Mushroom Risotto
Mushroom Risotto is an special restaurant quality dinner that’s easier to make than you may think! This classic risotto recipe features sauteed mushrooms with perfectly cooked arborio rice. White wine, garlic, and an optional truffle oil finisher make this risotto really sing.
Risotto is a wonderful dish to make for any special dinner, so try our Parmesan Risotto and Lemon Risotto as well.
Table of Contents
Some people are intimidated at the thought of making risotto because there’s a misconception that it’s difficult to make. The truth is, the method is simple! It’s simply stirring and adding liquid, then stirring and adding more liquid. You’re basically repeating the same two steps a few times.
However, it’s important to know that making risotto requires attention. To make it correctly, you’ll need to stir the rice every few minutes, before and after adding more liquid. The key is to let the rice absorb wine and broth gradually, a couple ladles as a time. In NO way should you dump all the liquid at once!
But, I encourage you to give your full attention to making this mushroom risotto recipe. I assure you, the results will be well worth it! The tender bites of mushrooms throughout the risotto really send it over the top.
Ingredient Notes
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.
How to Make Mushroom Risotto
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.
Recipe FAQs
If you’re not already familiar with it, truffle oil is classified in culinary terms as a finishing oil. All varieties of cooking oil lose flavor as they heat up, and this especially true for finishing oils.
This means, truffle oil isn’t meant to cook food in. Rather, it is drizzled over food or mix it in right after the food is cooked to enhance the flavor. Similar to adding fresh leaves of basil to a caprese salad.
Truffle oil is very potent, so just a tiny drizzle will give a lot of flavor. The cost for a bottle varies depending on the purity of the oil, but the cost for an average quality oil is about eight dollars.
Risotto is a rice dish that uses arborio rice. Arborio rice is a starchy, Italian short-grain rice. This rice is high in starch, which is very important in making risotto because this is what will give you the naturally creamy, chewy consistency of the dish.
You do have to use a short-grain rice that is high in starch and in most grocery stores, your only option will be arborio. In order to achieve the proper consistency of risotto, your rice will have to give off starch and create a creamy, chewy consistency while still retaining its structure.
Carnaroli rice, Vialone Nano rice, and a couple other Italian short-grain rice varieties that are very high in starch but those are not as widely available in the US. It may be available in other regions, so check your grocery stores.
Yes, you can substitute the wine but the flavor of risotto will change slightly. You can simply use extra stock, chicken or vegetable, instead of wine.
You can also add 3-4 tablespoons grape juice, just make sure to choose the juice brand that is not very sweet. To get a slight tang, mix in about a tablespoon of white wine vinegar into the stock.
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
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Mushroom Risotto Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 shallots sliced thin
- 16 oz baby bella mushrooms use other kind of you want
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
- 1 cup dry white wine split in 2
- 3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- salt
- fresh cracked black pepper
Optional:
- 1/2 -1 tsp truffle oil black or white
Instructions
- Slice shallots and mushrooms thinly and mince garlic. Measure and prepare other ingredients.
- Combine broth, water, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a sauce pot and bring it to simmer. Turn the heat down to lowest setting so it stays warm.
- Preheat a large cooking pan over medium-high heat. Pour it olive oil and let it warm up.
- Add sliced shallots and saute until browned.
- Add sliced mushrooms and saute for a few minutes until cooked and start to brown as well.
- 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 cook for about a minute.
- 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.
- Ladle in about a cup of hot broth. Stir and let rice simmer as it absorbs the liquid.
- Once the liquid is absorbed, pour in the second half of wine and another cup of stock mixture. Stir and let is simmer while rice absorbs the liquid.
- Continue to add about a cup of hot broth at a time and letting the rice absorb the liquid before each addition. Remember to stir often but not constantly.
- 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 it.
Optional:
- Stir in a little bit of truffle oil right before serving. (Start with no more than 1/2 tsp because it's very potent and taste before adding more.)
Video
Notes
- Substituting wine: note that the flavor will change slightly. You can simply use extra stock, chicken or vegetable, instead of wine. You can also add a little (3-4 tablespoons) grape juice, just choose the juice brand that is not very sweet. To get a slight tang, mix in about a tablespoon of white wine vinegar into the stock.
- 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.
Nutrition
All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
I plan on trying this great looking dish! I see the calorie count but you don’t give the portion size for the calories.
Hi Jo,
This risotto is for four so if you split it into 4 equal portions that is what the calories will be for this recipe.
Thank you so much for this site. And now we can enjoy here for the work. so please come here.
Risotto is just one of those dishes I need to try making. You’ve convinced me! Looks delicious!!
I sure hope you make it and enjoy it, Laura! Thank you!
Mushrooms are one of my favorite foods of all time. My mouth is watering.
😀 Thank you so much, Amanda!
This risotto looks to die for! I love truffle oil, there is just no substitute for it, such a unique flavour! Thank you for linking up with my recipe, Lyuba!
Absolutely, Julia! Thank you so much!!
It was my pleasure!