Comfort Food Risotto with Shitakes and Asparagus

When I haven’t been to the grocery store in, awhile this risotto is something I’ll whip up for dinner. I usually have the ingredients laying around (maybe not the vegetables, but I’ll do some sort of variation), and it’s simple to make. My grandmother taught me the secret trick of stirring in some cream cheese. You don’t even have to use too much, but it makes the risotto so deliciously creamy. I also tend to use brown rice just because it’s healthier, and I find the effect to be just as desirable. This dish warms up any cold day and can help cure a funky mood. It’s one of my ultimate comfort foods – my less guilty version of mac n’ cheese. Let me know if it’s just as good for you :).

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Long-Grain Brown Rice

1 Lb Asparagus

1 Large Sweet Onion

¼ Lb Shitake Mushrooms

4 Cups of Vegetable Stock

½ Cup Parmesan Cheese

3 Tbsp Cream Cheese

1 Tbsp Truffle Oil

S & P to taste

Directions

Chop onion, asparagus, and mushrooms. I like to leave the onion pieces as larger wedges for a dish like this.

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Pour truffle oil into a large pot and allow it to heat up. After two minutes or so, throw in your onion wedges to sauté. As soon as they begin to appear translucent, add in your mushrooms and asparagus to.

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Once the vegetables appear cooked (you can test them with a fork), lower the flame and pour in your vegetable stock. Then add rice and stir.

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Cover and let cook until the liquid has evaporated. Stir in parmesan cheese, cream cheese, salt and pepper.

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Let the risotto sit for about 5 minutes. Then stir again and serve.

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12 years ago

I will definitely have to try this. I am a sucker for comfort food!!

Brit
12 years ago

two questions: can you substitute olive oil truffle oil? and if you substitute brown rice for risotto, do you still place uncooked brown rice in the vegetable stock mixture? or do you cook the brown rice first in a separate pan?

Margarita
12 years ago

An another question: Can I substitute a lighter version of cream cheese instead of the full fat kind?

kristina
12 years ago

This could easily be made vegan. Just leave out the parmesan and cream cheese. The rice could be substituted for quinoa as well.

Madison
12 years ago

So yummy looking!

Anonymous
12 years ago

risotto is actually a short pasta, rather than a rice. So cooking times would vary slightly if you substitute for rice. Traditionally risotto is made very slowly, adding ladles of hot stock at a time until the risotto absorbs the ladle-full.. then repeat until all stock has been used. You have to have an open evening if you want to make it traditionally as you have to stir constantly until the last ladle of stock has been absorbed lol

taro
12 years ago

yes i make a similar version without the luxury of truffle oil, just the ol’ olive oil, and i use wuite a bit which i suppose is similar to creme cheese and chop everything really small for diffusion and so the focus is on the rice and just use whatever veges are in the fridge such as broccoli and zucciniand you dont even notice teh texture. Mushroom is important. Also , to not let the sauce dry out too much. it s all in the onion suase really

12 years ago

WOW, sounds and looks amazing!!!

12 years ago

i’m hungry

HappySue
12 years ago

I made this for me and my friend yesterday, it was perfect for a frosty UK day, so thanks very much.

amy
12 years ago

Yummers! Made this last night for 2 friends (one of them a shitake farmer), it was DELISH! Now finishing leftovers at work as I type. Thanks FP! xoxo