Leek, Mushroom, and Lemon Risotto

Serves 4-6
Vegetarian / Vegan

Don’t be scared off by this dish because of the “R” word. Risotto sounds complicated and swanky, but I promise it isn’t. It’s peasant food. And you know those people didn’t have a lot of time on their hands. What’s a leek? It’s like an onion, but much, much more mild.

4 large leeks
olive oil
1 head of garlic, cleaned and chopped
2-3 lbs of your favorite mushrooms (I love Portobello and Crimini, but use what you like)
salt & pepper
2 cups of Arborio rice (I know it’s fussy, but you MUST use this type of rice…it’s worth it)
2 boxes of your favorite veggie stock
dried basil
dried thyme
a few tablespoons of butter
3-4 large lemons, the juice and the zest
parmesan cheese (if you are vegan, omit the parmesan cheese and try nutritional yeast flakes instead)

Clean your leeks. Don’t skip on this part! Leeks grow in sand, and if you don’t clean them, your Risotto will look and taste like the beach. Clean them by slicing them down the middle, lengthwise. Rinse the layers under cool running water. Make sure you get out ALL the grit.

Heat up some olive oil in a large pot. Chop your leaks into thin ribbons, and add them, with the garlic, into the pot over medium heat. While they are cooking, slice your mushrooms into large pieces. Add them to the pot and cook them for a few minutes.

Next, add the rice to the pot. Toast the grains for a minute or so, but do NOT burn them.

After that, add enough veggie stock to just cover everything in the pot, and stir everything around. Let everything cook for a minute or so, and then stir it again. Keep doing this until most of the stock has absorbed into the rice.

Add some more stock, and stir everything around. Let everything cook for a minute or so, and then stir it again. Keep doing this until most of the stock has absorbed into the rice.
Make sure to season everything with plenty of salt, pepper, and dried herbs.

Continue to add stock, a little at a time, and stir the rice until it absorbs almost all of the stock. The more you stir, the creamier your Risotto will be.

After about 30 minutes, taste the rice. If it is still hard in the middle, continue to add stock in small increments, and stir vigorously. Ultimately, there should be no more stock left in the pot, and the rice will get really creamy and thick.

Add the zest and juice from a few lemons. Taste the risotto, and re-season accordingly. Add some parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast flakes to the top if you like, and serve while it’s still warm.

Now, that wasn’t so bad, was it? For a balanced meal, try serving this with The Best Tofu EVER or throw some canned white beans into the Risotto.