Mushroom Quinoa Risotto or Quinotto, an elegant dish that's a healthier spin on the traditional Mushroom Risotto.
I’ve been on a mushroom kick lately, they are my favorite vegetable, not technically, but still.
My husband on the other hand hates mushrooms, hence I’ve been cooking with mushrooms before the big move.
Quinoa Risotto has been on my list for a while now, and the best part is they cook in half the time it takes traditional risotto.
For those of you who don’t like quinoa, I assure you, you won’t taste it.
Quinoa doesn’t stand up to the bold flavors in this recipe, such as mushrooms, white wine, truffle oil, and manchego cheese.
My version of Mushroom Quinoa Risotto is much healthier than the real thing as it doesn’t use butter and crazy amounts of oil and cheese. A beautiful, elegant dish that’s perfect for a special date night or a girls night in. Don't forget that glass of wine! Enjoy!
Recipe Card
Mushroom Quinoa Risotto
Vegetarian, Gluten-freeIngredients
- 5 cups of water, bring to a boil
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 15 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup organic white quinoa, rinsed
- ½ cup white wine
- ½ cup manchego cheese, grated
- 8-10 chives, chopped
- 1 tablespoon white truffle oil
- salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. We will use this to cook down the quinoa and mushroom risotto.
- Chop the garlic and shallots, slice the mushrooms.
- Heat a pot on medium heat, once hot, add extra virgin olive oil. Immediately add the crushed red pepper and let it cook for a few seconds or until it sizzles.
- Add the garlic and shallots, cook down for about 2 minutes.
- Add the sliced mushrooms. Let the mushrooms cook for roughly 10 minutes. They will release some water during this time.
- Once the mushrooms cook down, this is what you should have. Season with salt to taste. Stir.
- Add the rinsed quinoa to the mushrooms.
- Add the white wine.
- Stir. Cook the white wine down, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add 1 cup of boiling water. Stir. Let the quinoa cook down, about 7 minutes.
- In the meantime, grate the cheese and chop the chives. Set aside.
- Once most of the water is evaporated (but not all), add another 1 cup of boiling water.</br>
- Reduce heat to low. This time cover the pot with a lid and cook for another 7 minutes.
- Add another 1 cup of boiling water.
- Cover with a lid and cook for 7 minutes on low.
- Once done, this is what you should have. Season with black pepper. Add additional salt if need be.
- Add truffle oil and manchego cheese.
- Stir. The risotto will be nice and creamy.
- Garnish with chives and serve immediately.
Notes
** For vegans - skip the cheese, and opt for nutritional yeast, but I'm not sure how this would taste.
Salma says
I have some leftover quinoa sitting in the fridge right now. I may need to buy some mushrooms and try it!
honeywhatscooking says
Hope you tried it and enjoyed it Salma. xoxo
John / Kitchen Riffs says
Love mushrooms! And I do like quinoa, so this dish is perfect for me. Looks awesome -- thanks so much.
honeywhatscooking says
Thanks John. I love it too, and if you flavor it well, you can't even tell. Hope you're doing well. 🙂