Mushroom Spinach Risotto

Sometimes, inspiration for the best recipes starts with a forgotten pantry ingredient. A few months ago, my brother Shmuel, who’s as much of a foodie as I am, visited and made a delicious risotto. While brainstorming side dishes for this article, I spotted the jar of leftover arborio rice and thought, “Here’s something different that not everyone has made—let’s go for it!” Risotto requires a little more attention than your average set-it-and-forget-it rice, but don’t let that intimidate you. Give it a try—you might discover it’s a recipe you’ll want to revisit time and time again.

Yield: 4–6 servings

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, finely diced

8 oz. Bella mushrooms, sliced

1 cup arborio rice

4 cups chicken broth, kept warm

2 cups fresh spinach leaves

½ teaspoon salt, to taste

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

1. In a large pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil.

2. Add the onion and cook for 5–6 minutes until softened.

3. Stir in the mushrooms and sauté for another 5 minutes until they release their juices and begin to brown.

4. Add the rice to the pan and stir for 1–2 minutes until lightly toasted and coated in the oil.

5. Pour in ½ cup of warm chicken broth and stir until mostly absorbed.

6. Continue adding broth ½ cup at a time, stirring frequently, until the rice is creamy and tender, about 20 minutes.

7. Once the rice is fully cooked, add the spinach leaves and stir until wilted, about 1–2 minutes.

8. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve right away.

   
   

Recipe by Yocheved Shvarzblat – @tastynsimple

Photo by Sheera Segal

Ingredients sponsored by Evergreen Kosher