Name: Vegan Almost Hands-Free Mushroom Risotto
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Ingredients: 4 cups vegetable broth; 3 cups water; ⅓ cup white miso; ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1 pound cremini mushrooms , trimmed and sliced ¼ inch thick; Salt and pepper; 1 onion , chopped fine; 4 garlic cloves , minced; 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms , rinsed and minced; 2 cups Arborio rice; ½ cup dry white wine; ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Why This Recipe Works

Our starting point, cashew cheese, turned the risotto sticky and pasty. Some recipes call for chia seeds, but they speckled the rice with unappealing globules. Simply stirring in olive oil made the risotto greasy, and store-bought vegan Parmesan imparted a plasticky sheen. We thought creamy vegan risotto wasn't meant to be until we stumbled upon the use of miso, and it was a breakthrough. We add miso to dishes for its savory notes; here it also acted as a thickener, giving the risotto a satiny gloss. To make our risotto a meal, we added savory cremini mushrooms and dried porcini. This more hands-off method requires precise timing, so we highly recommend using a timer.

Before You Begin

We strongly prefer our favorite vegetable broths, Orrington Farms Vegan Chicken Broth or our homemade Vegetable Broth Base. Serve with a vegan Parmesan substitute.

Instructions

Bring broth, water, and miso to boil in large saucepan over high heat; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, whisking occasionally, until miso is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Cover and keep warm over low heat.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add cremini mushrooms and ¼ teaspoon salt, cover, and cook until mushrooms have released their liquid, about 5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook until well browned, 10 to 12 minutes longer; transfer to bowl.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in now-empty pot over medium heat until shimmering. Stir in onion and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and porcini mushrooms and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add rice and cook, stirring frequently, until grains are translucent around edges, about 3 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring constantly, until fully absorbed, about 2 minutes. Stir in 5 cups hot broth mixture; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until almost all liquid has been absorbed and rice is just al dente, 16 to 19 minutes, stirring twice during cooking.

Add ¾ cup hot broth mixture and browned cremini mushrooms, and stir gently and constantly until risotto becomes creamy, about 3 minutes. Remove pot from heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in parsley and remaining 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Before serving, adjust consistency with additional broth mixture as needed.