How to Make Creamy Mushroom Risotto (No-Rice !)

Do you find that traditional risotto is dreamy creamy but heavy on the stomach? So do I, and this creamy mushroom risotto involves no rice at all and will make you enjoy your fave dish without feeling bloated and heavy after your meal. 

Traditional Risotto Making

When you’re making traditional risotto, you need a specific type of rice: the arborio rice, which helps it make creamy and delicious. But it also means that your blood sugar levels are going to sky-rocket just from this simple dish due to its high glycemic index. 

While this is ok once in a while, if you are conscious about your sugar levels or are trying to go light for dinner meals, it’s better to stick to ingredients that won’t spike your sugar levels. I’m talking to you, white rice, white bread or white flour. 

The risotto recipe is usually a labour of love because you need to stay next to the stove and stir continuously and make sure the rice is absorbing all the moisture. And keep adding some moisture. Some recipes call for white wine, others for lots of cheese. 

This recipe calls for nutritious ingredients that you wouldn’t usually associate with risotto, but it works ! Oh and it’s so easy, and doesn’t need all your attention when you’re making it. So you can make dessert, finalise that email you were working on, or just do the tasks you keep for the end of the day. 

The Method for Creamy Mushroom Risotto With No Rice

This dish is made of red lentils and quinoa. The red lentils are the sort of pulse that don’t really hold their shape when cooking. It becomes a mushy texture and will work great for our desired outcome: bloody creamy risotto-like.  

With the red lentils, we are going to cook the quinoa which, when slightly overcooked, breaks down and becomes equally smooth. 

Just like for risotto, the vegetable stock helps incorporate as much flavour as possible because red lentils or quinoa can be quite bland when not seasoned. So we’re adding a lot of it. 

So here it is: bring one cup of quinoa for one cup of red lentils with 1/2 L of vegetable stock to the boil and let simmer for about 20 minutes, or until it’s all absorbed. 

To get a creamy mushroom risotto, we now need some mushrooms so fry a handful of them on the side until they’re golden and look ready, approx 10 minutes on medium heat, and add to the risotto preparation. 

You want to stir from time to time because it can stick to the pan at some point, but just a quick stir will help bind it together and get that smooth texture that we all look for when making a risotto. 

Add-Ons to Make it Brilliant

Because you know I love vegetables and I reckon they are the essence of life, of course we’re going to add some. What I find works like bread and butter, is risotto and mushrooms. 

You can also add frozen peas (thawed), or fry a handful of asparagus when they’re in season, or baked butternut squash in winter. 

And because I also love a cheesy taste, I’m going to add a lot of nutritional yeast which gives that cheesy taste and is plant-based. You can also add a good plant-based cheese, or real parmesan, whatever tickles your fancy. 

Now go explore and let me know in the comments when you’ve made it and what your thoughts were !

For more light dinner recipes, check out my Vegetable & Noodle Broth and Easy Spicy Stir Fry. And if you want to read about the Health Benefits of Quinoa, it’s here. For more recipes with quinoa, try this Hearty Quinoa and Fennel Salad.