Vegan Oyster Mushroom Risotto

While at the market this past Saturday I was looking for new ingredients to try in recipes, and I happened to see some oyster mushrooms. I have made this recipe before with Portobello mushrooms and wanted to give it a try with a different kind. This is great as a side dish but it can also stand on its own as a hearty and filling meal. It’s hard to believe there is no dairy in this because it’s so creamy!

Servings: 4          Serving size: 1/2 cup

Ingredients

  • 1 quart of oyster mushrooms (or mushroom of your choosing)
  • 1 small onion (yellow would be best but red works fine too)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/3 cup unsalted cashews (soak in water overnight if you have time, it makes a creamier sauce)
  • Chives or scallions (for garnish)
  • 1 cup of uncooked brown rice
  • 1 tablespoon dairy-free butter
  • 1 teaspoon oil of your choosing
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1/3 cup of almond milk
  • 1/3 cup of vegetable stock

Directions

  1. Place a pot with the 1 cup of rice and 1 tablespoon of butter on the stove top on medium heat until the butter melts. Make sure you mix well to coat all the rice.
  2. Pour 1 and 1/3 cup of water into the pot and bring to a boil.
  3. Cover the pot and let cook for 45 minutes.
  4. Chop the onion and mushrooms into smaller pieces
  5. In a skillet heat oil and then add onions.
  6. Allow onions to become translucent and let sit until caramelized.
  7. Add the garlic and let cook for 1 minute.
  8. Add the mushrooms and cook till soft and warm.
  9. Let the onion/mushroom medley cool slightly.
  10. In a blender, add the cashews and almond milk, blend till smooth.
  11. ½ the onion and mushroom mix, the vegetable stock, salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast to the blender and blend till smooth.
  12. Once the rice is cooked add the sauce to the pot of rice along with the other half of the onions and mushrooms.
  13. Let sit on low heat for a couple minutes until hot.
  14. Place on a plate or in a bowl and garnish with chives or scallions.
  15. Enjoy!

Feel free to experiment by adding different spices and vegetables, I think sun-dried tomatoes or roasted red peppers would be a great addition.