Sausage Asparagus and Mushroom Risotto
This sausage asparagus and mushroom risotto is exceptionally creamy, full of rich flavors (and packed with veggies!), and is super easy to make for a two-pot wonder of a meal.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 5 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 3 sprigs fresh herbs (basil, oregano, or thyme, optional)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 pound Jimmy Dean sausage
- 1 pound white button mushrooms washed and sliced
- 2 cups medium-grain risotto rice
- 1/2 cup apple juice
- 1/2 pound asparagus stemmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- Shaved or shredded parmesan for garnish
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock and fresh herbs to a low simmer.
- While the stock is heating, add the olive oil to a medium stock pot and heat over medium to medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the sausage to the onion and cook until no longer pink, breaking the sausage into pieces with a spoon. When the sausage is cooked through, reduce the heat to medium and add the mushrooms and rice.
- Cook until the rice starts to get translucent on the edges, 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- When the rice is translucent on the edges, add a ladle full of hot stock (avoid adding the herbs that are swimming in the stock) to the rice (about 3/4 cup), and stir gently but constantly until all of the liquid is absorbed.
- Add another ladle full when liquid is absorbed and keep stirring. Keep repeating this process until you have about 1 1/2 cups of stock left (it took me around 18 minutes to get to this point).
- Add the apple juice and asparagus to the rice pot, and then continue adding stock and stirring until the rice is cooked through but not mushy.
- It took me just under 30 minutes of stirring and adding stock to cook my rice, and I had just over a 1/2 cup of stock left over.
- When the rice is cooked, remove it from the heat and stir in the shredded Parmesan.
- Serve right away with additional Parmesan on top.
Notes
- The stirring process takes some time, and you can't walk away from the dish at this point. Plan accordingly. The amount of liquid you will use and the cooking time will vary depending on the weather and your rice. Just test the doneness of the rice along the way by tasting a small bit on a spoon. When it's done, it should be like al dente pasta; it should not be mushy but not hard either.
- Risotto is a creamy, sometimes cheesy-tasting, rice rice dish that tastes almost like a mild, rice version of mac and cheese. This recipe has added flavor and texture from the sausage, asparagus, and mushroom.
- Reheat any leftover risotto on the stove over medium heat in a saucepan by adding a splash of water or stock to the rice dish and stirring constantly for 3 to 4 minutes until heated through.
- This recipe is wonderfully hearty and rich. I served it as a main dish because it's filling and flavorful, but it would also be delicious as a side to Baked Salmon and a Fresh Corn Salad.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 of 6 servings | Calories: 663kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 1033mg | Potassium: 844mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 457IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 132mg | Iron: 5mg
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