Tender portobello mushrooms stuffed with creamy butternut squash risotto. The perfect vegetarian and gluten-free meal for any special occasion!
Oh heeeeyyy look, another butternut squash recipe. How exciting.
I’m sorry, I kind of lurve it. Also kale. I love that too. In fact, both of them together make for one awesome risotto.
None of you will remember this but it was actually one of the first recipes I posted on the blog. The pictures were god awful, taken at night and in fluorescent lighting, but the recipe rocked! That counts for something, right?
Well since we always do Italian for Christmas, I thought I would try stuffing portobello mushrooms with that same delicious risotto.
The only difference is that this time I made it with short grain brown rice which has slightly less starch than arborio. But by adding a tablespoon of butter and a little bit of cheese, it gives it a similar creamy texture.
Of course, you could use arborio if that’s what you prefer. It would actually save you the time of having to boil the rice first, but I wanted to try my hand at version with brown rice.
This isn’t an easy weeknight meal. If you’ve made risotto then you know it requires a lot of stirring and waiting. However the flavors of the wine, butternut squash and fresh sage tucked inside of a roasted mushroom are so elegant that it’s worth it.
I guess that’s what I love about risotto. It forces you to stop and appreciate the cooking process and I actually find it to be relaxing. Which might also have something to do with the fact that there’s wine involved.
I haven’t decided if this will become our new traditional Italian holiday meal yet (do they even have butternut squash in Italy?) but it’s definitely one that I will be making again. If you’re looking for a special vegetarian option to add to your holiday menu this year, this would make a great addition!
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Yield: 6 mushrooms
Ingredients
6 portobello mushroom caps
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 cup brown rice or arborio rice
3 cups cubed butternut squash (about 16 ounces)
3 cups chopped kale
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 and 1/2 cups vegetable broth
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon butter (or vegan margarine)
1/2 cup Italian blend cheese (or vegan cheese)
Instructions