Mushroom Risotto
As I post this recipe, it’s the first week of March and snow is (still) falling outside. I am really, really ready for spring and all the bright and fresh food that it brings, but I’m also completely okay with posting a comforting, hearty dish today – Mushroom Risotto.
There is really no better way to explain it – hearty and comforting. If you’ve never had it, risotto is a dish made of arborio rice, which is a short grain starchy rice that, when cooked using the “risotto method”, becomes creamy and luscious and luxurious.
The risotto method is essentially a way of cooking this special kind of rice by slowly adding hot liquid to it, one ladle at a time until the liquid has absorbed, then adding another until the rice is al dente and creamy. It takes about 45 minutes, so if you want to give it a try, I suggest a Saturday or Sunday, just so you don’t feel rushed!
You can add in many different ingredients, such as a variety of vegetables (asparagus and mushrooms are pretty popular when it comes to risotto), herbs, Parmesan, and other flavorings to make it pop, like balsamic and lemon.
I suggest giving it a try – your family and guests will certainly be appreciative and impressed.
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Mushroom Risotto
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 50-55 mins
- Total Time: 1 hr – 1 hr 5 mins
- Yield: Serves 6 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stove-Top
Description
A luxurious (but surprisingly easy to make) vegetarian dish with a pound of mushrooms, Parmesan, red wine and fresh thyme.
Ingredients
- 6–8 cups unsalted vegetable stock
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium shallot peeled and minced
- 1-pound mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme, stems removed and chopped
- 1 cup arborio rice
- ⅓ cup dry red wine
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher or sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar and/or zest of 1 medium lemon
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- ½ cup flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped, divided
Instructions
- Heat the stock in a large stock pot over low heat.
- Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or braising pan to medium-low heat. Add the shallots and mushrooms and sauté 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until caramelized. Stir in the garlic, thyme and arborio rice and sauté 30-60 seconds or until fragrant. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the red wine, bringing to a simmer. Stir until the wine is evaporated.
- Keeping the risotto simmering on medium-high, add one ladle of hot stock at a time, stirring until the liquid has dissolved, until the rice is al dente and the risotto is creamy (this process takes 40-45 minutes). Season with salt and black pepper throughout the process.
- Stir in the balsamic vinegar and/or lemon zest, half of the Parmesan cheese and half of the parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
- Scoop risotto into bowls and top with remaining Parmesan and parsley.
Notes
Cooking Tip: Heating the stock helps reduce the total risotto cooking time, so don’t skip this step!
Substitution Tip: Omit the Parmesan for a vegan dish.
Meal Idea: Serve half a portion of mushroom risotto with a seared chicken breast and a cup of roasted or sauteed veggies.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 340
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 468mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 39g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 29g
- Cholesterol: 9mg
Keywords: mushrooms, mushrooms, risotto, rice, vegetarian