While red wine is a delight to drink, it also creates the perfect base for a variety of dishes.
One of these is mushroom risotto – with the alcohol burning off and mingling with the earthy flavor of mushrooms, wine is a perfect additive to the recipe. Traditionally, I throw almonds into this recipe for added protein.
Using quinoa as an alternative to the standard Arborio rice not makes the dish protein based, but also retains the nutty flavor that usually comes from the added nuts.

Vegan Mushroom and Red Wine Quinoa Risotto
Using quinoa for risotto makes the dish protein-based, while retaining the nutty flavor that usually comes from the added nuts.
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp grapeseed oil
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup quinoa, lightly toasted in the oven
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme
- 2 tsp dry parsley
- 2 tsp coarse ground black pepper
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Caramelize the onion and garlic, in the grapeseed oil on the stove at medium-high heat, until lightly browned and translucent – between 3 to 5 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan with red wine, scraping up all browned bits with a spatula. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the quinoa grains are translucent throughout.
- Remove from heat, fluff the mixture and let it sit, covered for 10 minutes. Serve with free range meat
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 212Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 0mgSodium 489mgCarbohydrates 21gFiber 3gSugar 5gProtein 4g
This sounds wonderfully flavoursome with the red wine and herbs, but I’d skip the animal protein accompaniment 🙂