Carrot Risotto with Crispy Mushrooms
A seasonal carrot risotto made with carrot juice and vegetable broth, this is a deeply satisfying, fresh tasting plant-based risotto. This version is made with brown rice for a more complex flavour.
Servings 4 people
Calories 485kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 large shallot, finely diced or about 4 small shallots
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 300 grams (1 ½ cups) brown risotto rice
- 3 tablespoons dry white wine
- 500 ml (2 cups) unsweetened carrot juice
- 800 ml (3 ¼ cups) vegetable broth hot
- 1 bundle parsley stems removed, finely chopped
- Zest of a lemon
- Lemon juice to taste
- Parmesan cheese to taste, optional
- Sea salt to taste
- Cracked black pepper to taste
Crispy Mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 500 grams oyster mushrooms
- ½ teaspoon sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Start by soaking the brown rice in room temperature water for at least one hour, or up to 12 hours. Drain but do not rinse. If you skip this step, the rice will need much more time to cook.
- Add the oil to a large pan and heat over low. Once hot, add the onion and garlic. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent and fragrant.2 tablespoons oil, 1 large shallot, finely diced, 1 clove garlic, minced
- Add the rice and toast for two minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the wine and cook for another minute.300 grams (1 ½ cups) brown risotto rice, 3 tablespoons dry white wine
- Add the carrot juice and stir. Cover the pan and simmer on low-medium heat until the carrot juice is absorbed, about 15 minutes. While this is simmering, heat up the vegetable broth on another burner.500 ml (2 cups) unsweetened carrot juice
- Start adding the vegetable broth one ladleful at a time, stirring frequently until the broth has been absorbed, before adding more broth and repeating. Continue this process until all of the vegetable broth has been absorbed, about 50 minutes. Make sure the broth is hot the whole time.800 ml (3 ¼ cups) vegetable broth
- Just before you add the final ladle of broth, start the mushrooms. Preheat a large frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the oil, followed by the mushrooms. Cook without stirring for five minutes, then continue cooking for another ten minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are crisp and golden. Add the salt.1 tablespoon oil, 500 grams oyster mushrooms, ½ teaspoon sea salt
- The risotto should rest for five minutes before serving*. Once ready, stir in the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice to taste, and salt and pepper to taste. If adding cheese, stir it in before adding the other final elements so that it incorporates more evenly. Top with the mushrooms and serve immediately.1 bundle parsley, Zest of a lemon, Lemon juice, Parmesan cheese to taste, optional, Sea salt, Cracked black pepper
Notes
* Keep timing in mind here - the mushrooms take about 15 minutes, the last ladle of broth will need about ten minutes to absorb - it should work out perfectly if you work carefully.
Prepare in advance: I recommend chopping the parsley, measuring out the juice and broth, zesting and juicing the lemon, chopping the mushrooms, and so on before starting. This is the kind of recipe where a mise en place is very helpful and will really reduce the potential stress of making risotto.
Rice: I use brown risotto rice, or brown rice, which is simply Arborio rice that hasn't been stripped of its bran. It's whole grain risotto rice. If you can't get it, then I would recommend making this with white Arborio, skipping the soaking step, and reducing the cooking time as needed.
Seasoning: I haven't included firm amounts of salt and pepper because the amount you add will depend on how much seasoning has been added to the vegetable broth and whether you add cheese or not. You'll have to taste the risotto and adjust to your preference. I do recommend ongoing seasoning (as with any dish) where you add a little at different stages of the cooking process - but this is something that's difficult to instruct in written recipes.
Mushrooms: if preferred, you can make oven roasted mushrooms rather than frying them on the stove top. The timing is about the same and it might be easier if you're not big on multitasking.
Storage: risotto doesn't store very well and is best served immediately. You can refrigerate and then use the leftovers to make something like arancini but reheated risotto is not great.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 485kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 404mg | Potassium: 1124mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 23927IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 4mg