Cauliflower and mushroom risotto

Cauliflower and mushroom risotto with mushrooms, hard cheese and onion: a creamy dish with lots of veg and full flavour, made in one pan.

At a glance

• Serves 2
• Prep time: 15 min
• Cooking time: 15 min
• Total time: 30 min
• Calories: 250 kcal per serving
• Protein: 10 g
• Fat: 15 g
• Carbs: 20 g

Ingredients

• 400 g cauliflower
• 200 g chestnut mushrooms
• 30 g vegetarian hard cheese (Parmesan-style)
• 1 onion
• 100 ml vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Method

You’ll need: frying pan · mini chopper · chopping board · knife · grater · wooden spoon

1. Break the cauliflower into pieces and pulse it in a food processor into fine cauliflower rice. Wipe the mushrooms clean and slice them, and finely chop the onion.
2. Soften the onion in the olive oil over a medium heat until translucent. Add the mushrooms and fry until browned and there's hardly any liquid left in the pan.
3. Stir in the cauliflower rice and fry it briefly for 2–3 min so it picks up some flavour. Stir regularly so nothing sticks.
4. Add the vegetable stock a little at a time and keep stirring until the cauliflower is soft and the mixture looks creamy. The texture should be juicy rather than dry.
5. Stir in the hard cheese and let it melt briefly. Season with a little pepper if you like.
6. Serve straight from the pan. A little extra hard cheese or a small drizzle of olive oil on top works well.

Good to know

When the evening calls for something uncomplicated but still really good, this risotto is exactly my thing. Creamy, savoury and surprisingly satisfying, with no classic rice at all.

Swaps

Mushrooms → king oyster mushrooms (a bit more bite, similar mild flavour); onion → shallot (milder flavour); olive oil → ghee (heat-stable and aromatic)

Allergens

Contains milk from the hard cheese. Usually suits children well if the texture is right, and in pregnancy it's fine as long as the hard cheese is made from pasteurised milk or is long-matured.