Put the broth, plus subbed in milk if using, into a pot and warm on low. You want this warm when you add it to the rice so that it cooks faster.
Sauté onion and oil, or broth if oil free, until onion is soft. About 5 minutes.
Add the mushrooms, thyme, garlic and salt and sauté until the mushrooms have released all of their liquid and are browning. About 5 more minutes.
Add the rice and cook until toasted a bit. About 2-3 minutes.
Add the wine and cook until it’s absorbed, about 2-3 minutes. If you are not using wine, skip this step.
Add the warmed broth (or broth/milk mix) about ½ cup at a time and stir the rice until it’s absorbed. Then keep adding until all done or you reach a consistency you like. I used all of it. This takes about 20-25 minutes.
If using Parmesan, mix it in at the end.
Serve!
Notes
You can use another rice if you prefer, but arborio gives it a creamy texture. You can even use orzo to make this an orzo based risotto.
If you are not using the wine, just add an extra ½ cup broth to the total. Keep in mind the richness flavor wise will be lost a little.
If you want this extra creamy sub 1-4 cups of the broth with your favorite dairy free milk. I have done from 1 to 4 and the more you sub the creamier and even more amazing it is.
For extra cheesy flavor mix in Parmesan at the end. This makes it even richer.
The old version of this recipe is a lazy risotto recipe that makes a creamy sauce added directly to cooked rice. Here is the sauce recipe:
1 cup boiled potato (about 1 medium sized potato)
4 garlic cloves, roasted
¾ cup raw cashews (soaked overnight if not using high speed blender)
1 ½ cups veggie broth
1 cup unsweetened dairy-free milk, I used cashew
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1-2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (optional for added tang)
Simply blend all sauce ingredients. Saute the onion, garlic, mushrooms, thyme and salt in a pan. Then add the sauce and cook until thickened. Add the cooked rice (or orzo if you prefer) into the pan and mix to combine.