MUSHROOM & LEEK RISOTTO
So I have been obsessing over the risotto I’ve been making lately, it has fresh juicy flavors and honestly, the leek is just perfect, I feel it is essential for this recipe. I featured this recipe on my story this week a few times and you guys asked for the recipe so here it is! I have been wanting to make risotto for a while now, and for some silly reason, I thought that it may be difficult to make vegan, which is a silly thought for I am usually one to challenge myself to make something vegan that normally isn’t. So now that I have done it and mastered the vegan risotto, I realize just how simple it is. Below I will share with you a few tips I have learned along the way to making a great vegan risotto.
YOU WILL NEED
- 6 1/2 cups of spring water (or use liquid vegetable broth)
- 2 tablespoons of low sodium vegetable stock (or use liquid vegetable broth)
- 2 cups of arborio rice
- 5 medium brown mushrooms
- 1 leek stalk
- 1/4 large broccoli
- 1 medium white onion
- 2 garlic cloves
METHOD
- In a pot, warm the broth over medium heat. No need to boil it but keep it hot.
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add chopped mushrooms stir and place lid on the let them steam and sauté, it will only take a few minutes and the mushrooms release their juices and shrink slightly starting to brown. Remove mushrooms and set aside.
- In the same sauté pan with the heat on medium add the leek and broccoli, place the lid on again and let cook stirring occasionally every minute or so for 5 minutes, then add to the bowl with the mushrooms and set aside.
- Now add the garlic and onion to the pan, let them soften then add the dry arborio rice, stirring in and mixing well with the onions and garlic (no longer than 1 minute, add a scoop of the broth to the rice mix and stir every 30 seconds or more. Don’t let the rice dry out or stick to the pan.
- Keep adding scoops of the broth slowly to the rice (I added 1/2 – 1 cup each time), stir until the broth is 90% absorbed before you add your next scoop. When you’ve got almost all the broth added, add in the mushrooms, leeks, and broccoli to the rice mix. Stir in well and let it sit for 5 minutes before serving. Add one more scoop of broth after vegetables have been added it looking to dry.
- Top with lemon juice and some parsley on top.
I always remember this one tip about risotto from watching Master Chef in the past, to slowly add the water/stock while the rice is cooking. Also, keep your water or stock hot for fast absorption into the rice. These two tips are pretty major when making risotto, and it also makes the process a lot quicker!
Chop your mushrooms and add to a nonstick pan over medium heat (I used no oil at all) because my pans don’t need it. If your pans need oil please use a small amount of coconut oil. Sauté with the lid on for a few minutes until wilted and brown. Then set aside in separate bowl or pan. My pots and pans are Rock cookware for those of you who ask me on my Instagram page.
Now add your chopped leek and broccoli to the same pan that the mushrooms were in and sauté them for approximately 5-7 minutes until soft but not soggy. Set aside with the mushrooms.
Place the onions and garlic to the pan and cook on medium heat until soft then add the dry rice to the pan, stir. Add a scoop of vegetable broth and wait for that to absorb stirring constantly (make sure you don’t let the rice dry and stick to the pan)
When the liquid is 90% absorbed add another scoop of liquid to the rice, Repeat this step until rice is cooked (taste test the rice for best results) you want the rice to be cooked but not mushy soggy! Once rice is cooked you can add in your vegetables and stir it on a low heat for 5 minutes. If it is looking dry please add in some left over broth. Then serve immediately!
I added some fresh lemon juice, parsley along with a dollop of vegan tofu mayonnaise that I get from the Gold Coast Organic Market on a Sunday! The Japanese stall their make the best homemade tofu (the smoked tofu is what got me into tofu last year! So fresh and delish) and the vegan mayo, it is to die for!! Anyway, Im getting distracted by the mayo haha.
Thanks to all of you who asked for this recipe on my Instagram, It takes a lot of effort and time to put these things together and It is all for you guys so having you share the love back by liking and commenting on my photos or purchasing my recipe and lifestyle ebooks makes me so happy and keeps me motivated to continue sharing my lifestyle with you.
I hope you love the risotto recipe as much as I do, I have made it 3 times this week already! It’s just perfect, so fresh and simple, just the way I love all of my food.
PS. This recipe was inspired by my gal pal Kristy who always sends me snapchats of her risotto and it makes me drool, so thanks for the inpso gal.. love you!
Peace out,
Lon x