Mushroom Risotto

Arborio rice – This is a short grain white rice, and it’s truly one and only rice to use in risotto. Short grain rice has more starch than long grain rice, and that starch releases, thickening and adding creaminess to the dish.

Mushrooms – You can use any type of edible mushroom for this recipe. Typically, meatier mushrooms like baby bella, cremini, and shiitake are most common at stores but you can always get some more exotic mushrooms at the market.

Shallot – If you need a substitute, you can use the Vidalia onion instead, it has a nice sweetness to it.

Stock or Broth – Vegetable stock or broth is what I usually use. If you plan to serve the dish with chicken, feel free to use chicken stock instead of vegetable.

White wine – Choose a dry white wine that you enjoy drinking. Most of the alcohol in the wine will cook out, leaving a hint of the flavor. However, if you would rather not use it, just substitute with an equal amount of stock or broth and a touch of grape juice and white vine vinegar (see FAQs).

See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and instructions.

Prepare. Slice the shallots and mushrooms thinly and mince garlic. Measure and prepare other ingredients. This is important to do first as early cooking process moves quickly!

Make the broth. Combine the broth, water, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a sauce pot and bring it to a simmer. Turn the heat down to lowest setting so it stays warm. 

Sauté the shallots and mushrooms. Preheat a large cooking pan over medium-high heat. Pour in olive oil and let it warm up. Add sliced shallots and sauté until browned. Add sliced mushrooms and sauté for a few minutes until cooked and start to brown as well. (1)

Add garlic and rice. Stir in garlic and let it cook until fragrant. Lower the temperature to medium or just a little less than medium. Mix in Arborio rice and let it sauté for about a minute. (2)

Add wine. Pour in the first half of white wine and stir it to spread everything evenly. Let rice simmer and absorb the wine. Stir a little as rice simmers. Cook until rice absorbed the liquid. (3)

Add broth. Ladle in about a cup of hot broth. Stir and let rice simmer as it absorbs the liquid. (4)

Repeat the process. Once the liquid is absorbed, pour in the second half of wine and another cup of broth mixture. Stir and let it simmer while rice absorbs the liquid. Continue to add about a cup of hot broth at a time and let the rice absorb the liquid before each addition. Remember to stir often, but not constantly. (5, 6)

Cook until al dente. Cook risotto until rice is al dente. You want to taste rice often and let it cook until it has a little resistance in the middle when you bite and not crunchy.

PRO TIP: If you wish, stir in 1/2-1 tsp. of truffle oil right before serving. Start with no more than 1/2 tsp because it’s very potent. Taste before adding more.

Tips for the Best Mushroom Risotto

• Make sure to use proper rice! In order to make the best risotto, you have to use short-grain rice that is high in starch. This rice combined with the cooking method will give your risotto the creamy and chewy consistency you’re looking for.
• Get creative with mushrooms! You can use any type of edible mushroom for this recipe. Most common mushrooms are baby bella, cremini, and shiitake that you will usually find at stores but you can always get some more exotic mushrooms at the farmer’s market or specialty stores.
• Heat your broth. Before adding broth to the mushroom risotto, make sure it’s warm and seasoned. If you add cold broth, the temperature of the dish will lower and your rice won’t cook correctly.
• Don’t add all of the liquid at once. Adding the wine and broth a little bit at a time is crucial. It helps the arborio rice slowly release starch, which in turn creates that perfect risotto consistency.
• Stir often. You don’t have to stir constantly, but you do want to stir often. It’s a careful balance, because if you stir too often, the temperature of the dish will lower. It’s best to stir just before adding your liquids and a few times in between each addition.
• Medium to medium-low heat. The risotto should simmer gently as it cooks, not boil. You also don’t want it to not be hot enough. Since every stove is different, you’ll need to find out which setting is best for you.
• DON’T try to rush risotto! You may be tempted to speed up the cooking process, but don’t. These cooking steps are simple but they do take the time and are repetitive. All are necessary to get the perfect consistency, texture, and flavor of rice you want!
• Feel free to make it creamy or cheesy! If you wish to make your mushroom risotto creamy and/or cheesy, you are welcome to add about 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream and/or 1/2 cup of fresh grated parmesan cheese. Add cream and/or cheesy during the last couple of minutes of cooking, stir and just let it heat through and incorporate.

Serving Suggestions

Mushroom risotto will continue to cook and thicken, even after removing it from the heat. So, it is best to serve it immediately after cooking.

This is a multi-purpose dish, which means that you can eat it as a side or as meatless main dish. It tastes fantastic on its own, but it’s also tasty as a side with chicken, pork, beef, lamb, and fish.

Storing and Reheating Instructions

If you have any leftovers, store them in an air-tight container, in the refrigerator. Properly stored, it should last for up to 5 days. If you decide to mix in cream or Parmesan cheese into the mushroom risotto, the shelf like will be slightly less, 3-4 days.

This risotto is very easy to reheat in a pan or in a microwave. You will just need to add a little broth when reheating. Rice tends to soak up the liquids as it sits, so it will need more liquid when reheating.

Make sure to use a microwave lid to cover the plate if using a microwave for reheating. If using a pan and stove-top, reheat it over medium-low heat, covered with a lid, and just until the rice is hot.

More Favorite Risotto Recipes To Try

• Bacon Onion Pumpkin Risotto
• Creamy Tomato Basil Risotto
• Parmesan Risotto
• Lemon Risotto with Lemon Pepper Shrimp
• Lobster Risotto