Gluten Free Mushroom Marsala Sauce recipe

Originally posted on January 10, 2011

I recently had a request for this sauce. It’s excellent with the Lentil Loaf (meatless meatloaf) which happens to be naturally gluten-free. I also like this sauce with regular meatloaf, chicken breast (think chicken marsala), polenta, and even by itself.

This is one of my favorites from my cookbook, The Warm Kitchen. And here’s a good chef’s tip. If you take the sauce and puree it with a bit of milk or cream, you will have a gluten-free cream of mushroom soup!

Gluten-Free Mushroom Marsala Sauce

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 – 2 tablespoons butter or butter substitute*
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 or more teaspoon Herbs de Provence (or a combination of thyme, rosemary, and oregano)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 2 pounds assorted mushrooms, sliced (for example, Portobello, crimini, shitake, white, oyster, porcini)
• 1 teaspoon fine kosher or sea salt
• 1 – 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ cup marsala
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable* broth
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
• *use to make vegan

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1. Place large sauté pan on medium heat. Add oil and only 2 teaspoons of the butter or butter substitute, then onion, herbs, and ground pepper. Cook in pan, stirring once or twice until golden and translucent.
2. Once softened, add the thicker mushrooms first like portobello or oyster. Stir once. Raise heat slightly and cook, stirring only occasionally until mushrooms become brown. If mushrooms are very dry, add a sprinkle of salt. Add the other half of the mushrooms and continue cooking until all of the mushrooms are cooked and brown. There should not be a lot of liquid in the pan; if there is, raise the heat to try to cook off the liquid.
3. Once the mushrooms are golden brown, add salt and garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring.
4. Raise heat slightly, wait 1 minute, and add marsala. Cook for 1 minute or until mostly evaporated.
5. Add broth and stir. Bring to a simmer.
6. In a small bowl, make a cornstarch slurry with cornstarch and cold water. Add to pan and simmer until thickened. If sauce is not thick enough, make more slurry and add more. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes and serve. Add more butter to give the sauce a creamier consistency.

Note: If you want to make it with a roux, add 1 tablespoon butter to the cooked mushrooms (after step 5). Melt the butter, then add 3 tablespoons white rice or gum-free gluten-free flour and stir. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, and add the broth. Continue to cook for about 3 to 5 minutes until the sauce is thickened. You should not need to add extra butter (but it never hurts!).