Worlds Best Vegan Mushroom Pine Nut Risotto
One of my favorite dishes I learned to make was risotto. I immediately recognized the versatility of Arborio rice and went literally wild in creating one nightly at a restaurant in Malibu I was executive chef and partner at called Bambu. This was one of my favorites, as well as the customers. The toasted pine nuts are what makes this dish.
INGREDIENTS
Serves 2-4
· ½ large yellow onions, diced
· 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
· 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
· 2 ½ cups mushrooms of choice, finely chopped
· 2 Tbsp Miyoko’s butter
· 1 cup arborio risotto rice
· 6 cups vegetable stock
· ¼ cup vodka
· 7 Tbsp Miyoko’s vegan butter
· Pink salt and black pepper, to taste
· ½-¾ cup vegan Parmesan
Garnish-
· ½-3/4 cup toasted pine nuts and ½ cup vegan Parmesan
INSTRUCTIONS
In a 6-quart pan heat the Miyoko’s butter on high heat. Add the onions, thyme, parsley, and mushrooms. Stir for 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir until evenly coated, about 1 minute. Add the wine or vodka and cook for another minute. Pour 3 cups of the stock into the pan to cover an inch above the rice. Stir and bring to a boil stirring often. As the rice absorbs more stock, add 1 cup of stock at a time, and cook on medium heat, stirring constantly. It should take about 20 minutes to cook the rice. If you need more liquid, add a little bit at a time as you stir until it turns just soft with very little liquid left. You don’t want any crunchiness in the rice, and you don’t want it mushy.
When the risotto is done, turn off the heat and add the 7 tablespoons Miyoko’s butter, ½ to ¾ cup vegan Parmesan (depending how cheesy you want it), and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Check the risotto first before adding more salt. Serve in a bowl and top with more vegan Parmesan and toasted pine nuts. Serve with a nice glass of red wine.