Mushroom Asparagus Lentil Risotto (vegan, gluten free, oil free)

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hearty, high protein mushroom asparagus lentil risotto

Cozy, comforting, hearty but also high in protein, this Mushroom Asparagus Lentil Risotto does it all. It’s creamy, warming and made with only good-for-you ingredients. The secret? The lentils, which disguise themselves as part of the rice in this risotto. They’re high in protein and undetectable to the naked eye.

mushroom asparagus lentil risotto veggiekins

If lentils in risotto sounds a little weird to you, trust me when I say it’s delicious and adds even more texture! You know I’m a big fan of finding fun ways to incorporate more plant protein and legumes into my recipes, and this recipe does just that. It creates a more balanced meal and the added plant protein makes the dish more satiating and keeps you fuller longer.

This recipe is heavily inspired by my most recent Purple Carrot meal. You can watch this YouTube video, in which I cook the meal with my boyfriend, Mo. We loved it so much, we kept re-making the recipe and it’s still one of our favourite meals to date. You can find a similar recipe on their website, but I’ve made a few adjustments to make this recipe even healthier and more flavourful.

This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar free and oil free. It can be meal prepped, and batch prepared! Bonus: the recipe is also gut healthy and probiotic thanks to miso paste.

mushroom asparagus lentil risotto veggiekins

what’s in this mushroom asparagus lentil risotto?

  • White lentils → Are sneakily incorporated into the rice base of our risotto. High in protein, and fiber, white lentils are a great addition to rice because it’s similar in look and size.
  • Arborio rice → The base ingredient for our risotto (and most others, too!). Using a half and half mixture of lentils and rice provides the perfect balance of nutrition while still serving all the risotto texture.
  • Mushroom broth → Is a wonderful, umami broth to use in cooking in general. I really love using it when making risotto or rice because it adds an unbeatable savoury flavour, and in this recipe is really brings out the mushroom. Vegetable stock is an alternative option.
  • Mushrooms → A delicious topping for our risotto that provides texture, flavour and also a little bit of plant protein too! I like to use a variety of mushrooms, like shiitake, maitake and button mushrooms, but you can use anything you have on hand.
  • Asparagus → Is a great way to incorporate a little green into the recipe. It has a lovely flavour that pairs well with mushroom and brightens up the dish too.
  • Miso paste → Gives this dish the gut healthy boost and probiotics. It’s also a deeply rich flavour and umami that ties the whole recipe together. Paired with mushrooms, you can never go wrong.

secrets to success

To achieve the best texture and make sure your lentils cook through, I highly recommend soaking them beforehand. I’ve included this as an optional step in the recipe card, but if you have time to do it, please do! It only takes 30 seconds to dump the lentils into a bowl with water and you can let soak overnight so they’re ready to go when you’re cooking.

mushroom asparagus lentil risotto veggiekins

Risotto is kind of a labour of love dish in that it does take some patience and time to prepare. You want to add broth slowly, in parts, until liquid is absorbed and repeat the process. I’m experimenting with an Instant Pot version, so let me know if you’d be interest, but until then, turn some music on and prepare to stir away!

mushroom asparagus lentil risotto veggiekins

if you like this recipe, try…

If you try this recipe out, tag me on Instagram @veggiekins so I can see your delicious re-creations and for a chance to be featured! As always, I love when you share your reviews in the comments below, and if you make any fun substitutions, let me know how it worked out below too!

Mushroom Asparagus Lentil Risotto (vegan, gluten free, oil free)

5 from 2 votes
Servings: 2 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Hearty and high protein Mushroom Asparagus Lentil Risotto. This recipe is vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free and oil free.

Ingredients 

  • 4 cups mushroom broth you can also use vegetable broth instead
  • 1/2 large onion finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms of choice
  • 1 cup chopped asparagus
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp gluten free soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup arborio rice
  • 1/2 cup white lentils soaked and drained*
  • 3 tbsp white miso paste
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2-3 macadamia nuts for garnish

Instructions 

  • Bring mushroom broth to a light simmer and set aside.
  • In a large saucepan over medium high heat, sauté asparagus and mushrooms with gluten free soy sauce and garlic powder for about 2-3 minutes, or until asparagus is bright green and mushrooms are tender. Set aside.
  • Using the same pan, lower the heat to medium and sauté onion with a touch of oil or veggie stock until translucent and fragrant. Add garlic, dry rice and lentils to the pan, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
  • Add 1/2 cup of mushroom broth to the pan with the lentils and rice and stir until liquid is almost completely absorbed. Continue the process, by the 1/2 cup until all the broth is used and rice is tender.
  • Remove the pan from heat, stir in miso paste, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with mushrooms and asparagus on top, or stir into the mixture.
  • Top risotto with macadamia nuts, grated or microplaned on top for an extra touch. Enjoy!

Notes

*If you choose to soak your lentils for about 3 hours or overnight before cooking, it will result in a much more tender risotto, and may cook more quickly. This is an optional step.

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About Remy

Hi there, I’m Remy! Welcome to Veggiekins Blog, home to nourishing vegan + gluten-free recipes and tips to live your best balanced and holistic life. I’m a human on a mission to empower you to be well and be kind to your mind, body and soul with the healing power of plants.

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9 Comments

  1. Hi Remy! I'm so excited to try this recipe (tonight, hopefully)! I was wondering if it was possible to do without the miso paste and to use more soy sauce instead? I was unable to find it when I went out to buy the ingredients :( Thanks so much in advance!
    1. Hi Tracy! I think you can definitely give it a shot, and adjust to taste. The miso adds more of an umami, and also the saltiness so I'd recommend just adjusting as you see fit :)
  2. The pictures look so beautiful! Is your website needing some maintenance? I can’t see the recipe card for this and the two recipes either side. I can see it for your more recent recipes though…
    1. Hi Julie, I just checked and had a friend check too, the recipe card is there without issue. You might try on a different browser if the issue persists otherwise I'm not sure what's going on :(