Meatless Monday: Mushroom Risotto

Risotto is one of those yummy, comforting dishes that seems so fancy that you have to go to a nice Italian restaurant to get it.  Just like so many comfort foods, however, risotto started out in the homes of Italian grandmothers.  Basically, it consists of oil, rice, broth, and cheese.  Everything else is just extra flavor.  The dish is yummy, very cheap, and something that kids can easily relate to.  It takes a little time and know-how, but the basics of this dish are super simple and this whole dish can be finished in under thirty minutes.

We get a fair number of comments from people about how they love our meatless recipes, but that they or their significant others would never, ever, ever, ever be able to have a meal without meat.  As we started considering this, we realized that many of our meatless recipes could really serve a dual purpose.  Today’s recipe is one of those.  This could easily be served as a main dish or topped with a little chicken to add that meat element.  We love to roast some chicken breasts on the weekend to use in salads or for quick dishes throughout the week.  Just take a little of that, warmed up in a pan and layer it over this yummy risotto.

Mushroom Risotto

Arborio rice can be found in the rice aisle in smaller packages.  For the broth, I wound up using half veggie broth and half mushroom broth to up that mushroom flavor a little.  Can’t find mushroom broth?  Just toss some dried mushrooms into the veggie broth!

Ingredients

8 cups vegetable broth

3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
2 Tbsp butter
1 pound mushrooms
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper

1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Directions

Heat broth and keep warm over low heat.

Heat one Tbsp of oil over medium heat.  Add butter, mushrooms, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook 5-6 minutes until lightly browned.  Set aside.

Heat remaining two Tbsp of oil over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic and saute 2-3 minutes.  Add rice and cook about one minute, stirring continuously.  Add wine and cook until most of the wine is evaporated.  Ladle warm broth into the rice one cup at a time, stirring frequently and allowing each addition to absorb fully into the rice before adding more.  When all of the broth has been absorbed, stir in 3/4 of the mushrooms and the cheese until the cheese is fully melted.  Serve on a large plate and top with the reserved mushrooms and more cheese.

Enjoy!

Have a Meatless Monday experience, recipe, or request?  Leave us a comment and let us know what you’re up to!

Meatless Monday, a national nonprofit public health initiative, is all about incorporating more vegetables and less meat into our diet.  It’s about moderation, just one day a week, cutting down on meats high in saturated fat and increasing protein-rich plant-based foods — good for personal health and good for the planet.