The Vegan Cookbook Challenge #20: Pumpkin & Mushroom Risotto – August 2022

Hi all!

In 2020, I outlined the ins and outs of: The Vegan Cookbook Challenge! Click the title for more information.

Today I am sharing my 20th re-creation. Using a number generator, I landed on the The Global Vegan and the result was a recipe for Pumpkin & Mushroom Risotto. Check out the menu category to see my past attempts. Without further ado, let’s see how I went below.

PUMPKIN & MUSHROOM RISOTTO – THE RECIPE 

INGREDIENTS 

– 300g deseeded Pumpkin, skin left on, cut into 3cm chunks

– 2 tablespoons Olive Oil 

– A pinch of ground Cinnamon 

– A pinch of Sea Salt 

– 1 litre Vegetable Stock 

– 6 Garlic Cloves, crushed

– 330g (1 1/2 cup) White Wine 

– 5 Thyme Sprigs 

– 200g Mixed Mushrooms, such as swiss brown, shiitake and oyster, roughly chopped

– 3-4 large handfuls of baby Spinach 

– Freshly ground Black Pepper 

METHOD 

1.) Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

2.) Place the pumpkin on the prepared tray and toss through 1/2 teaspoon of the oil, the cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Bake for 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft and cooked through. Set aside.

3.) Meanwhile, place the stock and 250ml (1 cup) of water in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Turn off the heat and cover.

4.) Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in another large saucepan over high heat. Add half the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add the rice and white wine and cook, stirring, until the wine is absorbed. Add the thyme and 250ml (1 cup) of the stock, then cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the liquid is also absorbed. Continue to add the stock, stirring and waiting for it to be absorbed before adding more, until the rice is cooked through.

5.) Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over high heat. Add the remaining garlic and the mushroom and saute for 5 minutes or until golden. Set aside.

6.) When the risotto is almost ready, stir through the cooked mushroom and pumpkin and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the spinach and simmer for another minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then spoon into bowls and serve.

PUMPKIN & MUSHROOM RISOTTO – THE RESULT

This dish was a massive fail! I will take responsibility for its downfall. My husband and I don’t drink wine so I decided to use rice wine vinegar instead. It made the dish so acidic we couldn’t eat it. It’s such a shame because it smelled incredible and had all my favourite ingredients. Next time, I’m sticking to the recipe!

I hope you enjoyed this post in The Vegan Cookbook Challenge! Let me know if you’ve made this dish before and have any tips on how to improve it. Thanks for reading!

Peace & Love xoxo

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