Mushroom risotto is a creamy, delightful, and comforting Italian dish and a perfect vegetarian dinner idea packed with nutrients and rich flavors. With a few ingredients and a little time you can create this Italian classic.
Why choose mushroom risotto?
There are many amazing reasons for choosing mushroom risotto as a dish. This recipe is perfect if you don't want to be around alcoholic beverages or cook with wine.
It’s an excellent vegetarian meal that is nutritious and has rich flavors. Another reason why mushroom risotto is a fantastic dinner idea is that it's creamy and nice which means cheese lovers will enjoy it. This recipe idea is a great option for anyone who loves when their rice is fluffy or creamy.
Ingredients needed to make mushroom risotto
You can make mushroom risotto at home with less than ten ingredients.
Vegetable stock
Lemon juice
Butter
Mushrooms
Yellow onion
Garlic
Carnaroli or Arborio rice
Parmesan cheese
Original Crabby Seasoning (optional)
Ingredients notes
The ingredients that are used to make mushroom risotto all play a vital role in creating this fantastic dish. Let's take a look at the ingredients and what they do to create this comforting and tasty dish.
Vegetable stock
Warm stock is added in small batches to slowly cook the risotto. The flavor from the stock infuses into the rice and gives it a rich flavor.
Lemon juice
This ingredient, along with a small portion of broth, is added to the risotto immediately after it has been parched.
Butter and olive oil
Butter and olive oil are used to sauté the mushrooms and the seasonings and lift the flavors from the onion and garlic.
Mushrooms
Just about any mushroom will work well for this recipe, so you could just use whatever you have handy, and the dish will be fine.
Seasoning
Yellow onion and finely minced garlic add a nice touch of flavor to this recipe. You may add salt and pepper based on your personal liking or even a dash of our Original Crabby Seasoning while you sauté the onion and garlic.
Risotto
Carnaroli or Arborio rice is recommended for the best mushroom risotto results.
Parmesan cheese
The creaminess of the dish is all thanks to fresh parmesan cheese, which is added just before serving.
How to cook mushroom risotto?
Once you follow the steps for making your mushroom risotto and pay attention to the recipe tips in the section below, you should be able to pull off this delicious dinner recipe without any glitches.
Heat the stock
Reserve half a cup of the stock and place the lemon juice in it. Place the remainder of the stock in a pan and heat it until it gets to a simmering point.
Cook mushrooms
While the stock is being heated, place a skillet on medium heat. Add then heat 1 tablespoon of the butter with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Add mushrooms and cook for about 10 minutes while occasionally stirring until the mushrooms shrink and change to a golden brown color. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Sauté the spices
Sauté onions and add other seasonings. After cooking the mushrooms, your next task is to cook the onions with the seasonings. You'll use the remaining butter and another tbsp of olive oil to cook the onions until they are clear. (Do not let them get brown.) Add the garlic and cook until it is fragrant for about 25 to 30 seconds.
Toast the risotto
Add the rice to the seasonings and cook while stirring constantly until there is a nutty aroma and the edges start to look translucent. This will take about five minutes.
Add lemon-flavored stock
Add the lemon stock to the rice and cook until the liquid has evaporated completely (3-5 minutes).
Cook the rice slowly with hot stock
Reduce the heat and add 2 ladles full of hot stock to the rice. Stir constantly for about 5 minutes until the stock has been absorbed.
Add more stock and stir constantly as you wait for the stock to be absorbed again. Keep repeating this step while testing the rice to see if it is fully cooked and al dente. (There is a chance that some of the stock may be left after your risotto has been cooked.)
Add mushroom and parmesan cheese
When the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and stir in your mushroom and parmesan cheese. And there you go! A rich, creamy mushroom risotto that is worth every minute it took you to prepare.
Recipe tips for mushroom risotto
Here are some tips to keep in mind and make sure you don't ruin your mushroom risotto but get the perfect result every time.
The temperature of the stock
The temperature of your stock is very important to how your risotto will turn out. For the best result, keep your broth warm and very close to the risotto. This makes it easier for you to add the stock in small batches.
Add the stock in small batches
Another important tip is to make sure you are adding just enough broth. This will prevent you from ending up with a mushy risotto.
Toasting the risotto
A key step in preparing the perfect mushroom risotto is to make sure you toast your risotto before you start adding the broth.
Test for doneness
It is also important to test the risotto for doneness. In between the stirring and adding of broth, do a little tasting to see if your rice is ready and to get an idea of how much more broth you'll need to add.
Don't overcook the mushroom
Not overcooking the mushrooms is very important, as this will help you to get the perfect texture. When you are through cooking the mushrooms, immediately remove them from the pot to prevent heat transfer and overcooking.
The parmesan cheese
Fresh parmesan cheese is ideal for getting the very best results for the perfect mushroom risotto. Avoid buying parmesan that has already been shredded because the results will not be the same.
Stirring and monitoring the heat.
Don't try to speed up the cooking process for your risotto by using too much heat. A low, steady heat with just the perfect amount of stirring is the trick.
Serving ideas
You may enjoy your mushroom risotto by itself or with just about anything that you like.
You may try some of our other dinner recipes here or even this easy to make dessert.
I do hope you have fun preparing and enjoying this excitingly delicious and creamy mushroom risotto dinner recipe idea.
