sliced mushrooms, minced shallot, and fresh thyme leaves. Sauté together for about 2 minutes until mushrooms start to soften.
- Deglaze and Simmer: Pour in the sherry vinegar to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Let it simmer for 30 seconds to blend flavors.
- Thicken Sauce: Stir in the flour and cook for another 30 seconds to form a roux. Gradually add the vegetable stock (or water), stirring well to thicken the sauce. If the mixture seems too dry, add a little more stock. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the thyme leaves from the pan.
- Assemble Crostini: Spoon a couple of tablespoons of the mushroom mixture onto each crostini. Garnish with additional fresh thyme leaves and a light drizzle of olive oil before serving.
Notes
- If using a baguette that is very soft, consider toasting it slightly more to ensure crostini are crispy.
- You can substitute cremini mushrooms with button, shiitake, or portobello as preferred.
- For a vegan version, use olive oil instead of butter.
- Adjust the seasoning carefully, especially salt, depending on the saltiness of your broth or stock.
- Sherry vinegar can be substituted with red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar if unavailable.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 2-3 crostini)
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
