Mushroom Risotto (Dairy-Free)

A classic mushroom risotto but without the dairy! This vegan and gluten-free recipe uses vegan butter, white cooking wine, and vegetable broth to achieve the creamy texture of risotto. Typical risotto recipes use parmesan cheese, but that's where nutritional yeast comes in. It adds a cheesy flavor and golden hue to this risotto. The key to risotto is cooking the rice slowly and adding the liquid incrementally.

Important Ingredients

• Mushrooms — While any mushroom will do, I prefer Oyster or Baby Bella in this recipe for flavor.

• Vegan Butter — I prefer Earth Balance vegan butter, but any vegan butter will do.

• White Wine – The white cooking wine in this recipe is an essential ingredient for flavor building.

• Nutritional Yeast – Nutritional Yeast is a substitute for parmesan and is packed with flavor while being dairy-free. Just note that nutritional yeast adds dryness, so the more you add, the more butter or oil you need to add as well.

How to Make this Recipe

Chop onions, mushrooms, and garlic. Chop the onion, mushrooms, and garlic. The onion and mushrooms can be chopped to your preferred size, while the garlic should be finely chopped for the best flavor distribution.

Saute onions and mushrooms. In a large saucepan pre-warmed to medium heat, add the olive oil and let heat for a minute. Add the onion and mushrooms and saute for 4 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, or till the onion is translucent.

Add rice and garlic. Add the rice and garlic. Stir well and fry for several minutes, keeping the heat on medium.

Add the white wine. Add the white cooking wine, stir, and reduce the heat to a low simmer.

Add the vegetable broth in batches. As the white cooking wine absorbs, add 1/2 cup vegetable broth. Add the sea salt and pepper. Stir then cover the pan. Check the risotto every few minutes. When the liquid is nearly absorbed, add another 1/2 cup of vegetable broth at a time. Follow this pattern until the full 2 cups of vegetable broth are used and the rice is fully cooked.

Add remaining ingredients. Turn off the heat, then add the vegan butter, stirring till melted. Scatter the nutritional yeast and stir till well combined. Add the fresh greens, if you desire. I like to add spinach, green onions, and parsley.

Recipe Notes

Choosing a rice for risotto. Arborio rice is the go-to rice for risotto because of its short grain and ability to hold water, but I used jasmine rice in this recipe. Feel free to try this recipe with any type of rice. Water absorption does vary between types of rice and can affect the finished result. For the best result, adjust your levels of vegetable broth as needed to achieve a creamier risotto.

Substitutions

Dried onion, dried garlic. While fresh ingredients always yield the most flavor, time is not always on our side, and in a pinch, you can replace the fresh onion and garlic with dry ingredients. I'd recommend 2 Tablespoons dried onion and 1 teaspoon dried minced garlic.