Quorn Chicken, Asparagus and Pea Risotto

When I was little my mum discovered soya protein. It was a healthier option, meant to replace red meat without sacrificing the taste. We were served spaghetti bolognese and other dishes with soya mince. It did taste different, none of us liked it and we could always tell it was soya. My mum gave up on that idea and we went back to using meat. These days we have an new option for reducing saturated fat in the diet and still getting enough protein, Quorn. Quorn is made from Mycoprotein, sourced from funghi in a fermentation process to create a high protein meat substitute. There is a wide range of Quorn products, from sausages to burgers to chicken fillets and slices. When I was given the chance to try to recreate one of the Quorn recipes on the website I was interested to see what it actually tasted like. I chose to make Quorn Chicken, Asparagus and Pea Risotto.

The risotto used Quorn chicken slices, which actually looked like chicken slices. When I tried one I was quite surprised, it tasted very like chicken. The texture of the quorn is not quite the same as chicken, it is a bit more soggy in texture. It would make a good meat substitute if you were cooking for a vegetarian though. Although you could tell that it was not quite the same as chicken the taste was very close. I could definitely get away with using this instead of chicken without the family complaining the way we used to when my mum served soya mince.

The recipe itself was delicious, the addition of asparagus and peas along with the chicken made for a lovely taste. It was perfect with salad on a hot sunny day.

You can find this recipe and others using quorn on their website.

Quorn Chicken, Asparagus and Pea Risotto

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Ingredients

  

• 175 g Quorn Meat Free Chicken Pieces
• 15 ml 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1-2 garlic cloves crushed
• 250 g 10oz Arborio risotto rice
• 125 ml 4fl oz white wine
• 900 ml 1.8 pints hot vegetable stock
• 75 g 3oz pesto
• 50 g 2oz Parmesan cheese, grated (plus extra for garnish)
• 175 g 6oz frozen peas
• 225 g 8oz fresh young asparagus tips
• 30 ml 2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, torn
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

 

• Chop the onion and garlic. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry them gently until soft.
• Add the rice and stir until covered in oil.
• Add the wine and let the rice absorb it.
• Add the stock a little at a time, stirring the rice and adding more stock when it is absorbed.
• Keep adding the stock until it is all used and the rice is soft and creamy, it will take about 20 minutes.
• Add the peas, Quorn chicken pieces, asparagus, parmesan cheese and half the basil.
• Season with salt and pepper and cook for five more minutes.
• Serve with grated pamesan, the rest of the basil and a salad

Read more:

• Roasted Vegetable and Goats Cheese Pasta
• Cod and Cauliflower Cheese Bake

Disclosure: I was sent some quorn in order to create the recipe.