This easy brown rice risotto with mushrooms turns the traditional risotto upside down! Using a “secret” ingredient to give regular brown rice a look and feel much like cooked arborio rice. I’m here to show you how to make risotto with brown rice for a simple weeknight meal.
15ouncesof great northern or white beansdrained and rinsed
2Tablespoonsof nutritional yeast
1teaspoonof garlic powder
Minced parsleyfor garnish (optional)
Instructions
Cook brown rice according to the package instructions. If you’re using brown rice in bulk, boil 2 cups of water per 1 cup of rice then let simmer with the lid on for 40 minutes.
Heat vegetable broth over medium heat in a small saucepan.
At the same time, combine beans, 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of veggie stock, 2 Tablespoons of nutritional yeast, and salt in a food processor until smooth (like hummus). Set aside.
In a large saucepan, heat mushrooms with 1 tablespoon of olive oil with salt and pepper until lightly browned, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Once the mushrooms are cooked, reduce heat and add cooked brown rice. Then add the warmed vegetable stock and let simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. Once the time is up, add bean puree to the pan and thoroughly combine. (Note: you may not need to use the entire amount of puree, it is up to your discretion.) Add garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste.
Once risotto is thickened to your liking, remove from heat, top with parsley if using and serve.
Notes
Save some time. Make the brown rice the day before and refrigerate. It will heat up quickly in the warm broth but you may need to allow a few extra minutes to heat.
Warm the vegetable stock. It may seem like an extra step but using warm stock heats up the entire dish more quickly and keeps the rice from overcooking and turning to mush.
If adding other vegetables. Add them in with the mushrooms to cook before adding the rice.