Mushroom risotto is a labor of love, but this mushroom risotto is totally doable with our easy recipe! It’s not a “throw everything into a pan and walk away” deal, but the steps are simple, and you’ll be rewarded with creamy mushroom risotto rivaling your favorite restaurants. For more incredible risotto recipes, I highly recommend our vegetable risotto made with tomato broth and lots of fresh veggies! For a quicker mushroom dish that still wows, try our mushroom pasta!
Key Ingredients
Mushrooms: You can use your favorite mushrooms for this recipe, but I love cremini or wild mushrooms. I remove the stems and then use them to infuse my broth with mushroom flavor. Then, I slice the mushroom caps for the risotto. Rice: The best rice for risotto are Arborio, Carnaroli, and Vialone Nano, all short-grain rice varieties with a high starch content. We use Carnaroli in our kitchen because it makes creamy risotto and is more forgiving of overcooking. Broth: A good vegetable broth or chicken broth works well in this recipe. I love doctoring it up a bit and simmering my broth with the discarded mushroom stems, thyme, a bay leaf, and a bit of soy sauce. These add extra flavor and nicely complement the mushrooms in our risotto. White Wine: Whenever you cook with wine, the most important thing to remember is to use something you enjoy. I use a light, dry white wine like Pino Gris, Albariño, Grüner Veltliner, or Sauvignon Blanc for this mushroom risotto. Wine adds flavor and some acidity. If you prefer to leave it out, replace it with more broth and sprinkle a little fresh lemon juice over the risotto before serving. Cheese: To make this risotto creamy, I stir in mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese) and lots of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese at the end.
How to Make Mushroom Risotto
This mushroom risotto starts with a flavorful base. I enhance store-bought or homemade stock by simmering it with mushroom stalks (saved from prepping the mushrooms!), thyme, a bay leaf, and a bit of soy sauce for richness. Next, I cook sliced mushrooms and onions in butter until they’re soft and golden brown. Then, I add the arborio rice to the pan, stirring to toast it in the butter (yum!). In goes some white wine. I let it reduce, then slowly incorporate the warm mushroom broth. You want to add the broth a little at a time, allowing it to be fully absorbed by the rice before adding more. As you add the broth, remember to stir frequently. Stirring is the key to achieving that luxuriously creamy texture risotto is known for. After 20 to 25 minutes of adding stock and stirring, the rice is nearly cooked. So, you can stir in mascarpone cheese and parmesan and season to taste with salt and pepper. Of course, you could stop there, but if you are up to it, fry a few sage leaves in oil to place on top of the risotto. It takes less than a minute (I shared how to make them in the recipe below). For wild mushrooms, clean them (if necessary) and tear or slice thicker mushrooms into smaller pieces. Smaller wild mushrooms can be left whole. 2 cups mushrooms such as button, cremini, or wild mushrooms 8 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth 2 sprigs fresh thyme 1 bay leaf 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 ¾ cups arborio risotto rice 3/4 cup dry white wine 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese or cream cheese 1/3 cup fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving Salt and fresh ground black pepper Homemade mushroom powder, optional 12 sage leaves for garnish 2Make the mushroom broth. Pour broth into a 3-quart saucepan. Add chopped mushroom stems, thyme, bay leaf, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook at a low simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Strain stock and discard the stems, thyme, and bay leaf. You should have about 6 cups of broth; if not, add water or more broth. 3In a 3-quart deep heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add mushroom slices and onion, then cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the wine, then cook until reduced by half. 4Add 1/2 cup of the mushroom-infused stock and cook over medium-high heat, constantly stirring, until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Repeat this until 5 to 5 ½ cups of broth have been added and the rice is cooked but slightly chewy. 5Stir in the mascarpone cheese and grated Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of mushroom powder (optional). 6Make fried sage leaves. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in an 8-inch skillet. Add sage leaves, a few at a time, in a single layer. Fry for 15 seconds, but do not brown. Transfer the leaves from the skillet to paper towels and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. 7Serve risotto in individual shallow bowls. Top each with a few sage leaves and parmesan cheese shavings.
