This vegan pesto risotto is literally like a symphony in your mouth, no kidding. In one bowl, you’ve got the creamy, rich risotto mixed with herby, refreshing pesto, buttery umami mushrooms, crispy spiced chickpeas, and the “cherry” on top being the bursting flavors of balsamic roasted cherry tomatoes on the vine.
Servings:
Ingredients
For the Risotto
- 1 cup short-grain white rice do NOT rinse
- 1 sweet onion
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 - 5 cups vegetable broth
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Nut-free Pesto
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup parsley leaves
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 4 cloves garlic minced
For the Miso Butter Mushrooms
For the Crispy Chickpeas
For the Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
- 3 - 4 bunches cherry tomatoes on the vine
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- Pinch salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the mushrooms first. mix the olive oil or butter with the miso paste in a bowl, use a fork to cream them together until well combined;
- Heat a generous drizzle of olive oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat, once hot, add the mushrooms, allow them to cook undisturbed for a few minutes to brown, about 2-3 minutes, then stir and flip to brown the other side;
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chopped thyme and minced garlic, stir and cook for another 2 - 3 minutes;
- Add the creamed miso butter to the pan and stir to coat mushrooms evenly, once fully combined, turn off the heat and set aside;
- If adding chickpeas and roasted tomatoes, toss each with their respective seasonings and transfer onto a lined baking sheet in a single layer, roast at 375°F for 20 - 25 minutes;
- Cooke the risotto. First, warm the vegetable broth in a separate saucepan, bring to a boil then lower the heat and let it simmer;
- Heat a nice thick pot, a Dutch oven or a casserole pot, over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Once hot, add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes till slightly browned and caramelized, add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes till fragrant;
- Add the rice and stir quickly until all of the rice grains are well-coated and the rice smells slightly toasted, you should be able to smell the aroma almost like toasted bread;
- Carefully ladle in about 3/4 cup of the warm broth, stir every 30 seconds or so, not too often;
- Once the rice has absorbed the liquid, add the next round of broth, 3/4 cup at a time. Continue this process, adding more broth when most of the liquid is absorbed for about 20 minutes until the risotto is creamy but not too soft or mushy, you can pick out a couple of grains of rice and give it a taste, make sure it's al dente;
- Make the pesto by blending everything till smooth, stir 3-4 tablespoons into the risotto, remove from heat;
- Serve with more pesto, roasted chickpeas, and tomatoes on the vine, enjoy!
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2 thoughts on “Pesto Risotto with Miso Butter Mushrooms”
Just made this recipe and added grilled asparagus (on the BBQ) and it was absolutely delicious. Next time I may only add pesto in the risotto and add balsamic glaze on top instead. I absolutely recommend this !!
This looks delicious and full of flavour! I can’t wait to give it a try.
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