Creamy and rich vegan risotto made from orzo, mushrooms and peas with hints of lemon, garlic and mint. You’ll never guess there’s no actual dairy! The best way to get pure comfort without all the unhealthy ingredients!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.
You know when you’re craving something rich and creamy but you don’t want to feel like a bloated balloon with a box of rocks in your gut after? Yup. I can fix that.
For me, it’s a big bowl of creamy pasta or rich risotto that hits the spot. So I let my last craving take over (big surprise right?) and I came up with this. The best of both worlds. Happiness in a bowl. No balloon. No gut rocks. Double the creaminess, double the flavor and NO dairy. Just look at how creamy this vegan risotto is, go ahead and drool just a bit. I’ll wait.
How to get creamy risotto without actual dairy!
In total truth, I wasn’t quite sure I could make this orzo risotto work by cooking it risotto style. But man oh man was I wrong. This made the absolute creamiest, rich, yet light on the gut, most flavorful dish.
The key? The combo of all my favorite creamy sauce ingredients. I combined a few things from my best sauces (think my original cheese sauce, sharp white cheese sauce, dill crema and chili taco crema):
- potato
- cashews
- Silk Unsweetened Cashew milk
- roasted garlic
- veggie broth
I loved the combo of all of these and how amazing they made this vegan risotto come together. Each ingredient contributed it’s best to the end result. I didn’t even need any flour to thicken it while it cooked!
The stages of cooking risotto
The sauce starts out super liquidy, you may even think you did something wrong. But keep going! The starch in the potato and in the orzo help thicken it up immensely as it slowly cooks.
The key here is to constantly stir the orzo and sauce so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom, just like in traditional risotto. As you stir, the magic happens and as the orzo cooks, this creamy vegan risotto comes together!
Hate cooking risotto because the stirring drives you nuts? No fear! I also have the lazy version for you. Just cook the orzo like pasta, thicken the sauce separately, then combine! I’ve tried both versions, and lazy works in a pinch. I won’t judge 😉
The many uses of creamy sauce
The bonus, is you can use this sauce for so many other things, not just vegan risotto. It’s a creamy alfredo like dream and other than eating it like soup (yup, it happened), I’ve already drizzled it on potatoes, mixed it into zucchini noodles and dipped some roasted veggies in it.
And maybe my fingers. My oldest decided that tomorrow he’s dipping his burrito in it. He is so my kid…
So jump on the creamy train! This vegan orzo risotto will blow your mind. It’s so easy and so creamy good! You won’t feel like you swallowed rocks and you won’t blow up like a balloon.
Let me know what you think! Did you make it the real way or the lazy way? I already promised not to judge. And I’ve made the sauce on it’s own for so many other things and that works too!
Tips For Making This Creamy Vegan Risotto
- I used a veggie broth without tomato in the base.
- You can sub water for the broth but the flavor will change a bit and you may need more salt. Adjust the amount of salt depending on whether you use low sodium broth. I used low sodium and 2 teaspoons were perfect for us.
- You can use oil in place of the broth to sauté if preferred. This will help it from sticking if you aren’t constantly stirring.
- The added mint is optional, it adds an extra dimension of flavor which I loved but my family preferred it without.
- You can also make the sauce on it’s own to serve with another dish, follow the last direction!
- Tips to prep ahead: Soak cashews if needed. Roast garlic. Slice mushrooms. Boil potato.
- Baby/kid food idea: Chop mushrooms small instead of sliced. When serving, mash peas with your spoon. For young baby, you can add more
This recipe was originally published on 2/22/2016
- 1 cup boiled potato , about 1 medium sized potato, 4 inches long
- 4 garlic cloves , roasted (add up to 4 more for extra garlic flavor)
- 3/4 cup raw cashews , soaked overnight if not using high speed blender
- 1 1/2 cups veggie broth , low sodium if needed
- 1 cup Silk Unsweetened Cashew milk , almond would work too
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons sea salt (see note)
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 - 1/2 cup extra veggie broth , for sautéing if not using oil, low sodium if needed (see note)
- 2 cups uncooked orzo , gluten free if preferred
- 3 cups crimini mushrooms , sliced
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint chopped, plus more for presentation (optional)
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel , plus more for presentation (optional)
Place sauce ingredients into a high speed blender and blend until completely smooth. It will look watery but that’s ok. Set aside.
In a sauté pan over medium low heat, add uncooked orzo and sliced mushrooms and sauté with veggie broth (or oil if using oil), mixing frequently so it doesn’t stick. Sauté until mushrooms begin to wilt and orzo begins to toast a little.
- Add creamy liquid to the sauté pot and mix well. Cook, constantly stirring, for about 15 minutes until the orzo is cooked.
I like mine al dente but if you prefer it more well done continue to cook until you get the consistency you want. You may need to add more veggie broth. Be careful or it will stick to the bottom if you don’t stir it often.
- If it gets too dry, or sticks too much, lower the heat a bit and add a little bit more veggie broth. I made this multiple times and it turned out great as long as I constantly stirred it scraping the orzo off the bottom if it began to stick.
Once orzo is cooked, reduce heat to low and add frozen peas, mint and grated lemon peel (if using). Mix everything together and cook a few more minutes until peas defrost, continuing to stir so it doesn’t stick.
Serve with a sprinkle of grated lemon peel and freshly chopped mint.
- If you really hate stirring risotto, but still want to make the dish, you can follow the directions but cook the risotto in a separate pot like you would pasta.
- Still sauté the mushrooms and add the creamy liquid, but stir the liquid and mushrooms until it begins to thicken. Once it begins to get thick, add in the cooked orzo and continue with the directions.
- If you JUST want to make the sauce, blend all sauce ingredients, pour into a pot and heat until thickened. Depending on your stove, you may need to up the heat to get it to thicken nicely. Just stir frequently to prevent sticking. Super easy!
- Sauce makes about 3 cups.
- I used a veggie broth without tomato in the base.
- You can sub water for the broth but the flavor will change a bit and you may need more salt. Adjust the amount of salt depending on whether you use low sodium broth. I used low sodium and 2 teaspoons were perfect for us.
- You can use a drizzle of oil in place of the broth to sauté if preferred. This will help it from sticking if you aren’t constantly stirring.
- The added mint is optional, it adds an extra dimension of flavor which I loved but my family preferred it without.
- You can also make the sauce on it’s own to serve with another dish, follow the last direction!
Tips to prep ahead:
- Soak cashews if needed. Roast garlic. Slice mushrooms. Boil potato.
Baby/kid food idea:
- Chop mushrooms small instead of sliced. When serving, mash peas with your spoon. For young baby, you can add more broth at the end and over cook orzo a bit so it’s really soft and mushy.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.
Vanessa says
That sauce would make a shoe taste good! At first I thought it would be too salty, but after everything was all done, it was perfect. Definitely roasting my garlic for next time. And there WILL be a next time.
veggiesdontbite says
Hahaha!! Totally made me laugh Vanessa! Yes, the salt seems like a lot but you are spreading it over something so it loses saltiness. I’m so happy you like it!!
Deneen Glennon says
This looks amazing! I am going to try making it this weekend! I am a little confused with the directions. It says to place the first 6 ingredients into a high speed blender. This would be the potato, garlic cloves, raw cashews, veggie broth, cashew milk and lemon juice. What about the apple cider vinegar? I don’t see where in the recipe it comes in.
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Deneen! Weird, it must have not saved right when I changed it over to my new recipe card. Thanks for checking that! It should say place “sauce” ingredients into high speed blender. All fixed now! Thank you!!
Cassie Thuvan Tran says
I haven’t had risotto in a while but it’s delicious! Love the peas and mushrooms combined in this recipe–I know that both vegetables are kind of unpopular, but I am OBSESSED! I don’t know if this is possible, but what can you substitute for cashews?
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Cassie! I’m so happy you like it! So the cashews are a little tough. The reality is that cashews are the best way to get a true creamy flavor. There are other ways that are nut free, but they are not as spot on. If you can’t have cashews, the other things that I have tried and seen are potato (I already have some of that and too much will give you a potato flavor), cauliflower (I would suggest you roast it first instead of boiling it), white beans (not too many because you don’t want hummus) and I have also seen sunflower seeds although this is not my favorite. A combo of the first 3 could give a somewhat creaminess without nuts. Let me know if you give any of it a try!
Tiffany says
Just made this sauce for Alfredo pizza sauce and it is soooo good. Using leftovers for pasta tomorrow. Thanks.
veggiesdontbite says
AH!! YAY!! So happy to hear you love it as much as we do!
Brenda Douglas says
Love this sauce. I made it thesecond time with sweet potatoes and added some sirracha. Love it!!
veggiesdontbite says
That sounds amazing!!! Thanks for sharing!
Stacey says
This is the first recipe of yours we’ve tried and it definitely won’t be the last! It really satisfied my craving for something rich and creamy. Except for the stirring it is an easy meal to prepare, and the stirring was worth it since both my toddler and husband loved it (without the mushrooms haha). I did use the optional add-ins, except dried mint rather than fresh.
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you so much for your kind words Stacey!! I am so happy that you are here and that you loved this recipe. Let me know if you ever have any questions! Here is another awesome easy kid meal using that same sauce from this recipe: https://www.veggiesdontbite.com/creamy-mac-and-peas/
Robin says
I don’t see where it says how to thicken the sauce if you’re not making the risotto? Thanks!
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Robin! If you look in the notes section it says to follow the last direction for the part that is just the sauce. Pretty much you blend it all then pour it in a pot and heat over low medium until thick! Super easy. Make sure to stir often to avoid sticking and burning. When I get to my computer I’ll change it a bit to make it more clear. Let me know how you like it!!
Sara | Belly Rumbles says
I have just pinned and printed this one out. Desperately trying to add more meat free meals to the routine that the husband and son will enjoy. I am pretty certain that this is one of them. I also love the sauce and can see so many ways for use.
veggiesdontbite says
Yay!! So happy to hear. We use the sauce in SO much here. Check out my brand new recipe Pizza Burritos, it’s in there and it’s SO good! We also just put it over pasta with roasted veggies!
Sina @ Vegan Heaven says
This looks so incredibly creamy, Sophia!! I’m getting so hungry right now just looking at it. Haha! And what a great idea to use orzo for risotto, never thought of this.
veggiesdontbite says
Thanks so much Sina! I love orzo, much better than rice to me. I grew up eating it so we put it in a lot!
Mandy says
Holy comfort food!!! WOW! That sauce looks insane, Sophia – who needs the orzo? 😉 I love all the garlic in here, too….can’t wait to try this!!
veggiesdontbite says
HA! Thanks Mandy! Funny thing is that I made the sauce alone last night to put over pasta and I couldn’t stop eating it with a spoon! It has that extra tang that I love so much! And the roasted garlic is key, gives it that sweet caramelized flavor versus the sharp raw garlic flavor. Let me know if you try it!
Alisa @ Go Dairy Free says
Such a brilliant use of cashew milk. I’m a huge fan of cashew sauces (may even be burning my husband out on them!) but haven’t tried one with orzo like this.
veggiesdontbite says
Thanks Alisa! I find that adding a bit of the cashew milk in really makes a creamy sauce. It’s become one of our favorites and I already have another recipe I’m using it in!