Risotto with Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms, and Chickpeas
March 8, 2010 in Meatless, rice
I’ve been feeling pretty uninspired in the kitchen lately in case you haven’t noticed. That’s why there’s been lots of bread. Bread is easy. I don’t have to think about it, just have to follow directions. Especially the BBA breads! I don’t even have to search for a recipe, I just have to open my book to the next one. Ahh… laziness.
Yesterday my 3 year old went on his first boat ride leaving the baby & I to watch whatever we wanted. After my DVD player flashed “BAD DISC” at me when I tried to watch Twilight (stop judging me), we settled on Food Network. It was my first time watching in forever. Okay, so who decided it was a good idea to give Brian Boitano a show? That was a very painful 30 minutes. Never again. I stuck around for Big Daddy’s House (which I’d never seen) and was so excited by the sandwiches he was making. They looked amazing! And he totally inspired me to get up and make something.
I went for my no-fail risotto method but used up some mushrooms that were on their way out and added my favorite chickpeas. Oh my gosh, this was so good. I think risotto will always be my favorite easy meal.
I’ve said it before and I’m sure I’ll say it again… don’t go out and spend $7 on a pound of Arborio rice. If you can’t find it around you, the regular white rice works. It won’t be as creamy but as long as you add the broth in batches and continue to stir it, it will be creamy enough.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- ⅓ cup dry white wine
- 5 – 6 cups broth (veggie or chicken), heated
- ½ cup chickpeas, rinsed
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh herbs (optional)
- Heat oil in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, just until it begins to caramelize. Add mushrooms and cook about 5 more minutes until the mushrooms are soft and the onions are good and caramelized. Stir in garlic and rice; continue stirring until the rice is completely coated, about 1 minute. Pour in wine and simmer until it has just about evaporated.
- Begin adding broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring until each cup is absorbed. The rice should be creamy but not mushy. Add chickpeas once you’re happy with the texture and warm until the chickpeas are just heated through. Add salt, pepper, and any fresh herbs to taste.
Amazing looking risotto :)
I made this tonight on a whim and my family LOVED it. My daughter is picky and wanted the usual “I don’t know what I’m going to cook” meal–a saute of onions, mushrooms and chickpeas. I decided to try risotto since she usually likes rice too. It was a huge hit! Thanks for the recipe!
P.S. I didn’t have any wine so I used coconut aminos mixed with broth (equal to the 1/3 cup of wine called for) as a substitute. YUM.
Oooops, not sure why I got aminos and vinegar mixed up. It was coconut VINEGAR that I used, not aminos. Sorry about that!