Vegan Brown Rice Mushroom Risotto

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Kyle and I eat pasta pretty regularly at our house and definitely have our go-to noodles, sauces, cashew cheeses, and favorite ways to combine them when it comes time for pasta night. However, the one dish that I had yet to try my plant-based hand at was risotto! That was until Kyle (very randomly) asked me to make it for him one night recently. 

So, excited to give it a go, I grabbed a few simple ingredients at the store, pulled out some items I already had in my pantry, and came up with the creamiest, savoriest, tastiest vegan risotto I have ever had! And it was pretty darn easy too. Just a little bit of chopping, a good amount of stirring, and about 45 minutes of time that I simultaneously used to do the dishes, tidy up the kitchen, chat with Kyle about his day, and share my risotto making progress on my Insta story!

This recipe is, of course, whole-grain, gluten-free, totally plant-based, neutropenic, contains minimally added oils, is super delicious, and 100% will be added to our pasta night rotation! 

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Vegan Brown Rice Mushroom Risotto 

(Makes 6 Servings)

Ingredients:
2 cups short grain brown rice, dry (plus 1 strip of kombu seaweed for cooking, optional)
4 cups vegetable broth, divided
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
2/3 cup shallots, chopped
8 oz. container baby bella mushrooms, sliced
5-6 cloves garlic
1-2 Tbs olive oil
1/2-1 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
sea salt + black pepper, to taste
*kale or spinach, and sun dried or burst tomatoes would be great additions as well!

Instructions:

1. Cook brown rice with kombu (optional) for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until brown rice is slightly al dente.
2. While rice is cooking, add oil, garlic, and shallots to a large pan and sauté. Once everything is golden brown and fragrant, add mushrooms and combine, then let cook for another 5-10 minutes on medium-low heat. 
3. Once mushrooms are done cooking, remove the veggie mixture from the pan and place aside in a bowl or separate container. 
4. Now add the cooked brown rice to the same sauté pan, plus two cups of veggie broth (1 cup at a time), stirring consistently and keeping at a simmer. 
5. Once brown rice and broth have begin to simmer, add in 1/3 cup nutritional yeast, and stir pretty consistently. 
6. Wait for the rice to soak up the liquid a bit more before adding remaining two cups of broth and 1/3 cup of nutritional yeast.
7. Still stirring all of the ingredients together, and allowing the rice to soak up most of the liquid, add in remaining seasonings (salt + pepper, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning).
8. Once most of the liquid has been absorbed and the risotto has reached the perfect consistency (see above photos), add in the veggie mixture and combine. 
9. Place serving in a bowl by itself, or on top of wilted kale (highly recommended) with a sprinkle of extra red pepper flakes + nutritional yeast (optional). Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, and help the meal go farther by adding some extra veggies and beans or lentils later on in the week (pictured below: my bulked up leftovers with sautéed kale, mushrooms + sun dried tomatoes)!

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Enjoy, and be sure to tag @NutritiouslyNatalie if you give it a go so I can see your yummy creations!

xo Natalie