Italian
Creamy Mushroom Risotto
Arborio rice toasted, then simmered with warm vegetable broth added in ladles, finished with mushrooms, butter, and parmesan. It asks for stirring. That is the method.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Advanced
Why you’ll love it
- The steps explain the stirring and the broth additions instead of saying 'cook the rice.'
- Mushrooms are browned separately so they are not boiled in the rice.
- Done means tender rice in a loose sauce, not a thick paste.
- It is vegetarian and still feels like a main course.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
Check the ingredients you still need, then add them. If nothing is checked, the full list is added. Saved on this device.
Instructions
- 1
Warm the broth in a saucepan and keep it at a bare simmer.
- 2
Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium-high. Brown the mushrooms with 1/2 teaspoon salt, about 6 minutes. Remove them.
- 3
Lower the heat to medium. Add 1 tablespoon butter and the onion. Cook 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir 2 minutes, until the edges look translucent.
- 4
Add the wine if using and stir until it is absorbed.
- 5
Add a ladle of warm broth. Stir until the rice drinks it in, then add another. Keep going for about 18 to 20 minutes. The rice should be tender with a slight bite, and the sauce should flow when you tilt the pan, not sit like mashed potatoes.
- 6
Stir in the mushrooms, remaining butter, parmesan, thyme, and the rest of the salt. Rest 2 minutes off the heat. Add a last splash of broth if it tightened up.
Pro tips
- Cold broth stalls the cooking. Keep it warm.
- Stir often enough that the rice does not stick, not so frantically that you are whipping it.
- If you stop when it looks like thick oatmeal, you have gone too far. It should still move.
Easy substitutions
- White wine
- A ladle of broth.
- Thyme
- A small spoon of chopped parsley at the end.
Storage and reheating
Storage
Risotto is best immediately. Refrigerate up to 2 days if you must.
Reheating
Warm gently with extra broth, stirring, until it loosens. It will not be the same as the first serving.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 460
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
Moderate · Stovetop · Vegetarian
You might also like
Mushroom Stroganoff
Mushrooms and onion in a paprika sour-cream sauce over egg noodles. No beef. The mushrooms are browned first so the sauce tastes roasted, not stewed.
35 min · Easy
View recipe
Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Portobello caps are filled with sauteed spinach, onion, tomatoes, and breadcrumbs, then topped with mozzarella and baked. The mushrooms roast at 400°F until the caps are tender and the cheese melts.
40 min · Easy
View recipe
Spinach Lasagna
Lasagna noodles are layered with marinara, spinach, ricotta, and mozzarella, then baked until the cheese browns. There is no meat in the sauce, only a well-seasoned cheese filling.
1 hr 20 min · Medium
View recipe
Black Bean Enchiladas
Flour tortillas are rolled around mashed black beans, corn, and cheese, then covered with enchilada sauce and baked. The filling is seasoned on the stove so the oven only has to melt and heat.
50 min · Medium
View recipeStill hungry?
More in the same lane, not a random mix.
Chana Masala
Chickpeas simmer in a spiced tomato sauce with onion, ginger, and garlic until the gravy thickens. Lemon and cilantro go in at the end, and the curry is served over rice.
40 min · Easy
View recipe
Chickpea Tikka Masala
Chickpeas simmer in a tomato sauce scented with garam masala, cumin, and ginger, then cream and yogurt finish the pot. Serve it over basmati so the sauce has somewhere to go.
40 min · Medium
View recipe
Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta
Tender pasta simmers with spinach, artichokes, and a garlic cream sauce in one pot. It is a straightforward vegetarian dinner with pantry-friendly ingredients.
30 min · Easy
View recipe
Grilled Portobello Burgers
Large portobello caps marinate briefly, then grill until juicy with charred edges. Stack on toasted buns with lettuce, tomato, and a simple yogurt sauce.
27 min · Easy
View recipeFind something else
From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
Read the affiliate disclosure.