Mushroom Risotto

This vegan mushroom risotto is packed full of flavour and lends warmth, earthy flavours and makes a hearty meal for a chilly autumnal or winter’s evening. It can be easily adapted to replace nutritional yeast flakes with grated parmesan or your favourite cheese of choice.

The saffron and tomatoes add a depth of flavour which complements the deliciously woody flavour of the mushrooms.

Don’t be restricted by using one type of mushroom. Experiment and enjoy the vast array of wild, dried and shop-bought mushrooms on offer.

If you are strictly vegan, you might like to read this list of Vegan-friendly booze alternatives, as many wines and vermouth use animal by-products during their production. I’ve prepared this recipe with and without vermouth (which I use more often as a wine alternative as it has a longer shelf-life, and I don’t feel like I need to finish off the bottle!). When prepared with wine or vermouth, you get a slightly richer flavour, but it is just as delicious without, if you prefer.

Mushroom risotto is simple to prepare and lasts well in the fridge if you batch-cook.

Mushroom Risotto

Serves 4 as a main course

1 tbsp coconut oil

500g mushrooms (Shiitake, chestnut, wild), quartered

2 medium red onions, sliced lengthways

4 cloves of garlic, chopped chunky

500g Arborio (risotto) rice

6 strands of saffron

400g tin chopped tomatoes

12 sundried tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 – 1.5 litre water

½ cup of white wine or vermouth

1 tbsp fresh tarrogan, chopped

2 peppers

4 handfuls rocket

100g black olives

Salt and pepper to taste

How to prepare Mushroom Risotto

Melt the coconut oil in a large pan and fry the onions on a medium heat for approximately 5 minutes until they start to soften. Add the garlic and a pinch of salt. Fry for a further 5 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and peppers and cook for approximately 10 minutes. Don’t rinse the Arborio rice and pour it into the pan, making sure the rice is coated well with the oil. The outside of the rice will turn transparent. After approximately 5 minutes, add the wine or vermouth and let it be absorbed before adding a ladleful of water, stirring the rice continuously encouraging the creamy starch out. Let each ladleful of water be fully absorbed before you add another ladleful.

While you are adding the water to the risotto rice, melt the saffron strands in a small bowl of warm water to let the colour and fragrance develop.

After you have added 4 ladlefuls of water to the rice mixture, add the tinned tomatoes and sundried tomatoes. Stir well until the fluid has been absorbed, add the saffron water and tarragon and continue adding ladlefuls of water to the risotto mixture until the rice can absorb no more (this normally takes approximately 40 minutes).

Just before serving stir some nutritional yeast flakes (or grated parmesan) through the rice and add the rocket leaves.

Serve heaped onto 4 plates.