Creamy, flavourful and filling, this mushroom risotto is foolproof and delicious.
Rice is a very versatile carb and when the right kind of rice is combined with the right flavours you get the perfect dish like this mushroom risotto.
Risotto may seem intimidating but it’s all in the cooking method and the right type of rice. Using arborio rice and cooking it slowly in and patiently yields the perfect risotto.
In this recipe, we use mushrooms and onions as the flavour base making this dish rich in flavour and texture.
Preparing Easy Mushroom Risotto
Ingredients
Pantry
Arborio rice: Arborio rice is high in a starch called amylopectin which is what gives it its creamy consistency. When cooked, this starch is released, resulting in a smooth and melt-in-your-mouth texture. Arborio rice is an Italian rice variety that can easily be used to substitute white rice in most recipes.
Stock: I use vegetable stock in this recipe because of its mild flavour. It also makes this soup vegetarian. Vegetable stock is made by cooking vegetables and some spices to release the flavours. The liquid is the broth or stock that is then used for other means, such as the base for this cauliflower soup.
Olive oil: I use olive oil for this recipe because of its mild flavour. Olive oil is the fat extracted from olives. The least processed is extra virgin olive oil, which I use in this recipe.
Produce
Garlic clove: Garlic is a bulb that is edible and is grown in soil. Though the green shoots it sprouts, called garlic scapes, are also edible, we are referring to the actual bulb that the scapes grow from. Garlic bulbs are made up of multiple cloves and depending on the variety you may have anywhere from 4 to 10 cloves, if not more. This is important to know because recipes will often call for a specific number of cloves which can vary in size greatly.
Onion: Onion is a very common vegetable that is used both raw and cooked in food preparation. It has a sharp flavour raw that often sweetens once cooked. There are many varieties of onions, some that are milder than others. We use the common onion or yellow onion in this recipe.
Button mushrooms: Button mushrooms are immature fungi that come in two colours – white and brown. These mushrooms are one of the most popular mushrooms around the world and as such have many different names. Button white and cremini are the names I’ve come across most often here in Canada.
Dairy
Parmesan cheese: Grated parmesan cheese is perfect for this recipe, and I don’t mean freshly grated. The relatively inexpensive pre-grated type is just right here. The flavour is perfect and I always find it a bit of a waste to use the freshly grated stuff in a sauce where it just melts away. Save the expensive fresh stuff for topping your pasta.
Butter: Butter is churned milk or cream and is high in fat. It is solidified when refrigerated, holds a semi-soft, spreadable consistency at room temperature, or can be liquefied when heated.
How to Make Mushroom Risotto
The steps are simple but all very important to follow along closely. Read through the steps before you start so you know what to expect.
Step 1: Get the liquid ready
Pour 5 cups of stock into a saucepan and heat up on medium heat. The goal is not to boil it but simply to heat it and keep it hot.
TIP: Keep an eye on it and lower the heat if it begins to boil.
Step 2: Prep the flavour base
While the stock is warming, peel and dice the onions, wash and slice the mushrooms and peel the garlic. You can chop the veggies as big or small as you like.
Then, once the stock is hot and steamy, add oil to the medium pot and heat it up on medium-high heat.
When the oil is hot, add the onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes until they begin to soften.
Then add the mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes until they soften and begin to release their juices. Add ¼ tsp salt and stir occasionally but not too often.
Now push the mushrooms aside and press in the garlic, sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant then stir with the mushrooms and onions.
Step 3: Cook the rice
Now it’s time to add the rice. Once again push the veggies aside, add the butter and wait until melted then add the arborio rice. Sauté the rice for 2-3 minutes letting it brown slightly.
Add two ladles of the hot broth to the pot and lower the heat to medium under the risotto. Cook on medium until the rice absorbs most of the liquid. Limit the frequency of stirring, only to prevent burning.
Once the liquid is absorbed, add another 2 ladles of broth and wait for it to be absorbed before adding another.
Repeat this process until the rice is cooked and creamy.
Step 4: Finish off the risotto
When there is just a bit of liquid left and the rice is cooked through add the parmesan cheese and stir it into the rice well.
Substitutions
Button mushrooms: you can use any variety of mushrooms that you like, keeping in mind that this recipe elevates the mushroom flavour even a mild flavour like button mushrooms.
Serving Mushroom Risotto
Mushroom risotto is best served on its own for the perfect dining experience. However, given that it is low in protein. Given its rich flavour and texture, I recommend less fatty protein like chicken or fish or any plant-based protein.
Top the risotto with a bit more parmesan. I had some truffle cheddar left over from a party here so that also made an excellent addition. If you have any parsley on hand, chop some up and sprinkle it on top for added colour and freshness.
Let us know in the comments if you have any other questions. And if you like this recipe be sure to leave us a five-star rating below.
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Mushroom Risotto Recipe
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Medium pot
- Knife
- Ladle
Ingredients
Instructions
- Pour 5 cups of stock into a saucepan and heat up on medium heat.4-5 cups of stock
- While the stock is heating up, peel and dice the onions, wash and slice the mushrooms and peel the garlic.65 g onion, 227 g mushrooms, 1 garlic clove
- Once the stock is hot, not boiling, add oil to a medium pan and heat up on medium-high heat.1 tbsp olive oil
- When the oil is hot add the onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes until they soften.65 g onion
- Next, add the mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes until they soften and begin to release their juices. Add ¼ tsp salt.227 g mushrooms, ¼ tsp salt
- Push the mushrooms aside and press in the garlic, sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant then stir with the mushrooms and onions.1 garlic clove
- Once again push the veggies aside, add the butter and wait until melted then add the arborio rice. Saute the rice for 2-3 minutes letting it brown slightly.1 tbsp butter, ¾ cups arborio rice
- Add two ladles of the hot broth to the pot and lower the heat to medium under the risotto. Cook on medium until the rice absorbs most of the liquid.4-5 cups of stock
- Add another 2 ladles of broth and wait for it to be absorbed before adding another. Repeat this process until the rice is cooked and creamy.4-5 cups of stock
- When there is just a bit of liquid left when the rice is cooked, add the parmesan cheese and stir it into the rice well.¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- Serve immediately.
