A mushroom-y, creamy, vegetarian midweek meal

If you enjoy risotto, then you’ll enjoy this quicker-to-make, porcini mushroom and creamy white beans dish.

  • SERVES: 2
  • COOK TIME: 20 mins
  • DIFFICULTY: easy
  • IDEAL FOR: midweek meal, vegetarian
  • BUDGET: £

Porcini mushroom and creamy white beans

It’s no secret I have fallen for beans and pulses over the last few years of my cooking journey.

Once I started diving into Italian cooking, I realised how simple ingredients can make amazing, tasty dishes.

And so, as I went along my hunt for tasty beans and pulses, I also discovered the Bold Bean Co.

I don’t have any association with this company to push their products.

I just simply love them.

Also, they aren’t as cheap as buying some beans in a tin.

So, I’m not suggesting you have to use them, I also keep my cupboard stocked with tinned beans to use.

But they are good.

This recipe is also from the Bold Bean Co and is a twist on risotto.

I tried their beany-twist on the classic carbonara and it worked.

So, I’m confident you’ll enjoy this twist as well.

Ingredients

  • 15-20g dried porcini mushrooms
  • 300g fresh mushrooms, sliced
  • 25g of butter, plus another nob for finishing
  • A small handful of thyme sprigs, leaves picked
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 200 ml white wine or vermouth
  • 2 x 400g tins haricot or cannellini beans (or I love the 700g jar of Bold Bean Co Organic White Beans)
  • 25g parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve

Method

  1. First, soak your porcini mushrooms in 200ml boiling water. Set aside.
  2. Dry fry your mushrooms in a pan (without any oil) in batches on medium-high heat, when they are browned and have lost most of their water, add the butter to the mushrooms and lower to medium heat.
  3. Add the thyme and the onion to the mixture and cook for 7-8 minutes until the onion has softened, stirring often.
  4. Add the sliced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  5. Now, turn the heat up to high and add the wine. Reduce until there is virtually no liquid in the mixture left. At this point, add the porcini mushrooms with their stock and reduce by half.
  6. Lower to medium-high heat and stir through the beans with their bean stock.
  7. Keep cooking until it has reduced into a similar consistency to risotto. Just before serving, fold through a knob of butter and the parmesan.
  8. Give the mixture a good grind of black pepper and serve in bowls, topped with crispy breadcrumbs for crunch and parsley for freshness.
Porcini mushrooms and creamy white beans