Words cannot describe how amazing this Mushroom Risotto is. Seriously. Smoky, tender mushrooms combine with nutty brown rice and bright pops of parsley to create one of the best rice dishes I have ever made. Hands down.
Healthy or decadent?  Traditional risotto contains mounds of butter, cream, and cheese, but all of these ingredients are excluded from this recipe to make it vegan. As I taste tested this recipe, it’s totally indulgent and deep flavor almost made me forget all of the health promoting goodies in there. Brown rice, mushrooms, corn and more. After one taste I knew I had to share this with you guys. So without further ado, here are the ingredients…

Mushroom Risotto
serves 1 or 2
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup chopped mushrooms, any variety
¼-½ cup vegetable broth, some for cooking the mushrooms in, the rest to thicken and add volume once you add the rice
2 tbsp corn grits (polenta, the dry variety)
2-3 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp liquid smoke (I really like the Colgin brand, which is vegan)
Sauce:
1 tbsp hummus
½ tbsp orange juice
½ tbsp maple syrup (use the REAL kind)
a few dashes of cayenne pepper
Directions:

1. Combine the sauce ingredients and mix until smooth. Stir mixture into the rice and set aside.
2. Chop the mushrooms and heat a small pot on medium heat. Add a small amount of vegetable broth to the pot and allow it to boil. Once boiling, add mushrooms.
3. When the broth is evaporated and the mushrooms are tender, add the rice and sauce mixture to the pot. Let cook for three minutes.
4. Add a splash of vegetable broth in along with the corn grits, chopped parsley and the liquid smoke. Let this thicken and add more vegetable broth until it reaches your desired consistency.
5. Allow this mixture to simmer for five to seven minutes or until it is nicely thickened. Serve hot. A little sprinkling of nutritional yeast is also a good addition…

This dish is sure to impress! Even my mom, who has turned into my recipe taste tester, loved this recipe so much she suggested I share it on the blog. This is carb comfort food at it’s finest, in the most healthy and wholesome form! I hope you try this recipe and share it with your friends and family as well!