Description
A budget-friendly, creamy vegan mushroom risotto that uses pantry staples like Arborio rice, dried mushrooms, and nutritional yeast to create a rich, dairy-free meal without the stress of traditional risotto.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups Arborio rice
- 1 oz dried mushrooms (porcini or cremini) or 1 lb fresh cremini/button mushrooms
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 6–8 cups vegetable broth, low-sodium, kept hot
- 1 cup hot water (for soaking dried mushrooms)
- 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 3–4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegan butter
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
- Black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme (optional)
Instructions
- If using dried mushrooms, soak them in 1 cup of hot water for 20 minutes. Remove, squeeze out water, chop, and strain the soaking liquid to remove grit. If using fresh mushrooms, wipe clean and slice.
- Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add garlic and thyme, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add Arborio rice and stir constantly for 2-3 minutes until the edges look translucent and it smells nutty.
- Pour in white wine (or extra broth/lemon juice if skipping wine) and stir until the liquid has evaporated.
- Add 1 cup of hot vegetable broth (and some mushroom soaking liquid if using dried mushrooms) to the rice. Stir gently and let the rice absorb the liquid. Repeat this process, adding broth 1 cup at a time, stirring every 2-3 minutes, until the rice is creamy and al dente (about 20-25 minutes).
- Stir in the chopped mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes until heated through.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in coconut milk, nutritional yeast, Dijon mustard, and vegan butter. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately in shallow bowls, topped with fresh parsley, extra nutritional yeast, and black pepper.
Notes
Keep the broth hot to ensure consistent cooking. Do not skip toasting the rice. Use the mushroom soaking liquid for extra flavor. This dish does not freeze well; store in the fridge for up to 4 days and reheat with a splash of broth or milk.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 52
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 8
Keywords: vegan risotto, mushroom risotto, budget dinner, family dinner, gluten-free, dairy-free, weeknight meals, creamy risotto, plant-based