Earthy Mushroom Risotto, 27p
Earthy Mushroom Risotto, 54p for 2 portions at 27p each.
Risotto purists will be horrified at my use of bog standard rice while daring to still term this a risotto, but at 40p per kilo compared to £1.12 for 500g of arborio rice, I say I’d rather have six times as much of the stuff than be a snob about it. Plus I have a Small Boy in bed and a bag of Basics rice in the cupboard. So I’ll call this a risotto, and you guys can call me what you like.
Ingredients:*
100g mushrooms, 24p (97p/400g)
1 garlic clove, 3p (46p for 2 bulbs, avg 8 cloves each)
1 onion, 5p (part of a 20pc veg pack, £1)
30ml white wine, 14p (£3.48/750ml, Table Wine)
Oil, 2 tbsp, 4p (£4.15/3l)
Fistful each thyme and parsley, free(window ledge)
100g rice, 4p (40p/1kg)
400ml vegetable stock, 1p (10p for 10 cubes)
How To:
1. Peel and chop the onion and finely slice the garlic. Add to a sauté pan with oil over a low heat.
2. Add the rice and stir for a couple of minutes until the edges start to turn translucent.
3. Pour over the wine and a little stock, and stir in.
4. Chop the mushrooms into small pieces (I do mine a few millimetres thick, but half an inch wide, if that makes any sense!) Add to the pan and stir in.
5. Keep adding the stock a little at a time, stirring stirring stirring. People pretend that making risotto is hard, but as long as you keep it on a low heat, add stock when it starts to dry out, and stir it a lot, you’ll be fine!
6. Finely chop the herbs (I pop mine in a teacup and go at it with kitchen scissors) and add most of them to the pan. Keep some to one side to garnish.
7. When the rice is al dente (slightly crunchy but edible) or softer depending on personal preference, remove from the heat and spoon into bowls.
If you want a more substantial meal, serve with a big pile of green veg. Would also go really well with chunks of roasted root veg, eg sweet potato, parsnip, butternut squash.
Make It Posh variations:
If you aren’t a vegan, this would be delicious with a tablespoon of mascarpone stirred in before serving, or cream. Also could be lovely topped with Brie, if I wasn’t giving all that up.. Or goats cheese…
Feel free to make with arborio rice, add rosemary instead of thyme, grate some lemon rind in, use red onions or shallots instead of white onions – this is a base, play with it!
Jack Monroe. Twitter: @MsJackMonroe
*(Prices calculated at Sainsburys, using the Basics range where available. Costs checked on date of publication against ASDA SmartPrice, Tesco Value, Morrisons Value and Waitrose Essentials. Some variation between major supermarkets but most items widely available at similar price.)
Categories: Recipes & Food, RECIPES UNDER 30P, RECIPES UNDER 50P, RECIPES UNDER £1, RICE, VEGAN, Vegan Recipes, VEGETARIAN
This evening I cooked mushroom risotto following your recipe, and it was absolutely delicious! And you’re right it wasn’t as difficult to make as the rumours had led me to believe…
Aw thanks! I love hearing from people who have cooked my recipes, makes me feel like I’m doing something useful 🙂 xx
Please will you write a cook book?
I have one in progress, I just need a publisher! But yes I’m working on it… 🙂
I would certainly buy a cook book!
I’m cooking it now! Smells delish right through the house.
I’ve just had this mushroom risotto for my lunch. It’s so simple, but absolutely delicious – proof that cheap, simple ingredients can make a really tasty, satisfying meal. I’m so pleased I found your page. Thanks so much for these recipes. Much better than my usual studenty instant noodles! 🙂
We always use pudding rice for our risottos. It’s short grain, like risotto rice, but a fraction of the cost. Makes a really creamy dish! Loving the recipes. I stopped being vegan 5 years ago, but I am giving it another go.
This was the first proper homemade meal I’ve cooked as a student away from home. I added some leftover cheese on top and is really yummy! So gonna cook this again! Thanks 😀
Thank you for sharing this great recipe !
Re the constant stirring of risotto and adding stock a ladle at the time, I usually just chuck everything in (leave herbs to last), bring it to the boil, then turn the cooker off completely. If you use the right amount of liquid, it’s usually absorbed after about 20 mins and ready to serve. Saves energy and stirring time!
I just made the non-vegan version with mascarpone (I also added a bit of salt and pepper). It’s gorgeous, thanks for sharing x
I’m cooking this for myself, my mum and my 2yr old. Smells Devine!
It’s pricier, but I recently made a mushroom risotto with pearl Barley instead of rice. Om nom nom. I’m vegan, but I threw in vegan cheese, so it had the creaminess.