Name: Mushroom & Asparagus Risotto
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients: 5 cups low sodium vegetable broth; 1 heaping TBSP miso paste; ¼ – ½ tsp garlic powder; 1 TBSP olive oil; 1 bunch asparagus, diced with woody end removed; 8-oz. sliced shiitake mushrooms; 1 TBSP olive oil; ½ cup diced scallions (white and light green parts); 1 cup arborio rice; Vegan parmesan; Sliced green onion (dark green parts only)

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Mushroom & Asparagus Risotto made with miso paste, shiitake mushrooms, and arborio rice. Perfect for a spring meal with umami flavor!

It took me 36 years to try making my own risotto.

Almost 37, considering that next week is my birthday.

I saw a recipe on social media for a risotto with spring vegetables, and the possible pairing infiltrated my subconscious and refused to retreat.

So, I made risotto.

My first surprise was that you need a special kind of rice for risotto, and not just the leftover rice in my pantry.

I bought some arborio rice and read the instructions and prepped my space.

The second surprise came in how much liquid you need to use…almost 5 cups per one cup of rice!

(I didn’t follow this on my first recipe test and that’s why the recipe came out my fried than anything else. M shrugged and loyally ate it so I didn’t have to.)

The third and final surprise was how much you need to stir risotto.

I believe the word on the instructions was “constantly”.

Or maybe it was “consistently”.

But either c-word requires a level of attention that I’ve never devoted to rice in my life.

I watched my dream of hiding upstairs to read and sip kombucha while the rice cooked disappear a little more every time I swirled the spatula over the steam.

But the smell of the rice cooking encouraged me to forgive it for being so maintenance.

It smells HEAVENLY.

“Look, it looks like risotto!” I shouted at M when he entered the kitchen to see what smelled so good.

After stirring in the mushroom and asparagus, I was 10/10 excited to try this recipe.

After the first bite, I forgot how much effort risotto takes to make and vowed to have this Mushroom & Asparagus Risotto every day!

Put aside your risotto-fears and make this creamy Mushroom & Asparagus risotto made with spring veggies and arborio rice!

It’s bound to be your new favorite “splurge” meal this spring.

What You Need to Make the Mushroom & Asparagus Risotto

Here’s what you need to make your own risotto:

low sodium vegetable broth
miso paste
garlic powder
asparagus
shiitake mushrooms
olive oil
diced scallions
arborio rice

That’s it!

How to Make the Miso Broth

Add the vegetable broth, miso paste, and garlic to a medium pot on the stovetop over medium high heat.

Whisk the miso and garlic powder into the broth until it disappears.

The mixture should be simmering but not boiling.

How to Prep the Asparagus & Mushrooms

You’re going to love the combination of asparagus and mushrooms in this risotto recipe.

Start your vegetables while waiting for the broth to simmer.

Add a drizzle of olive oil to a large skillet over medium high heat.

Once it’s warm, add in the shiitake mushrooms and sauté for 8-10 minutes, or until the mushrooms juices are completely cooked off and they start to brown slightly.

Transfer them to a plate and place the skillet back on the burner.

Add a little more olive oil to the skillet along with the asparagus.

Cook the asparagus until it’s vibrant green and just fork tender, about 5-6 minutes.

Transfer the asparagus to the same plate as the mushrooms.

How to Make Mushroom & Asparagus Risotto

Next, add the olive oil to a large saucepan and heat over medium.

Once the oil is warm, add in the diced scallions.

Allow them to cook for about ~5 minutes, or until they’re fragrant and tender.

Add in the rinsed rice and cook for 1 minute, stirring the entire time to coat the rice in the oil.

Set a timer for ~25 minutes, and start adding ½ cup of the warm miso broth to the rice saucepan using a ladle.

Stir the rice constantly, maintaining the heat at medium and allowing the risotto to simmer between stirs.

Once the rice has absorbed all of the liquid, add another ~½ cup ladle.

Continue this method until the timer goes off, spacing out the miso broth to stretch the entire 25 minutes.

If you have a little miso broth left at the end, that’s okay.

Taste the risotto to ensure it is al dente and add more salt or garlic powder as needed.

Turn the heat to low and stir in the cooked shiitake mushrooms and asparagus to evenly distribute them throughout the risotto.

Notes on Meal Prep

While this recipe is best served fresh out of the pan, it also works well as leftovers.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

Reheat leftovers in the microwave with a splash of water or broth as needed to rehydrate them.

This risotto would function well as a leftover lunch to take to work!

How to Serve Mushroom & Asparagus Risotto

This Mushroom & Asparagus Risotto is a tasty ode to spring vegetables with a creamy rice finish.

Serve the risotto warm topped with sliced green onion and vegan parmesan.

It’s delicious as a spring dinner or leftover lunch bowl.

We enjoyed ours in a rare moment of silence on the couch while Flora napped upstairs.

I love the combination of asparagus and mushrooms in this risotto, but you can sauté and throw in whatever vegetables you have on hand.

Each bite feels like a comforting reminder that warm weather is just around the corner.

Enjoy!

More Vegan Rice Bowls

I Want to Hear From You

If you make this Mushroom & Asparagus Risotto recipe, let me know!

Be sure to leave me a comment, rating, and review so I can use your feedback to create more yums.

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XO Lauren