This is a risotto so good, it will make a grown man weep. A creamy, umami packed Mushroom Risotto fully loaded with garlicky, buttery mushrooms stirred through the risotto AND piled on top, it’s completely and utterly mouthwateringly delicious, can’t-stop-eating-it-good.
This is a fully loaded mushroom recipe – there’s 750g / 1.5 lb mushrooms in this!
Mushroom Risotto
It’s such a let down when you’re faced with a giant bowl of Mushroom Risotto, only to find you have to fish around desperately through piles of gluey rice to find a a few piddly bits of mushrooms.
Let me assure you, no fishing expedition will be required for this Mushroom Risotto!
(Let me also assure you there is no gluey rice in sight. Just creamy, silky, perfectly al dente risotto!😇)
What goes in mushroom risotto
This risotto recipe is intended to be one that makes the most of ordinary mushrooms, rather than hunting down exotic wild or Asian mushrooms, or using dried mushrooms which have a more intense mushroom flavour.
So this recipe is based around a rather large volume of either white or Swiss Brown/Cremini mushrooms!
Other than the mushrooms, there’s nothing unusual or groundbreaking in this recipe. It’s more about cooking technique (trust me, risotto is simple!).
Just a note on a few of the ingredients:
Risotto rice – to make risotto, you need to use risotto rice which is called Arborio rice, it’s different to ordinary white rice because it’s got a higher level of starch on the surface which thickens the cooking liquid used and makes the risotto beautifully creamy;
Cream – I don’t ordinarily use cream in risotto because you don’t need it to make risottos creamy (see above point). In this particular recipe, I actually use it to add a touch of richness and to make the risotto white (you’ll see in the video it’s quite brown because of the mushrooms). It’s optional;
Eschallots / French onions – baby onions that are finer than normal onions so they kind of “dissolve” into the risotto. Sub with 1/2 a normal onion, finely chopped; and
Substitute for wine? Wine adds depth of flavour into risotto as well as deglazing the pot (ie dissolving the golden brown bits on the base of the pot from cooking the mushrooms into the wine which forms part of the flavour base)
How to make Mushroom Risotto
And here’s how to make it.
Golden mushrooms – Sauté the mushrooms first to make them beautifully golden (because golden mushrooms = more flavour than colourless mushrooms!). Do this in 2 batches, else the pot is too crowded and they go watery and stew instead of golden. Then remove from the pot.
Sauté garlic and onion until the onion is cooked and the garlic smells amazing!
Deglaze with wine and add risotto – Add wine and let it simmer rapidly until mostly evaporated. Then add the risotto rice and stir so it gets coated in the butter and becomes semi-translucent – about 1 to 2 minutes.
Add stock 1 1/2 cups at a time – We’re using a total of 5 cups of chicken stock which is the amount needed to cook 1 1/4 cups risotto rice so it’s al dente (cooked through but not mushy) with enough sauce so the risotto is beautifully creamy, as pictured.
Add the stock 1 1/2 cups at a time, stir briefly then leave it for 3 minutes until the rice absorbs most of the liquid. Repeat 3 more times until the stock is used up, stirring regularly towards the end so the base doesn’t catch.
There’s no need to add the hot stock ladle by ladle, stirring constantly, which takes around 30 minutes. The end result will be just as creamy, I promise. Read next section below for why!
Add cream and parmesan – Once the chicken stock is all used up and the rice is just cooked (about 12 minutes), the risotto will still seem a little sloppy which is exactly what we want. The excess liquid will evaporate quite rapidly in the finishing steps.
Add the cream and parmesan, then give it a vigorous stir. This activates the starch in the risotto rice which gives the sauce the signature creamy consistency. In this step, you’ll also observe that the risotto transforms from being sloppy to beautifully creamy!
Creamy and white – Notice the difference in the colour and consistency in Step 6 (after cream and stirring) compared to step 5.
Add most mushrooms – Now add most of the mushrooms into the risotto, reserving some for garnish. Adding the mushrooms at the end rather than cooking the rice with the rice preserves the beautiful golden colour of the mushrooms.
Serve! Ladle the risotto into bowls and top with remaining mushrooms. Your goal is for the risotto to be beautifully creamy, it should ooze when ladled into bowls rather than piling up in a thick stodgy mound. If your risotto gets a bit thick, just add a splash of boiling water to loosen it up again.
Garnish risotto with extra parmesan (essential in my world) and a little sprinkle of parsley for a touch of freshness, if desired.
For the best flavour, cook the mushrooms until golden then stir some back in at the end and reserve the rest to pile on top. Maximum taste – and it looks better too!
Busting risotto-making myths!
There’s no need to stand over a hot stove stirring constantly for 30 minutes for creamy risotto. The liquid just needs to be added in 3 or 4 batches, and you only need to stir regularly towards the end. And I promise, your risotto is still going to be beautifully creamy and evenly cooked.
The concept of having to slowly add stock into the rice ladle by ladle for creamy risotto is a traditional method that was called for in the times when risotto was made by Italians in tall, narrow risotto pots. Tall narrow pot = high rice and liquid depth = must stir regularly for even cooking.
It’s been pretty well documented and tested by established food authorities such as Kenji Lopez-Alt at Serious Eats that if you use a wider pot, there’s no need to be so diligent.
What to serve with Mushroom Risotto
Mushroom Risotto can be served either as a starter / appetizer, or as a main.
As a starter, serve smaller portions (remembering that this is quite rich!). For a protein main, try some of these:
Crispy Pan Fried Fish – or serve this as the main with the Mushroom risotto on the side
Slow Roast Leg of Lamb – or a classic Roast Lamb Leg
I usually serve it as a main course with a simple crisp green salad like a Rocket (Arugula) Salad with Balsamic Dressing and Shaved Parmesan. The peppery flavour of the Rocket lettuce is a classic pairing with rich, creamy dishes like this risotto. Bonus that it’s possibly the fastest side salad ever!! – Nagi x
PS For a Carb Blow Out, add a side of Garlic Bread or even Cheesy Garlic Bread!
Watch how to make it
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Mushroom Risotto
Ingredients
Mushrooms:
- 500g (1 lb) mushrooms , sliced 3 mm / 1/8" thick (Note 1)
- 250g (1/2 lb) mushrooms , quartered (Note 1)
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1/2 tsp salt and pepper , each
Risotto:
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 2 eschallots / French onions , finely chopped (or 1/2 onion)
- 1/4 cup dry white wine (Note 2)
- 1 1/4 cups arborio rice , uncooked
- 5 cups chicken broth/stock , low sodium, warm (Note 3)
Finishes:
- 1/2 cup cream , optional but recommended(Note 4)
- 2 tbsp (30g) butter , optional (Note 4)
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese , finely grated
- 1/2 tsp salt and pepper , each
Serving:
- Finely chopped parsley or chives
- Parmesan , freshly grated
Instructions
Garlic Butter Mushrooms
- Add 1 tbsp oil and half the butter in a large heavy based pot over high heat (Note 5). Once melted, add half the mushrooms and cook until pretty golden brown (~4 min).
- Add 1/2 the garlic, 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper, then continue to cook until golden brown (~1.5 min). Then remove into bowl.
- Repeat with remaining mushrooms, then remove.
Risotto
- Turn heat down to medium. In the same pot, melt butter then add garlic and onion.
- Cook 2 minutes until onion is translucent but not golden.
- Add wine and allow to simmer rapidly for 2 minutes, scraping the base of the pot, until mostly evaporated.
- Add rice and stir for 1 minute until semi translucent.
- Add about 1.5 cups of stock. Stir, then leave for 3 minutes, stirring just a few times, until mostly absorbed (~3 min).
- Add about 1.5 cups stock, stir every now and then until mostly absorbed (~3 min) – no need to stir constantly. Repeat twice more until all stock used up, rice is just cooked but risotto still creamy and sloppy (~10 min, Note 6).
Finishes
- Add cream and butter, stir vigorously to make creamy.
- Stir in parmesan, salt and pepper.
- Stir through half the mushrooms, then taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Consistency should be creamy, not stodgy (Note 7).
- Reheat remaining mushrooms (I microwave).
- Spoon risotto into bowls, then top with reserved mushrooms (including a drizzle of buttery juices pooled in bowl!)
- Garnish with parsley if using, and extra parmesan. Serve immediately!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published October 2019. Post tidied up January 2020 – no change to recipe!
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Life of Dozer
He has a pigeon hole at my mother’s house where I keep some of this things for the times when he stays over. He’s always snuffling around in there, hoping to score some treats!
Gidget says
This was absolutely perfect! My husband and son said it was the star of dinner! I made this with pork chops and sautéed Kale, delicious!
Lisa says
Love this recipe !! We make it exactly according to your recipe, but stir all the mushrooms through, then at the end we fry sage leaves in butter until they are crisp and drain. Load the bowl with the risotto and shards of sage ( they crumble and shatter) and drizzle with any leftover sage butter – YUM
Rachael says
The BEST! Thank you so much for posting! So delicious.
Annie says
Best risotto ever!!!
Suzie says
Made this AGAIN! My go-to when I haven’t got around to using up the 500g of mushies I have bought with good intentions! Such an easy and delish dish. How they struggle with Risotto on MKR I will never know!!!
Vanessa says
Delicious!! I added a little fresh thyme as I love mushrooms with it. Only problem is I have way too much, can I freeze leftovers??
Karen says
Beautiful recipe Nagi! Didn’t have enough mushrooms and so added chopped bacon. You’re an absolute gem and my go to.
Annekathrin says
Followed the recipe mostly and it was amazing 🤩 only change was substitute was 70g of zucchini for 70 of mushrooms (of 375g – 2 positions) because I didn’t have enough and it was soo ewlicous
Claire Moore says
This is sensational Nagi! Definitely restaurant quality and it’s easy to cook. I love you recipes and use many of them. Thank you for sharing💕
Carol Cuevas says
Hi Nagi!
I have been craving mushroom risotto for some time.
I love mushrooms, but my husband only likes a little bit of mushroom. And besides, on the very stormy day I made it, I had only 3/4 LB mushrooms…My husband was perfectly happy with that amount, but not me.
Lo and behold! Black Truffle oil saves the day! I drizzled just a bit on my portion to make it even more decadent.
BTW, I will likely never make risotto without cream ever again!
You are a rockstar. I use your recipes frequently. Thank You
Peter says
A huge hit with all the family. Definitely will go on the regular menu.
Peter says
Absolutely yummy. A huge hit with all the family. Definitely will go on the regular menu.
Emily says
Better than a restaurant. Honestly amazing. I only had half the quantity of mushrooms required and it was still so delicious.
Thank you!
Mel says
Hi Nagi, my partner AlWAYS requests this risotto! I’m about to make it again, was wondering if cream cheese or sour cream can be substituted instead of the cream in this recipe? Thanks so much!!
Nicole says
I’ve been craving for some nice creamy risotto since the start of colder weather. This recipe is so worth it. So much better than those from ordinary restaurants. Will definitely make this again.
Shira says
Hi Nagi this looks amazing !! I want to make it as a side dish this weekend- my risotto rice has different package instructions for the amount of liquid – should I just ignore those and follow the recipe?
And how many will it serve as a side?
Can’t wait to try it! Looks fantastic
Nagi says
I would follow the recipe Shira and each serving would be three sides so just calculate using that! N x
Sally says
Amazing, loved it, probably tweaked it a bit as I had to make a serving for two. Definitely a keeper
Nagi says
Woo hoo! That’s great Sally – enjoy! N x
Paul Sweeney says
Great recipe
Kate Mahoney says
Can you please tell me what brand of parmesan you are using here? I normally use parmigiano reggiano but the cheese you have used looks a lot yellower. Want to make sure I get the right brand.
Nagi says
I use grana padano or reggio parmigiano from Harris Farm. As long as you use an Italian brand (made in Italy) then it will usually be good! And it’s ALWAYS better to grate your own! N x
Lisa H says
Fantastic! Made for Easter dinner this year and it was a hit with my family! I’ll definitely make this again! Thanks for a great recipe!