Mushroom and spinach spelt risotto

A warm spelt risotto with mushrooms, spinach and a cheese finish.

By The foodose editorial team. Nutrition calculated from USDA FoodData Central. Checked on paper on 12 September 2026; not yet cooked in a test kitchen or photographed, so the times and yield are estimates. How we develop our recipes

What still needs a real kitchen

Confirm pearled spelt is tender in 25 to 30 minutes
Photograph the finished plate

Time: About 50 min; estimated
Serves: 2; see below
Energy: 360 kcal; per serving
Protein: 21 g; per serving

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Ingredients for 2 servings

2 servings

Check off ingredients as you go.

10 ml rapeseed or other neutral oil
250 g mushrooms, sliced
60 g onion, finely chopped
110 g spelt, dry weight
650 ml vegetable stock, ready to use
100 g spinach, fresh leaves
35 g vegetarian hard cheese, finely grated

Contains gluten, milk. Check the labels on packaged ingredients:

vegetable stock. Vegetable stock often contains celery, and some contain milk or gluten; check the label, especially if you need it vegan.

Cooking steps

Warm the oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat and cook the mushrooms for 6 to 8 minutes, until browned. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes more.
Stir in the spelt, then add the stock. Simmer, stirring now and then, for 25 to 30 minutes, until the grains are tender but still chewy. Add water if the pan dries first.
Stir in the spinach and let it wilt, about a minute.
Take the pan off the heat, beat in the hard cheese and loosen with a splash of water if it has gone stiff.

The useful detail

Use pearled spelt; whole spelt needs a different cooking schedule. Whole grains take an hour and want soaking first, and the packet will tell you which you have.

Make it work for you

One serving is Half the pan, a deep plateful. You can switch to a smaller portion in the ingredients above; it is three quarters of this, and it contains correspondingly less energy and protein. It is an option, not a goal.

Pearl barley instead of spelt
Softer and starchier, and it thickens the pan more.
Per serving: about 10 kcal more, about 3 g less protein, about 1 g less fat.
Parmesan instead of a vegetarian hard cheese
The same in the pan, but not vegetarian.
Per serving: about the same energy, about the same protein, about the same fat.
Chestnut mushrooms
Deeper flavour and firmer texture. Nutrition is not recalculated.

Estimated nutrition

Per standard serving, calculated from the ingredients above. Nutrition changes with substitutions, brands and how much oil stays in the pan.

A grain risotto with more fibre and chew than a rice one. The cheese is the main source of protein, so the figure is moderate.

Nutrition per serving
Energy	360 kcal
Protein	21 g
Fat	11 g
of which saturates	3 g
Carbohydrate	51 g
of which sugars	9 g
Fibre	9 g
Sodium	1,200 mg

Show calculation notes

Each ingredient’s weight is multiplied by its USDA FoodData Central values per 100 g. The whole recipe is added up and divided by 2. Raw weights are used for meat, fish and vegetables; beans and lentils are drained weights. All of the oil is counted as eaten. Added salt is not included; sodium from stock, bread, cheese and tinned food is.

Calculation, whole recipe
Ingredient	Weight used	Source	Energy	Protein
rapeseed or other neutral oil	9 g	FDC 172336Oil, canola	81 kcal	0.0 g
mushrooms	250 g	FDC 169251Mushrooms, white, raw	55 kcal	7.7 g
onion	60 g	FDC 170000Onions, raw	24 kcal	0.7 g
spelt	110 g	FDC 169745Spelt, uncookedFarro and spelt are closely related wheats sold under both names; this uses FoodData Central's spelt record.	372 kcal	16.0 g
vegetable stock	635 g	FDC 171583Soup, vegetable broth, ready to serve	32 kcal	1.5 g
spinach	100 g	FDC 168462Spinach, raw	23 kcal	2.9 g
vegetarian hard cheese	35 g	FDC 170848Cheese, parmesan, hardCalculated with FoodData Central's hard Parmesan record. Vegetarian Italian-style hard cheeses are made the same way but with microbial rennet, and are close in composition.	137 kcal	12.5 g
Whole recipe		Divided by 2	724 kcal	41.3 g

Per serving the energy is rounded to the nearest 5 kcal, grams to the nearest whole gram and sodium to the nearest 10 mg. Calculation method 1.0, September 2026. How the calculation works.

Storage and reheating

In the fridge: Cool, cover and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Eat within 3 to 4 days. The spelt keeps drinking the stock; loosen it when reheating.
In the freezer: Freezing keeps food safe indefinitely; the texture is best if it is eaten sooner rather than later.
Reheating: Reheat until it reaches 74°C / 165°F, steaming hot throughout.

Checked against US Food and Drug Administration, Refrigerator and Freezer Storage Chart, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Leftovers and Food Safety, FoodSafety.gov, Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures and FoodSafety.gov, Cold Food Storage Chart. UK guidance from the Food Standards Agency is shorter, at two days for most leftovers.

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