*This recipe does require some multi-tasking and for you to have three pans on your stove. You can saute the onion and mushrooms before you cook the rice and use just one saute pan. But to save time, I cook the onions and mushrooms in one pan while the rice cooks in another. A pot of vegetable broth will also be kept at a simmer.

*This recipe works really nicely with cremini or baby bella mushrooms. If using dehydrated wild mushrooms, rehydrate the mushrooms according to the package and save some of the soaking liquid to use as part of the broth.

1. Pour the vegetable broth into a pot and bring it to a low simmer. This broth will simmer for the entire time you cook the rice. Make sure steam is coming up off the broth but avoid having your broth boil as too much can evaporate while you cook the rice.
2. As the broth comes to a simmer, slice the onion by cutting it in half lengthwise and then thinly slice it so you get nice long strips. Thinly slice the mushrooms.
3. Heat two saute pans over low heat with one tablespoon of oil in each.
4. Add the sliced onion and crushed garlic cloves to one pan, sprinkle with some salt and caramelize the onions over low heat for 10 – 15 minutes. Stirring periodically.
5. Meanwhile, add the rice to the other pan with the warmed olive oil and stir to toast the rice for 1 minute. Make sure the pan is on low heat so that the wine doesn’t evaporate when it hits the pan and add the white wine. Allow the rice to soak up the wine, stirring periodically.
6. Add the sprigs of thyme to the rice and sprinkle the rice with salt and pepper.
7. Next, ladle ½ cup of broth at a time into the rice, stir, and wait for the broth to be absorbed by the rice. Once most of the liquid has been absorbed, add another ladle of hot broth. Continue in this way for about 30 minutes as your rice slowly cooks in the hot broth.
8. Once the onions and garlic have been caramelizing for 10 – 15 minutes and the garlic has good colour on it, remove the garlic cloves from the onions and add them to the rice. The garlic will soften in the rice and you can eventually mash the garlic up to incorporate it fully into the rice (this way you won’t have big cloves in the finished risotto).
9. Add the (sliced or rehydrated) mushrooms to the onions and if using cremini, cook the mushrooms down for about 5 minutes until they have released water and started to brown. Add the tamari and worcestershire to the mushrooms and onions. Cook for another 3-5 minutes then scoop half the mushrooms and onions into the rice and keep the other half in the same pan.
10. Add 1 cup spinach to the rice and 1 cup to the reserved mushrooms and onions. Once the spinach with the mushrooms and onions wilts, turn off the heat to the pan and keep those veggies warm for the topping.
11. With the last two ladles of broth for the rice, carefully remove the sprigs of thyme and stir in the nutritional yeast and tahini.
12. When the rice has soaked up all the broth it should still be just slightly al dente but super creamy. Turn off the heat and if you think your rice is still slightly too firm, just put a lid on the pan for about 5 minutes and the steam will cook the rice through a tiny bit more.
13. Serve right away by spooning risotto into serving bowls, top with the reserved veggies and sprinkle with chilli flakes for a bit of heat or your favourite vegan parmesan.