Creamy Mushroom Risotto (Vegan)
Risotto has a reputation for being fussy, but it is honestly one of the most meditative things you can cook. Twenty minutes of standing at the stove, ladling warm broth into rice and stirring, watching it transform from separate grains into a glossy, creamy bowl of comfort. The trick for vegan risotto is twofold: use a stock that tastes like something (mushroom broth is ideal), and finish with a generous swirl of cashew cream and nutritional yeast to mimic the butter-and-Parmesan finish of the classic version.
Ingredients
- ☐ Arborio rice — 1 1/2 cups
- ☐ Mixed mushrooms — 1 lb, sliced (cremini, shiitake, oyster)
- ☐ Dried porcini mushrooms — 1/2 oz, soaked in hot water
- ☐ Vegetable or mushroom broth — 5 cups, warm
- ☐ Dry white wine — 1/2 cup
- ☐ Shallots — 2, finely diced
- ☐ Garlic — 3 cloves, minced
- ☐ Fresh thyme — 1 teaspoon, plus extra for garnish
- ☐ Cashew cream — 1/3 cup (soak 1/2 cup raw cashews, blend with 1/4 cup water)
- ☐ Nutritional yeast — 2 tablespoons
- ☐ Olive oil — 3 tablespoons
- ☐ Vegan butter — 2 tablespoons
- ☐ Fresh parsley — chopped, for garnish
- ☐ Sea salt and black pepper
Nutrition Facts
Per serving · 4 servings total
Instructions
Tap a step to mark it complete as you cook.
Soak the dried porcini in 1 cup of hot water for 15 minutes. Lift them out, chop finely, and strain the soaking liquid through a coffee filter to remove grit. Add this liquid to your warm broth.
In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the fresh mushrooms in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 4 minutes, then stir and cook for another 3-4 minutes until deeply browned. Season with salt, transfer to a plate, and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the vegan butter to the same pot. Add the shallots and a pinch of salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and chopped porcini, cook for 60 seconds.
Add the arborio rice. Stir constantly for 2 minutes until the grains are toasted and translucent at the edges. Pour in the white wine and stir until completely absorbed.
Add the warm broth one ladle at a time, stirring frequently. Wait until each addition is almost completely absorbed before adding the next. This process takes 18-22 minutes. The rice is done when it is al dente — tender with a slight bite at the center.
When the rice is cooked, fold in the reserved mushrooms, cashew cream, nutritional yeast, and thyme. Stir vigorously for 1 minute — this is what makes it creamy. The risotto should be loose enough to flow when you shake the pan; if it's too thick, add a final splash of broth.
Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Serve immediately in shallow bowls, garnished with fresh parsley and a few thyme leaves. Risotto waits for no one — eat it the moment it's done.
Recipe notes
For an extra-deep flavor, save the trimmings from your mushrooms and simmer them in the broth for 20 minutes before starting the risotto.
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