I’m always looking for fun new ways to use cauliflower these days and this Cauliflower Mushroom Risotto recipe is my new favorite—along with all my other favorites 😉 But really, I just love the full-bodied creaminess of it. You definitely feel like you are eating something not healthy. This is pure comfort food, but not in a sofa-bound kind of way. You could actually eat this and still go for a run afterward.
\I got the idea for using riced cauliflower in place of the Arborio rice used in conventional risotto recipes while watching a cooking segment on the Today Show last week. I love the recipe so much that I’ve already made it twice!
How to Make “Cauliflower Rice”: The Minimalist Baker has a great blog post on how to make “cauliflower rice”.
The Secret to a Dairy Free Cauliflower Mushroom Risotto
If you are into clean eating, the recipe featured on the Today Show was 100% clean except for the 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Even though I personally do not categorize cheese as clean food, pretty much every recipe for a healthy risotto still calls for cheese (Note: Read more about why I do not think dairy is a health food HERE.) However, in the past I have made an Asparagus Risotto and Quinoa Risotto dairy free with great results and so I wanted to see if I could do the same with the Cauliflower Mushroom Risotto too. I was able to successfully replace the cheese with a rich and creamy nut milk. Trust me, you will not believe you are eating cauliflower.
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This dairy free, rich and creamy Cauliflower Mushroom Risotto recipe is made with cashew cream. You will not believe you are eating cauliflower!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (such as Pompeian)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
- 1 1/2 cups finely chopped shitake mushrooms (stems removed)
- 1 cup finely chopped asparagus
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 large head “riced” cauliflower
- Unrefined sea salt (to taste)
- White pepper (to taste)
- 1/4 cup white wine
Instructions
- In a high-speed blender, like our favorite one from Ninja, process the cashews, water and Dijon mustard until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan, add the oil and heat over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the shallots and saute until translucent (about 4 minutes.) Add the mushrooms and asparagus and cook until soft (about 4 minutes.) Add the garlic and rosemary and saute for 1 minute.
- Add cauliflower “rice” and cook 5 minutes, until soft. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add wine and cook until wine is almost dry, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the cashew cream and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.
