Image by Valter Cirillo from Pixabay

Spinach Mushroom Creamy Vegan Risotto

by Debayan Paul | April 26, 2019

The number of people who don’t like risotto is very less. It is such a comforting dish that I couldn’t imagine not having it after turning vegan. The original recipe uses a lot of butter and cheese. Out of risotto-desperation, I tried out the vegan risotto version and to my comfort, it turned pretty yummy.

Spinach Mushroom Creamy Vegan Risotto

For the cheesy flavor, I tried adding nutritional yeast which worked just fine. I also tried vegan parmesan which was even better. You can add both. The more the merrier. The quality of rice matters a lot, I found. You must choose a good quality Arborio rice for the recipe.

Ingredients

Arborio rice– 500 gms

Spinach– 300 gms

Mushrooms (any variety) – 300 gms

Dried shiitake mushroom– 1 whole medium sized (optional)

Parsley a bunch

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Nutritional yeast– 1 tablespoon

White wine vinegar– 1 tablespoon

Vegan cheese– 1 cup

Red chili flakes – 1 and a 1/2 teaspoon

Olive oil for cooking

How to prepare

I prefer the one-pot version. So first heat some olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan. You should cook this recipe in a heavy bottomed pan to prevent it from sticking at the bottom and ensure that everything cooks evenly. Once the oil is heated add a teaspoon of chili flakes. This enhances the taste.
Now stir in the mushrooms and fry for some time. Add the spinach and sauté for a few seconds. Now add in the washed Arborio rice.
Fry the rice with spinach and mushroom together. Sauté until the rice changes color. At this point add in the vinegar and add the entire vegetable broth.
Simmer the whole thing until the rice is cooked.
You can add more broth if needed. You can also add in the veg stock cubes that will add in a special flavor. Keep stirring in between to prevent the rice from sticking to the pan.
Once the rice is almost done, add in the nutritional yeast. And lastly, add in the parsley and vegan cheese. Stir well and serve hot.

Tips to Make Perfect Vegan Risotto

Use veg broth or mushroom stock to enhance the subtle flavor of the dish.
Do not skip the nutritional yeast as it is a great substitute to bring that cheesy taste.
Fry the Arborio rice until translucent to get a perfect risotto texture.
Temper the chili flakes in olive oil to bring about a great flavor.
Use any vinegar you have just before adding the stock or water to keep its zing intact.

This recipe must be consumed when hot. Risotto is supposed to be sticky so you cannot use a non-sticky rice variety. This vegan version of the recipe works really well and if you stick to my instructions, you will definitely get a perfect bowl of vegan risotto in no time.

How did the recipe work for you? Let me know in the comments below.