Cauliflower Risotto with Mushrooms and Dried Plums

This dairy-free and grain-free cauliflower risotto uses cashew milk, mushrooms, and dried plums to produce an incredible, satisfying flavor. It’s a vegan, Paleo, and Whole30 dish that is sure to please.

This post was sponsored by California Grown. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Sometimes a recipe serendipitously falls into your lap like a feather from them heavens.

Other times, you really have to grind it out to get it right.

This Cauliflower Risotto recipe falls somewhere in between.

I had been playing around with cashew cream and really liked its combination with cauliflower rice. It was rich, creamy and reminded me of risotto.

See where I’m going here?

My first few attempts to further flush out a recipe were okay, but missing something.

Around the same time, CA Grown reached out to me to see if I was interesting in creating something using California dried plums. I purchased several kilos, and started adding dried plums to everything…everything, that is, except the risotto.

Finally, I put two and two together. Magic happened.

The subtle sweetness of the plums combined perfectly with the umami-rich mushroom base of this risotto. Wrapped up in the creamy cashew sauce and rounded out with some chopped spinach and fresh herbs, this Cauliflower Risotto is like Fall in a bowl.

How to Make Cauliflower Risotto

Because I am a glutton for punishment, sometimes I grate my cauliflower by hand. If you don’t enjoy bloody knuckles, feel free to use a food processor as shown in this post.

You’ll need to gather 12 ounces of flavorful mushrooms for this recipe. I used a combination of portobellos, oysters, and white mushrooms.

Mushrooms are great, but the real secret ingredient in this cauliflower risotto are dried plums (aka prunes). They add an incredible burst of flavor to this dish. Hot tip: wet your knife before to prevent sticking while chopping them.

Soak 2 cups of raw cashews in a covered bowl or jar the fridge overnight (or at least for 8-10 hours).

Drain and rinse the cashews, then combine them in a high speed blender with some nutritional yeast, lemon juice, sea salt, and water. Blend for 1-2 minutes until completely smooth.

Next heat some olive oil up in a large high-walled skillet or dutch oven. Add the sliced mushrooms along with a diced onion and saute until tender, about 7-8 minutes. Then add the chopped dried plums, minced garlic, and some fresh thyme and cook for another minute or two.

Add the riced cauliflower and stir well. Cover the pot and cook until the cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes.

Remove the lid, stir in the cashew cream and cook until heated through (you can also add some more water at this point to thin it out if necessary). Add in some chopped spinach, parsley, and lemon zest and remove the pot from heat.

Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with additional parsley. Cauliflower Risotto makes a great side and is tasty served all by itself. Enjoy!

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