Description
A creamy, plant-based risotto made with dried mushrooms, arborio rice, and a cashew cream base. This one-pot meal is ready in under 30 minutes and is naturally gluten-free.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/2 ounce (14g) dried porcini or shiitake mushrooms
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1/2 cup (60g) raw unsalted cashews
- 4 cups (960ml) low-sodium vegetable broth
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 sprig fresh thyme
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil for sautéing
Instructions
- Soak dried mushrooms in 1 cup of hot water for 10-15 minutes. Remove mushrooms, chop roughly, and strain the soaking liquid to remove grit. Set aside.
- Drain cashews and blend with 1/2 cup fresh water until completely smooth to create a cashew cream. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and thyme, sautéing for 1 minute until fragrant without browning.
- Add arborio rice to the pot and stir for 2 minutes to toast the grains until they smell nutty.
- Pour in white wine (if using) and stir until absorbed. Add hot vegetable broth one ladle at a time, stirring frequently and waiting for liquid to absorb before adding more.
- Continue adding broth and stirring for 15-20 minutes until rice is tender but al dente.
- Stir in chopped rehydrated mushrooms, reserved mushroom soaking liquid, and cashew cream. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately, topped with fresh herbs or a drizzle of olive oil.
Notes
Ensure vegetable broth is hot before adding to prevent the rice from becoming gummy. Toasting the rice is crucial for texture. The recipe is naturally gluten-free, but verify your broth is certified gluten-free. Do not freeze this dish as the cashew cream may separate and rice texture will suffer.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup per serving
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 600
- Fat: 12
- Saturated Fat: 2
- Carbohydrates: 55
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 10
Keywords: vegan risotto, mushroom risotto, cashew cream, gluten-free dinner, quick weeknight meals, one-pot recipes, plant-based comfort food