Made with dried porcini mushrooms, mushroom stock, arborio rice, coconut cream and nutritional yeast, this is a perfectly creamy, intensely flavourful vegan mushroom risotto.
Put the dried porcini mushrooms in a bowl and cover with 500ml of hot water. Weigh down with a small plate to keep the mushrooms submerged. Leave to soak for 30 minutes. They should plump up and soften.
Scoop the soaked mushrooms out of the water with a slotted spoon - don't throw the water away! Rinse really well to get rid of any grit and set aside.
Allow the soaking water to rest for a few minutes so that any sediment sinks to the bottom. I like to drain it through a coffee filter or muslin into a jug to be sure to get rid of all the grit.
Drop in two mushroom stock cubes and add boiling water to make it up 1 litre. Stir well to make sure it's all dissolved.
Prepare the mushrooms
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium saucepan on low heat.
Add the mushrooms and garlic. Fry for 3-5 minutes until dark, soft and glossy. Lift out of the pan, cover with foil and set aside.
Make the risotto
Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the pan.
Add the onion. Sweat for 5 minutes until translucent.
Add the rice. Fry for a further minute until the rice is toasted.
Add a ladleful of the stock, bring to a gentle simmer, stirring continuously. Once absorbed, continue to add stock a ladleful at a time, still stirring. Repeat until all the stock is absorbed. This should take about 20 minutes until al dente.
Add the mushrooms - you can reserve some to go on top, if you wish. Fold through.
Add the nutritional yeast and coconut cream. Stir through.
If the risotto is too thick, add freshly boiled hot water a tablespoon at a time until the desired thickness is achieved. Season to taste with salt and pepper. I always recommend holding off on the salt until this point, as the stock can add a lot of salt by itself.
Serve to bowls and finish by topping with the remaining mushrooms and a scattering of fresh parsley.
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Notes
Any leftover risotto needs to be cooled down quickly and kept in the fridge, well covered or in a sealed container for up to three days. You can also freeze leftovers which will keep for up to three months, but be mindful the texture may change.