Best Mushroom Risotto Recipe
Why you’ll love this Recipe for Mushroom Risotto
- It has a deep, rich flavor while being entirely meatless.
- You can incorporate a ridiculous amount of kale (or another leafy green) and get tons of vitamins and nutrients, since it cooks down to practically nothing.
- It’s the best way to get your leafy greens in when you’re not really in the mood for a salad.
Creamy Mushroom Risotto Ingredients
- Arborio rice – the key ingredient for risotto, since it has lots of starch that creates that signature creamy texture.
- broth – you’ll need 5 cups of liquid for cooking the rice. Water doesn’t have enough flavor, so you’ll want to use broth. Use vegetable broth to keep it vegetarian, or chicken broth if that doesn’t matter to you.
- butter -for sauteeing the aromatics before you add the rice.
- garlic – starts the dish with a yummy savory note.
- onion – adds sweetness and complexity to the flavor of the best mushroom risotto recipe.
- mushrooms – more on this below, under “Best Mushroom for Risotto.”
- thyme – introduces a subtle, herby note that complements the mushrooms.
- salt and pepper – for enhancing the natural flavors of all of the ingredients in this recipe for mushroom risotto.
- baby kale – adds lots of vitamins and nutrients and balances the richness of the dish. You can also use baby spinach or Swiss chard here!
- Parmesan cheese – finishes the dish with a savory, nutty flavor.
Best Mushroom for Risotto
When choose mushrooms for risotto, you’ll get the best flavor if you choose a couple of different varieties.
I like to use a combination of button mushrooms (for affordability) and bolder varieties like cremini, shiitake, porcini or chanterelles (for complex flavor and more umami depth).
Many grocery stores will sell something labeled “gourmet medley” or something similar, which will offer a variety of different mushrooms. If I see this, I always grab it to use for mushroom kale risotto.
How to make Mushroom Kale Risotto
- HEAT BROTH. Put the broth in a medium saucepot and heat it to simmering over medium heat. Then, you can turn off the heat and keep it covered.
- SAUTE. Melt the butter in a large high-sided skillet and cook the garlic and onion until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and thyme and cook until the mushrooms are deep golden brown.
- RICE. Add the rice and cook a few minutes until the grains become translucent at their edges. Then add the wine and salt and pepper and cook until the wine is mostly absorbed.
- COOK AND STIR. Add 1/2 cup of the hot broth and stir until mostly absorbed. Continue adding the broth in 1/2 cup increments, stirring after each addition and cooking until most of the broth is absorbed before adding more. Cook 18 minutes, then stir in the kale and cheese and cook until the rice is tender.
- SERVE. Divide the risotto between warm plates and served garnished with additional cheese.
Gourmet Mushroom Risotto Recipe Home Chef Tips
- A lot of people think that risotto requires *constant* stirring, but you really don’t have to do that (although you can, if you want). Restaurant chefs certainly don’t stand over the skillet stirring it constantly. Just stay in the kitchen with it (maybe unload the dishwasher while you’re at it). Stir it every 2 to 3 minutes and add more hot broth as soon as it starts to get dry again, and you’re all good.
- Please note that to keep this creamy mushroom risotto vegetarian, you need to skip the Parmesan cheese or use a vegan Parm alternative. Parmesan cheese is not vegetarian because it contains rennet (an enzyme that’s found in the lining of a goat or calf’s stomach).
What to Serve with Creamy Mushroom Risotto
This mushroom risotto is hearty enough to stand on its own as a vegetarian main dish. You can pair it with an arugula salad with citrus vinaigrette or roasted asparagus if you want a side dish.
You can also serve this gourmet mushroom risotto as a side dish to a protein like oven baked salmon or lamb lollipops.
Best Mushroom Risotto Wine Pairing
For the best wine pairing for the best mushroom risotto recipe, choose a crisp white wine with good acidity to balance the creamy, rich texture of the risotto. Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio are great choices.
If you prefer red wine, Pinot Noir will complement the earthiness of the mushrooms without overpowering the flavor of the dish.
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Best Recipe for Mushroom Risotto
A rich, savory rice dinner packed with tons of leafy greens.
Ingredients
- 5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ½ small onion finely chopped
- 12 ounces button mushrooms sliced
- 4 ounces gourmet medley mushrooms or wild mushrooms sliced
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 cup arborio rice
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 packages baby kale 5 ounces each
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for garnish
Instructions
- In medium covered saucepot, heat broth over medium heat. When simmering, turn off heat and keep covered.
- Meanwhile, in large high-sided skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion. Cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add mushrooms and thyme; cook 8 to 10 minutes or until mushrooms are deep golden brown, stirring frequently.
- Reduce heat to medium and add rice; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until rice begins to become translucent at edges of grains, stirring constantly. Add wine, salt and pepper; stir constantly until wine is mostly absorbed.
- Add 1/2 cup hot broth; stir frequently until mostly absorbed. Add additional broth in 1/2 cup increments, stirring after each addition and cooking until broth is mostly absorbed before adding more. Cook 18 minutes, then stir in kale and cheese. Continue cooking 2 to 3 minutes longer or until rice is tender, stirring frequently and adding broth as needed (you may not need all of the broth).
- Divide risotto between warm plates. Garnish with additional cheese and serve immediately.
Notes
Home Chef Tip: A lot of people think that risotto requires *constant* stirring, but you really don’t have to do that (although you can, if you want). Restaurant chefs certainly don’t stand over the skillet stirring it constantly. Just stay in the kitchen with it (maybe unload the dishwasher while you’re at it). Stir it every 2 to 3 minutes and add more hot broth as soon as it starts to get dry again, and you’re all good.
Calories: 382kcal, Carbohydrates: 52g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 32mg, Sodium: 1646mg, Potassium: 774mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 7418IU, Vitamin C: 72mg, Calcium: 322mg, Iron: 4mg
This website provides estimated nutrition information as a courtesy only. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Did you make this recipe?Leave a Review below or share a photo and tag me on Instagram @foxeslovelemons with the hashtag #foxeslovelemons.
Great recipe. Tried it last night and it was a great success. My wife was impressed !
I’m so glad to heard that, Dominique!
I thought this recipe was delicious. I have always been a big fan of the home risottos … Especially ones with mushrooms and cheese. Keep these risottos coming with the left over rice please – so happy we have so much of it still on hand. Love the new layout also!