When it’s freezing and gray out and you’re feeling grouchy and rundown, there is little else cozier than a big plate of risotto. The repetitive stirring will calm your nerves and the end product will warm your bones.
Ingredients
serves six
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 shallots, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence
3 large Portobello mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon vegan butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 to 8 cups vegetable stock
2 cups risotto (Arborio) rice
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 handful parsley, minced
½ cup vegan Parmesan (optional)
Method
In a large saucepan, sauté onion and shallots in 2 tablespoons olive oil until translucent. Add Herbes de Provence and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add mushrooms, a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté until the mushrooms being to release their liquid. Add vegan butter and stir until melted. Turn off heat and set aside.
In a large, heavy bottomed stock pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sauté 2 shallots for four minutes. Add garlic and sauté for one more minute.
Add rice and stir until everything is shiny with oil. Pour in ½ cup white wine and stir until all the liquid is absorbed.
Pour in one cup of stock and stir slowly until all the liquid is absorbed. Repeat process four more times (you will have added five cups of broth by then). Taste a few grains of rice at that point. You’re looking for the rice to be cooked, but not mushy. If the rice still needs more cooking time, continue the stock process until you reach your desired tenderness.
Season with salt and pepper, to taste, turn off the heat and stir in vegan Parmesan if using.
Serve a big scoop of rice topped with a big scoop of mushrooms and garnish with parsley.
Image © Yvonne Penzakov for BitchBuzz.com