Vegan, healthy and delicious! So much so, that this Spinach and Mushroom Risotto with Pecan & Garlic Drizzle is the best Vegan Risotto we make! Packed full of iron-rich spinach and antioxidants in the mushrooms, not only is this a healthy meal for any weekday dinner, but it is also a real treat for the tastebuds! WARNING: it’s garlicky… in the best possible way.
We are big fans of risottos and cook them almost every week, especially in autumn and winter. There is something very comforting in a bowl of creamy rice, especially when it’s topped with all things you love most. For us, a topping of crispy mushrooms, and a nutty oil drizzle is absolutely heavenly. Pecan and garlic (raw garlic!) oil make this dish, so whatever you do, don’t skip it!
We were first introduced to a version of this risotto by my very good friend. I was always partial to good risotto, but this one went straight to my Top 3, once I tasted it. Not only flavoursome, but it is also vegan and actually really good for you. A good amount of spinach contributes to your iron intake, and both mushrooms and pecans are full of antioxidants. So make yourself a big portion and eat it without any guilt!
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How to Make our Vegan Spinach and Mushroom Risotto?
Start by preparing your pecan and garlic drizzle. In a small pan, toast the pecans, just until slightly browned. Tip them into a pestle and mortar to cool down slightly. Finely chop and add 1/3 of the garlic, a pinch of salt and 4 tbsp of olive oil. Then grind everything into a coarse nutty drizzle. Alternatively, use a food processor.
Pecans are a must in this recipe. Once toasted, they taste both sweet and earthy and give the drizzle an amazing flavour that goes extremely well with the rest of the dish! So whatever you’re substituting in this recipe, keep the pecans.
Prepare the rest of the ingredients. Finely chop the rest of the garlic and brown onion. Slice the chestnut mushrooms into 0.5cm slices. You can easily substitute for other mushrooms, but I would suggest the meaty type of mushroom. We did try it with portabello mushrooms and it worked very well!
Dissolve a vegetable stock cube in 800ml of boiling water and keep warm on low heat.
Boil a full kettle of water. Place the spinach in a large colander and run the boiling water through the spinach to wilt it. Then leave to cool down.
Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large non-stick pan. Add the onion and saute for 3 minutes. Then add the risotto rice and 2/3 of the finely chopped garlic and cook for 2 minutes stirring continuously.
One ladle at a time, keep adding the stock and stirring the risotto. Wait for the stock to fully absorb before adding another ladle.
Meanwhile, in another large pan, add sliced mushrooms with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Cook on medium-high heat until mushrooms are browned and are starting to crisp up at the edges. You may need to do this in batches as you don’t want to overcrowd the pan.
Once all the stock is absorbed and the rice is cooked, squeeze as much of the moisture out from the blanched spinach as you can. This will ensure your creamy risotto is not diluted with water. Chop the blanched spinach roughly for easier distribution in the risotto. Add to the rice and stir. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Spoon the risotto into bowls, top with mushrooms and drizzle the pecan and garlic oil all over. Hope you enjoy our Spinach & Mushroom Risotto!
If you love plant-based cooking, check out our other delicious vegan recipes:
Spinach and Mushroom Risotto with Pecan & Garlic Drizzle
Equipment
- Pestle and Mortar or Food Processor
Ingredients
- 1 brown onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- 160 g risotto rice
- 1 vegetable stock cube + 800ml of boiling water
- 160 g spinach
- 180 g chestnut mushrooms thickly sliced
- 30 g pecans
- olive oil
Instructions
- Start by preparing your pecan and garlic drizzle. In a small pan, toast the pecans, just until slightly browned. Tip them into a pestle and mortar to cool down slightly. Add 1/3 of chopped garlic, a pinch of salt and 4 tbsp of olive oil. Then grind everything into a coarse nutty drizzle. Alternatively, use a food processor.
- Dissolve a stock cube in 800ml of boiling water and keep warm on low heat.
- Boil a full kettle of water. Place the spinach in a colander and run the boiling water through the spinach to wilt it. Then leave to cool down.
- Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large non-stick pan. Add the onion and saute for 3 minutes. Then add the risotto rice and 2/3 of the finely chopped garlic and cook for 2 minutes stirring continuously.
- One ladle at a time, keep adding the stock and stirring the risotto. Wait for the stock to be fully absorbed before adding another ladle.
- Meanwhile, in another large pan, add sliced mushrooms with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Cook on medium-high heat until mushrooms are browned and are starting to crisp up at the edges. You may need to do this is batches as you don't want to overcrowd the pan.
- One all the stock is absorbed and the rice is cooked, chop the blanched spinach roughly for easier distribution in the risotto. Add to the rice and stir. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Spoon the risotto into bowls, top with mushrooms and drizzle the pecan and garlic oil all over. Enjoy!
