Chanterelle Mushrooms Risotto

Risotto

Sep 24

Written By The Healthy Food Cook

Autumn is here and a creamy risotto can warm us up in the colder days and … not only.

Chanterelles are tasty and delicate and make a beautiful pair with the creamy risotto.

It’s your call to fold them into the risotto together with the Parmesan or spoon them over when you prepare the plates.

Behind the Bite

Chanterelles are one of the rare plant-based sources of vitamin D, especially when they've had some sun exposure before harvest — and pairing them with the fat in Parmesan and olive oil actually helps your body absorb it. Parmesan itself is one of the most concentrated calcium sources around, gram for gram, while the slow-built vegetable broth adds real depth without leaning on salt the way a bouillon cube would.

The recipe

The risotto liquid

Peel and chop the celery root, carrots, and onion into large chunks.

Place them in a pot with about 500 ml of water.

Simmer gently for 30 minutes to obtain a vegetable broth.

Strain and keep the liquid warm while preparing the risotto.

As a guide, 100 grams of rice will absorb about 350-400 ml of liquid, so supplement with hot water if needed.

Cook the chanterelles

Peel and chop the carrots, and onion into small dices. Put them in a casserole, drizzle with 10 ml of olive oil, add a pinch of salt, cover with water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Wash and chop the chanterelles into large chunks and add them to the simmering liquid. Add 100 ml of water and 100 ml of tomato juice, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20-25 minutes with the lid on.

Cook the risotto

Finely chop the onion and place it in a thick-bottomed pot with 10 ml of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and 100 ml of the prepared broth. Bring to a simmer.

Add the rice and stir until most of the liquid is absorbed.

Continue cooking the risotto by adding one ladle of hot broth at a time, stirring frequently and allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding more.

Cooking usually takes about 25-30 minutes, depending on the rice variety.

About 5 minutes before the rice is fully cooked, fold in the grated Parmesan.

Allow the risotto to return briefly to a simmer.

Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and let it rest for about 5 minutes after you turn off the heat.

Assemble and serve

You can either choose to fold in the chanterelles 5 minutes before the rice is fully cooked together with the Parmesan, or add them over the finished risotto directly into the serving plate. I went for the second option and finished with a nice drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy !

A word on technique

A homemade vegetable broth means you control the salt entirely — most bouillon cubes carry far more sodium than this dish actually needs.

INGREDIENTS

For two servings

ORGANIC OR “BEST YOU CAN GET”