Mushroom and Kale Risotto
The best risottos are rich and creamy and this vegan version is just that! Many people don’t want to try making risotto at home as it has a rep for taking painfully long and being a dish that you need to babysit every step of the way. This recipe may not be as fussy as an authentic Italian-style risotto but you still can’t pop it on the stove and walk away. You will need to keep your eye on it but I promise you that the little extra love will be oh so worth it in the end.
With just a few simple ingredients you can create this creamy delicious vegan version in about 30 minutes. This recipes incorporates two of my favourite powerhouse ingredients: crimini mushrooms and kale. Mushrooms have many health benefits which include treating and preventing fatigue, they have anticancer properties, promote cardiovascular health and protect gut health. Kale is a nutrient dense veggie loaded with antioxidants, it can help lower cholesterol and is an excellent source of Vitamin K and C. Just adding these two ingredients to the risotto kicked up the nutritional value a whole bunch. Now it’s time to get started!
First dice up your red onion and mince your garlic. Cook these until soft over medium to low heat. You can slice or dice your mushrooms and once the onions are soft add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for a minute or two. Arborio rice is a high-starch short grained rice which is what gives risotto it’s creamy texture. This goes into the pan next and cooks for 1 minute. The vegetable stock needs to be added next. You do not want to use cold vegetable stock when making risotto so a tip is to warm it in a saucepan first before adding it to the rice. Bring it to a boil and then cover and simmer on low for 25 to 30 minutes until all of the stock has been absorbed. You will need to stir the rice occasionally to prevent sticking; this also helps release the starch from the rice to create that creaminess we are looking for. If you find that the rice is still too firm then you can add some additional stock but only do this 1/4 cup at a time as you do not want mushy risotto! A few minutes before it is finished add the finely chopped kale so that it can wilt. Season well with salt and black pepper. Once it is finished cooking turn off the heat and stir in the nutritional yeast. At this point you can also add 1 tablespoon of vegan butter for a little added creaminess but that is completely optional.
Serve it up and enjoy!
Mushroom and Kale Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Arborio Rice
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 Small Red Onion finely diced
- 4 Cloves Garlic minced
- 2 Cups Crimini Mushrooms sliced or diced
- 4 Cups Vegetable Stock warmed
- 2 Cups Kale Finely Chopped
- 3 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- 1 tbsp Plant-based Butter optional
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in pan over medium to low heat
- Add the diced onion and garlic and cook until soft
- Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for 1-2 minutes
- Add the arborio rice and cook for 1 minute
- Add the warm vegetable stock to the pan. Bring this to a boil and then cover and simmer on low for 25-30 minutes
- Add the kale to the pan to wilt just before the risotto is done.
- Season with salt and black pepper
- Turn the heat off and add the nutritional yeast. Stir to combine
- If you are using the vegan butter add this now and stir it in
Notes
Chickpea Curry Dip
