Skip the Meat, Let’s Cook Some Buckwheat!
If you are looking for an excellent source of plant protein that is also gluten free, then buckwheat is your friend. Buckwheat is a great source of magnesium, manganese and phosphorus, it is rich in B vitamins and antioxidants and it’s a complete plant protein (13% protein). You may know that people in Eastern Europe survived on buckwheat during the WWII. Here is a delicious buckwheat mushroom risotto that I hope you will enjoy. Toasting the buckwheat groats is optional, but it adds to the robust flavor. This recipe takes about 1.5 hours of prepping and cooking.
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups buckwheat
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 3 Tbs olive oil +2 Tbs more for mushrooms
- ½ cup white wine
- 0.5 oz dry mushrooms (e.g. shiitake) soaked in 2 cups water, reserve the liquid
- 12 oz fresh mushrooms, white or Portobello, chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 Tbs fresh chopped parsley (optional)
- ½ cup grated parmesan (optional)
- 3 Tbs butter (optional, instead of olive oil)
Preparation
Toast the buckwheat for about 3 minutes in a cast iron or a non-stick pan. Set aside. Heat the olive oil (or butter) in a skillet and sauté the onion for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another minute on low heat.
Add the toasted buckwheat and cook for 1-2 minutes then add the wine and simmer it until it has almost evaporated. Add the salt, the mushroom liquid gradually and you may need to add approximately 0.5-1 cup water. Cook and stir for about 20 mins until the buckwheat is tender. Set aside and cover it.
Meanwhile heat the olive oil (or butter) in a frying pan and add the mushrooms. Stir then add about 0.5 cups water and cook for about 10 mins over low-medium heat until the mushrooms are tender. Add the chopped parsley at the end and stir.
Add the cooked mushrooms to the buckwheat and stir. Cover and let it rest for about 5 mins, so the risotto absorbs all the liquid. Serve with grated parmesan on top (optional).
