Mushroom Risotto - The Recipe Critic (2024)

Jump to Recipe

This website may contain affiliate links and advertising so that we can provide recipes to you. Read my disclosure policy.

Mushroom Risottois soft short-grained rice that is cooked in broth with flavorful button mushrooms and sweet peas. The flavor combination is incredible and it’s the perfect side dish for any protein!

This classic Italian recipe can be served as main dish or a side paired with a hearty meat. This is a comfort meal that is planned and prepared with you in mind! Slow Cooker Italian Chicken and Potatoes, some delicious Creamy Tomato Italian Parmesan Chicken or this filling and flavorful Classic Italian Wedding Soup are some of our favorite classic Italian meals to try.

Mushroom Risotto - The Recipe Critic (1)

Mushroom Risotto

I needed something light, comforting and manageable for the week and I knew Mushroom Risotto had to be made! It is a dish that can be warmed up quickly and taste good every day. It has simple ingredients and when combined all together adds this comforting and oh-so-good meal that makes your day go even better! This Mushroom Risotto is perfect for making ahead for your busy week or enjoying it right off the stove top.

I am all about making life simple. With life so busy all the time with the kids activities and endless errands to run, quick and easy meals, like this mushroom risotto and my favorite lemon garlic chicken to go with it are my savior! This is a quick and easy meal that my kids can warm up quick after school or pack along as a lunch. Check out my healthy meals round up and slow cooker dinner recipes for more great quick and easy meal ideas.

Ingredients

Even though this list looks long, the ingredients for mushroom risotto are really simple! Most of them are herbs or things that you already have on hand. This dish is so flavorful and easy to make, I know you are going to love it as much as my family does! The measurements are listed below in the recipe card.

  • Chicken or Vegetable Broth: Either will work, they add flavor and it is what you cook the rice in.
  • Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Has a nice soft flavor and cooks well.
  • Onion: Finely chopped.
  • Butter: To cook veggies.
  • GarlicCloves: Minced.
  • Button Mushrooms: It’s a European and North American mushroom with tons of nutrients and packed with flavor.
  • Fresh Thyme: Earthy flavor perfect for this dish.
  • Salt and Pepper: Just a pinch.
  • Arborio Rice: The best rice to use! I have other tips for choosing rice below in the tip box.
  • White Wine: Use your favorite, I talk more about the wine below in the tip box.
  • Fresh Parmesan Cheese: Makes this so creamy and flavorful!
  • Frozen Peas: You could use fresh instead.
  • Fresh Parsley: For garnish and extra flavor.
Mushroom Risotto - The Recipe Critic (2)

Mushroom Risotto Recipe

This mushroom risotto is a very simple recipe and you are going to love how it turns out! The hardest part is cooking the rice the perfect amount of time so that it isn’t hard, but it doesn’t get mushy. You will be able to tell when it starts to get close, this is a recipe you don’t want to walk away from. It only takes 35 minutes, and you will be so in love with the flavor!

  1. Warm Broth: Start by warming the chicken broth. Either in a large bowl in the microwave or in a medium saucepan over medium heat bring to a simmer.
  2. Cook Onion and Mushroom: In a large pot heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until tender. Add 1 tbsp butter, garlic, mushrooms and thyme. Cook until the mushrooms have softened and are tender. Then season with salt and pepper. Remove and set aside on a plate.
  3. Add Rice: Melt the remaining 1 tbsp butter and add the arborio rice. Stirring on medium heat, cook the grains until the are lightly brown and start to toast about 2 minutes.Then add the wine and cook until the wine has absorbed.
  4. Add Broth: Add one cup of broth at a time to the rice and stir frequently until the rice absorbs the liquid. Continue to add one cup of broth and allow the rice to absorb after each addition. Stir often and cook until the risotto is al dente and not mushy. You may not need all of the broth.
  5. Add Veggies: Add the mushrooms, parmesan, and peas back to the rice and stir. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve while warm.
Mushroom Risotto - The Recipe Critic (3)

Tips for Making Mushroom Risotto

I love how mushroom risotto can taste different in so many ways! The brands you use, the rice you choose, and the wine you decide on are all going to change the flavor of the dish. The best part about cooking is you get to decide how you like it best. Here are some tips for choosing ingredients.

  • Best Rice to Use: The best northern Italian dish, risotto is elegant and simple, but there are a few tricks to getting it right. First, always use Italian short- grain rice like arborio or vialone; nothing else will do as a substitute for best results.
  • Best Wine: Mushroom risotto will make most wines taste delicious, but some will be amazing. In general, it’s especially good with earthier reds, like Pinot Noir or Nebbiolo, or fuller-bodied whites, like lightly oaked Chardonnay or Pinot Gris. It is always best to choose a wine that you enjoy and use that type of wine in the recipe.
  • Leave the Wine Out: Yes! You Can Make Risotto Without Wine. The good news is you can definitely make risotto without wine. White grape juice: Use white grape juice as a substitute when adding sweetness or deglaze the pan. For a punchier substitute, try mixing a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice per cup of grape juice. Chicken or vegetable stock: Substitute stock for white wine when you want to add depth of flavor to a dish.
  • Using Red Wine: Some recipes get pretty specific about the kind of wine they want you to use: an oaky chardonnay in this reduction sauce, a hearty Italian red for that braise. All wines will chemically behave in the same way, so there’s no danger that a recipe won’t work if you use a red instead of a white or vice versa.
Mushroom Risotto - The Recipe Critic (4)

Storing Leftovers

Mushroom risotto makes great leftovers, and is also a great recipe to make ahead of time. It reheats really well and is just as delicious reheated.

  • In the Refrigerator: You can store your leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container or in a shallow baking pan covered with foil for up to 4 days.
  • To Reheat: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Place risotto in a shallow baking pan covered with foil and let it get warm, but make sure not to let it cook again.
Mushroom Risotto - The Recipe Critic (5)

More Yummy Rice Dishes

I love rice! It is a great way to switch up your dinner menu without adding a lot of extra work. These rice dishes are simple, delicious, and easy to make into a well rounded nutritious meal that doesn’t take all night to prepare. You have to try all of them!

Dinner

Better Than Takeout Fried Rice Recipes

Dinner

One Pot Creamy Parmesan Chicken with Mushroom Rice

25 mins

Side Dishes

Cheesy Zucchini Rice

25 mins

Pin this now to find it later

Pin It

Mushroom Risotto - The Recipe Critic (10)

Save

PinPrint

Mushroom Risotto

By: Alyssa Rivers

Mushroom Risottois soft short-grained rice that is cooked in broth with flavorful button mushrooms and sweet peas. The flavor combination is incredible and it's the perfect side dish for any protein!

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Start by warming the chicken broth. Either in a large bowl in the microwave or in a medium saucepan over medium heat bring to a simmer.

  • In a large pot heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until tender. Add 1 tbsp butter, garlic, mushrooms and thyme. Cook until the mushrooms have softened and are tender. Season with salt and pepper. Remove and set aside on a plate.

  • Melt the remaining 1 tbsp butter and add the arborio rice. Stirring on medium heat, cook the grains until the are lightly brown and start to toast about 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook until the wine has absorbed.

  • Add one cup of broth at a time to the rice and stir frequently until the rice absorbs the liquid. Continue to add one cup of broth and allow the rice to absorb after each addition. Stir often and cook until the risotto is al dente and not mushy. You may not need all of the broth.

  • Add the mushrooms, parmesan, and peas back to the rice and stir. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve while warm.

Notes

Updated Feb 2023

Originally Posted May 2019

Nutrition

Calories: 786kcalCarbohydrates: 98gProtein: 34gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 2430mgPotassium: 682mgFiber: 7gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 2448IUVitamin C: 33mgCalcium: 743mgIron: 7mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Alyssa Rivers and the food blogger behind The Recipe Critic. The blog launched in 2012 as a place to share my passion for cooking. I love trying new things and testing them out with my family. Each recipe is tried and true, family-tested and approved.

Read More About Me

More Ideas

Casseroles

Cabbage Roll Casserole

40 mins

Dressings, Sauces, and Dips

Russian Dressing

5 mins

Side Dishes

Classic Potato Salad Recipe

30 mins

Mushroom Risotto - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to a good risotto? ›

Always use warm stock.

Warming the broth before adding it to the warm rice coaxes more starch out of each grain of rice and helps prevent it from overcooking. Cool broth takes longer to warm up in the risotto pan and may shock the grain into holding onto its starches while the rice itself continues to cook.

What is the secret ingredient in risotto? ›

Use Salted Water Instead of Broth in Risotto

It's an ingenious tip on many levels.

How do restaurants make risotto so creamy? ›

Risotto technique: cook a starchy ingredient slowly, adding liquid bit by bit and stirring. Aim: pull starch out for creaminess. What is the secret to best risotto?

What is Gordon Ramsay's recipe for risotto? ›

ingredients
  1. 1 large shallot, chopped finely.
  2. 4 tablespoons olive oil.
  3. 8 ounces baby portabella mushrooms, sliced.
  4. 10 ounces arborio rice.
  5. 12 cup dry white wine.
  6. 4 cups low sodium chicken broth.
  7. 8 ounces plum tomatoes, skinned, seeded and finely chopped.
  8. 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped.

What is the trick to creamy risotto? ›

Cream – Finishing risotto with heavy whipping cream at the end takes it to another level. You can substitute with 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter. I always use unsalted because I want to control the sodium content.

Is it better to make risotto with butter or olive oil? ›

According to Salvatore, it all depends on the ingredients. The chef prefers oil over butter (and oil works particularly well with seafood risottos), but butter is better for vegetable-based dishes like Rampoldi's black truffle with mushroom or mixed vegetable and ginger risotto.

Why do you put vinegar in risotto? ›

If you are able to get white wine vinegar then you can add a tablespoon of this to the rice and let it boil away before adding any stock and this will often give some of the flavour of wine, whilst reducing the alcohol content.

Why do you put butter in risotto? ›

La mantecatura is everyone's favorite stage because you add more flavor and creaminess to the risotto though the addition of butter, cheese or oil. Grab your rested risotto and cold butter or cheese, gently stirring until melted and evenly distributed.

Why does my risotto taste bad? ›

One of the most surefire ways to ruin risotto is by overcooking it. Like pasta, the rice should be al dente—just cooked with a little bite to it. If you can mold your risotto into a shape, you've cooked it too long. When cooking risotto on a stove top, taste it periodically to test its doneness.

What can I add to risotto to make it taste better? ›

Sautéed shallots, garlic, shiitake mushrooms, and thyme are used to build a robust and flavorful foundation on which arborio rice and hot stock are melded. With each stir of the spoon, the starches thicken, and the earthy essence of the mushrooms builds depth of flavor.

What are the characteristics of a good risotto? ›

Good risotto has specific traits:
  • Creamy. This seems obvious but to obtain a creamy risotto is an art because it has to be silky but not starchy and the time between these two delicate phases is a question of minutes. ...
  • Al dente. ...
  • Separated grains. ...
  • Tasty. ...
  • Delicate.
Jan 21, 2022

How do restaurants get risotto so fast? ›

The key, instead, is to undercook the risotto and cool it rapidly to prevent that rice from overcooking, so you can easily finish cooking it later.

What are the rules when preparing risotto? ›

Risotto rules: how to cook the perfect risotto
  1. Choose the right rice. There are different types of traditional risotto rice. ...
  2. 2. ... and the right amount. ...
  3. Use hot stock. ...
  4. Measure your stock. ...
  5. Add your stock little and often. ...
  6. Let it rest. ...
  7. Leave a little bite. ...
  8. Consistency is key.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Merrill Bechtelar CPA

Last Updated:

Views: 6401

Rating: 5 / 5 (50 voted)

Reviews: 89% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Merrill Bechtelar CPA

Birthday: 1996-05-19

Address: Apt. 114 873 White Lodge, Libbyfurt, CA 93006

Phone: +5983010455207

Job: Legacy Representative

Hobby: Blacksmithing, Urban exploration, Sudoku, Slacklining, Creative writing, Community, Letterboxing

Introduction: My name is Merrill Bechtelar CPA, I am a clean, agreeable, glorious, magnificent, witty, enchanting, comfortable person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.