Lenten risotto with asparagus and champignons
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Lenten asparagus risotto with champignons is good not only during Lent! This dish with a delicate and refined taste is worthy even of a festive table.
This Lenten Asparagus and Mushroom Risotto kicks off my asparagus season this year. As my grandmother used to say: “newness in the mouth, health in the stomach, bear strength, hare twist!” This sentence has nothing to do with asparagus specifically. According to popular beliefs, it is believed that it brings health if you remember it every time you try some seasonal vegetable, fruit or berry for the first time of the year. Nowadays, seasonality in grocery stores is no longer felt so acutely, but asparagus time still begins in the spring. And the first one usually comes is green asparagus, which is cultivated in the southern regions. It also grows in the middle zone, it just appears there, of course, not in March, but much later.
Asparagus risotto with champignons is good to make lean precisely because of the use of champignons and cherry tomatoes in it. This is not a classic Italian risotto recipe, but a vegan version. I would not recommend making simple asparagus risotto without adding animal fats - in my opinion, the taste will still be boring. However, if you are committed to the classics and are not cooking during Lent, then, of course, you can add a couple of tablespoons of butter, mascarpone or parmesan to this recipe at the very end. There is simply no need for them, that's all. In vegan cuisine, the lack of animal ingredients is compensated for by the rich flavors of others.
Wine and vegetable broth in lean risotto can be replaced with a similar total amount of water (950 ml). This will allow you to cook it on those days of fasting when drinking wine is not allowed, but, of course, it will reduce its taste.
Ингредиенты
Asparagus - 400 g
Rice - 250 g
Champignons - 200 g
Tomatoes - 250 g
Onion - 2 pcs.
Vegetable broth - 800 ml
White wine - 150 ml
Parsley - 5 sprigs
Basil - 1 sprig
Vegetable oil - 5 tbsp.
Garlic, salt, pepper - to taste
Рецепт
1. The most important thing in making asparagus risotto is cutting it correctly. For the green one, the lower quarter is cut off first. Ruthless! Even though asparagus is expensive. The bottom is almost guaranteed to be dry and stringy, and you don't know to what level. So out of harm's way - down with the bottom quarter.
2. Next, the tops covered with scales are cut off. They will need to sit separately because they and the rest of the asparagus are introduced into the risotto at different times. The smooth stem can be cut into two or three more pieces (depending on its length).
3. We either clean the champignons using the dry method, wiping the caps, or wash them. We cut them into quarters or halves - depending on the size of the mushrooms. Remember that during cooking the champignon shrinks by half!
4. Finely chop the onion or shallot.
5. Cut cherry tomatoes into halves or quarters.
6. Chop parsley and basil.
7. As usual, I apologize for the flash photos, but you can’t remove the dish from the stove and disturb the temperature when preparing risotto. It cooks on the clock, so have a kitchen timer ready. Fry the onion in a large amount of vegetable oil until transparent. If you want a risotto with a weak garlic flavor, add the minced garlic at this stage. If not, then it is introduced at the very end.
8. Stir the rice into the onion and oil, let it soak in the oil and become transparent - about a minute.
9. Add champignons and smooth parts of asparagus stalks to the onions (save the ends for later), pour in 150 ml of wine and about 100 ml of vegetable broth. To pour liquids, it is convenient to use the same mug in which the rice was. Aim for a total of three mugs of liquid.
10. Cover the risotto with a lid and cook, opening the lid from time to time and stirring. As soon as we see that the rice has absorbed almost all the water, add a new portion (about half a mug). And so on - 15 minutes.
11. After 15 minutes from the start of cooking, add the scaly tips of the asparagus and the remaining liquid to the risotto. Stir it and cook until done. Until al dente - another 5 minutes, until soft - 7-8. The total cooking time for risotto is 20-23 minutes. The finished risotto should not be dry; it should certainly have a little of this thick sauce.
12. 2 minutes before the desired degree of readiness, add cherry tomatoes. Stir and cover with a lid.
13. If you want risotto with a strong garlic flavor, then pressed garlic through a press is added to the finished risotto. Sprinkle the dish with chopped herbs, salt, pepper, and stir.
Lenten risotto with asparagus and champignons is ready.