Description
A rich, plant-based mushroom risotto that achieves a luxurious, creamy texture without dairy using cashew cream and Arborio rice starch. This gluten-free dish is ready in about 30 minutes and features deep umami flavors from cremini and dried porcini mushrooms.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups Arborio rice
- 4–5 cups vegetable broth (kept warm)
- ½ cup dry white wine (e.g., Sauvignon Blanc)
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
- ½ oz dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 cup hot water (for rehydrating porcini)
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
- ¼ cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Black pepper, to taste
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Rehydrate dried porcini mushrooms in 1 cup of hot water for 10 minutes. Remove mushrooms, squeeze dry, and chop finely. Strain the soaking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer or coffee filter to remove grit and set aside.
- Bring vegetable broth to a simmer in a small saucepan and keep on low heat.
- In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil and vegan butter over medium heat. Add diced onion and a pinch of salt; cook for 3-4 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Add minced garlic and fresh thyme leaves; cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add Arborio rice and stir constantly for 2 minutes until the rice smells nutty and edges look translucent.
- Pour in white wine and stir constantly until the alcohol smell evaporates and liquid is almost gone.
- Add one ladle of warm broth to the rice. Stir gently and frequently. Wait until liquid is mostly absorbed before adding the next ladle. Repeat this process for 18-20 minutes until rice is al dente and creamy.
- While rice cooks, heat a separate skillet over medium-high heat with oil. Add sliced cremini mushrooms. Cook without crowding until they release water and brown deeply (8-10 minutes). Set aside.
- If using porcini soaking liquid, add it during the middle of the broth addition process.
- When rice is done, remove pot from heat. Stir in blended cashew cream, nutritional yeast, and browned mushrooms.
- Season with lemon juice, black pepper, and salt to taste.
- Serve immediately, garnished with fresh thyme.
Notes
Keep the broth warm to prevent stopping the cooking process. Do not rush the browning of mushrooms to ensure deep flavor. If the risotto gets too thick, add a splash of hot water. Cashew cream can be substituted with oat cream or extra olive oil if nuts are avoided. Risotto is best eaten fresh and does not freeze well.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 12
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 55
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 10
Keywords: vegan risotto, mushroom risotto, gluten-free dinner, creamy risotto, plant-based comfort food, easy weeknight dinner, cashew cream risotto