Since dining at Cru last Friday night, I haven’t been able to get their Mushroom Quinoa Risotto out of my mind. It was that good!
So good, in fact, that I had to try to re-create it last night. 
The result was a flavorful, properly-combined vegan dish, sure to please anyone’s palate!
Here’s what I came up with:
Mushroom & Spinach Quinoa “Risotto”
adapted from this recipeIngredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil (or coconut oil)
1 cup diced onion
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup white wine
1 tsp. dried sage
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 lb fresh spinach, chopped
nutritional yeast, to taste
salt, to tasteDirections:
Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet, and add the chopped mushrooms and onions:
Saute over high heat until tender. then stir in the wine, sage and thyme.
Let the wine cook down until it’s totally absorbed, then add in the quinoa and veggie broth.
Reduce the heat to low, and cover for 20-25 minutes, or until the quinoa is translucent and tender. You may need to add a bit more water at this point, depending on how moist you’d like your risotto. I ended up adding about a 1/2 cup more water after checking on the dish– a 1/4 cup at a time, until it was absorbed.
Season with nutritional yeast, salt and pepper to taste.
Once the risotto is seasoned to your liking, it’s time to add in the fresh spinach!
The spinach should wilt quickly while stirring it into the hot pan.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
I served our risotto with leafy green salads, just like they did it at Cru. Austin was a big fan– he even went back for seconds! (always a good sign) 
This recipe is definitely going to be making a weekly appearance at our dinner table from now on!
The leftovers would also make a great salad topper for lunch or dinner the next day!
Hope you all enjoy it!
I love this recipe! yum!
This looks great! I might have to make it tonight!! Or soon for dinner!
I’m not a mushroom fan but I’d love to try this recipe with squash in it’s place! How would that affect the food combining?
Squash would work perfectly! (I might have to try that myself next time!)
Ooh, that really looks delicious! And happy belated birthday!
you know…it’s not fair that you are just one of those people that can eat something at a restaurant and then immediately recreate it!
mmm that quinoa risotto looks so bomb girl!
I’ve always been too intimidated to make my own risotto, but I think I might have to give it a try sometimes. It looks so good!
PS – Happy belated birthday!
Ooooh I just had quinoa last night! I’m always thinking of ways to spice it up
This sounds great!
[...] Mushroom & Spinach Quinoa Risotto [...]
[...] Mushroom & Spinach Quinoa Risotto [...]
I made this recipe this afternoon (minus the wine, which I didn’t have on hand), and it was stellar!
Thanks to a friend who posted this on Facebook today, I discovered this wonderful recipe and made this dish tonight. So yummy!!
I’m def trying it! I love anything that has mushrooms.
Def looking forward to trying it!
Great recipe! I had some fresh asparagus so I chopped a few up and put them in the mix too. I did 1 cup white mushrooms & 1 cup portobello mushrooms. It was delicious!
I’m making this right now with added prawns (I’m not vegan) and I can’t wait to eat it. My kitchen smells amazing right now
Hi Megan,
Just came across your blog and am loving the recipes-thank you! Can you give some info on nutritional yeast? I don’t know much about it (beyond what I’ve Googled since seeing it pop up in a few recipes on here) and have never cooked with it. Thanks in advance!
Hi Rachel! Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast that is a by-product of making molasses. It’s considered a good source of B-complex vitamins for vegans and vegetarians, and is also a complete protein. Unlike other forms of yeast, nutritional yeast is safe for people on yeast-cleansing diets, such as Candida cleanses, and has a unique nutty, cheesy flavor that works well in dairy-free recipes.
Megan! Long-time follower, first time poster.
I made this for my husband and me tonight. So delicious! I had to make a few substitutions (dried basil for sage, and mixed baby greens for spinach), and it turned out fabulously! Thanks for all your great ideas, recipes, and inspiration. 
XO