Mushroom Risotto

Mushrooms are incredibly healthy. They are packed full of protein, vitamins and minerals such B vitamins, selenium and fibre. They contain a soluble fibre called beta glucans, which helps feed the good bacteria in your gut. There are many studies into their immune modulating functions especially if you consume medicinal mushrooms such as shiitake, reishi, cordyceps and lions mane. Even everyday mushrooms however are very beneficial to health.

This simple and comforting recipe is a fantastic way of getting a good dose of mushrooms into your system. You can eat it with a side of salad or other green vegetables.

Serves 6

Here’s what you need

500 g mushrooms- a mixture of chestnut and woodland or any other (the more the merrier).

50g dried porcini mushrooms

1-2 glasses white wine

300 g Arborio risotto rice

Olive oil or butter

1 large onion diced

4 cloves garlic finely chopped

1 vegetable stock cube

1 litre hot water

pepper

pareggiano grated (optional)

Method

Soak the porcini mushrooms for about 20- 30 mins in 500 ml boiling hot water until soft.

Meanwhile chop the onions, garlic and mushrooms

Fry the onion in olive oil on a low heat or a knob of butter until soft and translucent. Season with pepper.

Add garlic and fry for a couple of minutes.

Add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes until soft.

Strain the porcini mushrooms and add them in. Keep the water.

Add the wine and boil it down to evaporate the alcohol.

Add another 500 ml of hot water into a container with the vegetable stock cube and dissolve.

Add the rice to the vegetables and stir it in until integrated.

Slowly start adding ladle fulls of porcini water and vegetable stock stirring constantly on a relatively low heat until absorbed. Use all the liquid.

Rice should be nice and plump and slightly al dente or up to your preference.

You can add a few more tablespoons of butter at the end for flavour.

Optional: Stir in some grated parmesan cheese though I find it is delicious even without.