Risotto is comfort food at its best. Pair it with mushrooms simmered in veggie stock and add a splash of lemon, and you’ve got a luscious treat to enjoy on its own or as a side dish. Arborio rice delivers the best, creamiest result, but even a basmati rice will work well. Once you master a basic risotto (which is easy!), you can make it with any veggies you have on hand, or just make it on its own and it will still be delicious.
Pair it with a salad or simple broth for a brunch or lunch; it also reheats well, so give it a try and you’ll be making it as often as you like.
Serve it with this Broiled Polenta with Olives and Tomatoes for a delicious meal.
Mushroom Risotto
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 4-6 servings
Creamy risotto is a perfect side dish or great on its own with a salad and and a nice glass of wine!
Ingredients
- ½ lb. crimini or portobello mushrooms, wiped clean and chopped
- 1 ½ cups chopped onion (any color; about 1 medium)
- 4-5 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 cup chopped parsley
- 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Fine sea salt/Maldon salt
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
Heat ½ cup of vegetable broth in a large frying pan. Add the mushrooms and stir well. Turn the heat to medium and gently simmer the mushrooms until they have been reduced by half. Keep the mushrooms warm.
Pour all the vegetable broth into a saucepan on the stove next to the rice pot and heat it to a slow simmer. Put a large ladle into the pot to use when adding the broth to the rice.
While the mushrooms are cooking, add the olive oil and vegan butter to a large soup pot with a heavy bottom or Dutch oven. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are golden and have absorbed almost all the fats. Add the rice and stir well to coat the rice with the onions; then add the wine and stir well.
Begin to add the vegetable broth to the rice mixture by ladlefulls, stirring well after each addition. As the rice absorbs the broth, add more broth to keep the rice mixture slightly soupy. This step can take as long as 30 minutes. You don’t have to stir constantly, but keep an eye on the pot and stir often. Don’t let the rice mixture dry out.
Eventually the rice will become creamy. Taste a few kernels; they should be completely soft but not mushy. If you have used up all the broth and the kernels still have a solid center, add more broth, wine, or water by the ¼ cup and continue to stir until the rice is tender. Add the mushrooms, the parsley, the nutritional yeast, the thyme, the pepper and a teaspoon of fine sea salt. Stir and let the risotto rest for a few minutes. Taste for salt. You may need to add another teaspoon of salt.
Serve sprinkled with fresh lemon juice and pass Maldon salt at the table.
Leave a Reply