Vegan Mushroom and Leek Risotto with Miso Mushrooms

There is nothing more heart warming that a bowl of creamy mushroom risotto. This risotto recipe is completely vegan and it had browned, flavorful miso mushrooms mixed in to add a punch of flavor. The miso paired with the mushrooms gives it a ton of umami flavor.

This delicious risotto is a perfect main dish for a weeknight or a date night. Serve it with some roasted veggies or a side salad to make it a full meal.

Best Mushrooms for Risotto

One thing I love about making this delicious vegan mushroom risotto is how many different types of mushrooms you can use. I love to do a blend if I can, but any of these types of mushrooms will do great. What you are looking for is a mushroom that will brown nicely and pair well with the flavors of the risotto. My favorite mushrooms are:

• Miatake Mushrooms (also know as hen of the woods)
• Shitake Mushrooms
• Baby Bella Mushrooms (also know as cremini mushrooms

Tips to Make the Best Vegan Risotto

Risotto has a reputation for being a tricky dish, but it is actually fairly simple. If this is the first time you are making it, here are a few tips to follow to make your creamy risotto perfectly.

1. Don’t rinse you rice. Sometimes you want to rinse the starch off your rice before cooking but with arborio that starch is what helps give it that creamy texture.
2. Keep the vegetable broth warm. While you are cooking your rice you will be adding a little bit of broth at a time for the rice to soak up. Each time you add the broth you don’t want to cool down the rice because you want it to keep cooking. To do this, keep a small pot with the warm broth on a low heat next to the pot you are cooking your rice in.
3. Let your mushrooms sit. When cooking your mushrooms don’t move them around too much. Letting them sit in the hot pan will help them get those nice browned bits. I like to stir them about once every 4-5 minutes.

Vegan Mushroom Risotto Variations

Depending on what ingredients you have and what your preferences are you may way to swap out some items in the recipe. Here are a few variations you can try.

• Use onion instead of a leek. You can swap out 1 leek for 1 small yellow onion or 1-2 shallots.
• Add in nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor. Once the risotto is done, stir in about 2 tbsp of nutritional yeast. You could also add some vegan parmesan cheese at the end to give it that cheesy flavor.
• Add in extra veggies such as peas, broccoli, or asparagus.
• If you want extra rich mushrooms you can use vegan butter instead of olive oil in step 1.
• I like to top this recipe with some fresh parsley but you can really add any fresh herbs. Fresh basil or chives would work great here as well.

Other Mushroom Recipes You Might Like

For a different take on risotto, try the Creamy Parmesan Farrotto with Mushrooms. If you want an alternative to risotto you should try to Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup, there is a vegan version of this in the recipe!