Creamy High-Protein Vegan Couscous Risotto with Crispy Mushrooms and Pesto
A creamy, cheesy high-protein couscous risotto made with miso, Better Than Bouillon and nutritional yeast, topped with golden seared Smallhold mushrooms and a drizzle of pesto. Vegan, gluten-free and ready in about 25 minutes.
Ingredients
Cheesy Boostcous Risotto
- 1 cup Boostcous high-protein couscous
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegan butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2½ cups hot water plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon vegetable or no-chicken base
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ¼ cup shredded vegan cheese mozzarella or parmesan style
- black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste
Seared Mushrooms
- 8 oz Smallhold mushrooms oyster, lion's mane or a mix, torn into large pieces
- 1 tablespoon high-heat oil such as avocado oil
- flaky salt to taste
To Finish
- 2 to 3 tablespoons pesto homemade or store-bought vegan
- lemon wedge optional
Instructions
- Whisk the Better Than Bouillon into the hot water to make a quick broth. Keep it warm.
- Heat the high-heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the mushrooms in a single layer, press them down with a spatula, and leave them alone for 3 to 4 minutes until deeply golden. Flip and sear 2 to 3 minutes more. Season with flaky salt and set aside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil or vegan butter. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add the Boostcous and toast for 1 minute, stirring.
- Pour in about 2 cups of the hot broth. Simmer, stirring often, and add more broth a splash at a time until the couscous is tender and the starch turns the liquid thick and creamy. Check the package for timing. Do not rinse it: the starch is what makes it velvety.
- Loosen the miso with a splash of broth, then stir it in off the heat along with the nutritional yeast and vegan cheese. Season with black pepper and red pepper flakes. Add more broth until it is loose enough to slowly spread on the plate.
- Spoon the risotto into bowls, pile the seared mushrooms on top, and finish with a generous drizzle of pesto and a squeeze of lemon.
Notes
Miso and Better Than Bouillon are both salty, so taste before adding any extra salt. The risotto thickens as it sits, so loosen leftovers with a splash of hot water or broth when reheating.