The protein cooking time listed in this recipe has been updated.
As of December 2025, we’ve revised cooking times for all our proteins to reflect improved food safety guidance.
Check out the latest recommended times in our Cooking Guidelines.
Speedy Chestnut Mushroom Risotto with Basil Pesto
An easy, Mindful Chef twist on risotto – studded with garlicky mushrooms and vibrant spinach. Stir cashew cream into the brown rice to make it irresistibly creamy, then top with crunchy pumpkin seeds, lemon zest and a drizzle of basil pesto.
Ready in 20
5 plants
Low sat fat
Serving size
Ingredients
- 10g vegetable stock powder (Chicory Extract, Salt, Yeast Extracts, Onion Powder, Carrot Extract, Tomato Powder, Rapeseed Oil, Natural Flavouring.)
- 120g chestnut mushrooms
- 2 tbsp green pesto (Rapeseed Oil, Broccoli, Spinach, Broad Beans, Basil, Sunflower Seed, Garlic, Salt, Yeast extract powder (Yeast Extract, Salt), Pumpkin Seeds, Porcini Mushrooms, Kale, Golden Linseeds, Citric Acid, White Quinoa, Ascorbic Acid.)
- 1 onion
- 2 tsp pumpkin seeds
- 3 garlic clove
- 1 unwaxed lemon (use half)
- 250g cooked short grain brown rice (Cooked Wholegrain Risotto Rice 97% (Water, Risotto Rice), Sunflower Oil, Salt.)
- 80g baby spinach
- 200ml cashew cream (use half) (Nuts) (water, cashew (7%), sunflower oil, stabiliser (arabic gum, xanthan gum), sea salt)
Nutritional Information
Calories: 525
Protein: 11g
Carbs: 59g
Fat: 29g
Ingredients
- 10g vegetable stock powder (use half) (Chicory Extract, Salt, Yeast Extracts, Onion Powder, Carrot Extract, Tomato Powder, Rapeseed Oil, Natural Flavouring.)
- 250g cooked short grain brown rice (use half) (Cooked Wholegrain Risotto Rice 97% (Water, Risotto Rice), Sunflower Oil, Salt.)
- 3 garlic clove
- 200ml cashew cream (use a quarter) (Nuts) (water, cashew (7%), sunflower oil, stabiliser (arabic gum, xanthan gum), sea salt)
- 120g chestnut mushrooms (use half)
- 80g baby spinach (use half)
- 1 unwaxed lemon (use a quarter)
- 2 tsp pumpkin seeds (use half)
- 1 onion (use half)
- 2 tbsp green pesto (use half) (Rapeseed Oil, Broccoli, Spinach, Broad Beans, Basil, Sunflower Seed, Garlic, Salt, Yeast extract powder (Yeast Extract, Salt), Pumpkin Seeds, Porcini Mushrooms, Kale, Golden Linseeds, Citric Acid, White Quinoa, Ascorbic Acid.)
Nutritional Information
Calories: 544
Protein: 11g
Carbs: 60g
Fat: 30g
Speedy Chestnut Mushroom Risotto with Basil Pesto
An easy, Mindful Chef twist on risotto – studded with garlicky mushrooms and vibrant spinach. Stir cashew cream into the brown rice to make it irresistibly creamy, then top with crunchy pumpkin seeds, lemon zest and a drizzle of basil pesto.
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Cooking Instructions
Before you start
- Pull out a large frying pan, a grater, a measuring jug, a sieve & a small bowl
Do the prep
- Thinly slice the mushrooms. Finely dice the onion. Finely chop or crush the garlic
Fry the 'shrooms
- Heat the large frying pan with 1 tbsp oil on medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic and onion and cook for 5-7 mins, until softened
- Add the mushrooms and cook for 3-4 mins, until soft and golden brown. Season with salt and pepper
Make the pesto dressing & build the risotto
- Meanwhile, zest the half lemon. In the small bowl, combine half the pesto with 1/2 tbsp oil
- Add the half pack of cashew cream, the remaining pesto and half the lemon zest to the veg pan
- Stir in the stock powder and 150ml water (75ml for 1 person), bring to the boil, then mix in the rice. Breaking it up with a spoon
Finishing touches
- Rinse the spinach, add to the pan, then cook for 1-2 mins, until the spinach has wilted and the risotto has thickened. Add a splash of water if it gets too dry
- Stir in a squeeze of lemon juice, then remove from the heat. Taste and season if needed
Plate up
- Share the risotto between bowls, drizzled with the pesto dressing. Sprinkle over the pumpkin seeds and remaining lemon zest
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