What Makes This Recipe So Good
It’s thick and creamy, and it’s absolutely packed with rich flavors like parmesan cheese, butter, and mushrooms. While there’s a lot of stirring involved, this mushroom risotto is actually really easy to make. It just sounds intimidating! It uses really simple ingredients. The saffron thread is only thing you might have trouble finding and even that’s optional! Though, it adds a lot of flavor and color to the recipe, so I really encourage you to track some down if you can. Mushroom risotto can be its own solo dish, but it also makes a fantastic side for proteins like Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breast or Lemon Garlic Salmon. With a few simple substitutions, you can make this dairy free, vegetarian, or vegan.
Key Ingredients
Arborio Rice – Traditional Italian risotto is made with Arborio rice. It’s a higher-starch rice so it gets nice and creamy when you cook it. Arborio rice is pretty common, but if you have a hard time finding it, you can use sushi rice or another short-grain sticky rice instead.Mushrooms – It’s not mushroom risotto without the mushrooms! We’re using both white and brown mushrooms in this recipe. What’s the difference? Age, basically. No, really! All three are Agaricus bisporus. White mushrooms are harvested first, so they’re the “youngest” or least mature, then criminis (or baby bellas), then portobellos. White mushrooms have the highest water content, and the lightest flavor. Portobellos are the heartiest and most flavorful of the three.
Chef’s Tips
Don’t rinse the rice before cooking! The starchy outer layer helps make this dish as creamy as possible. You don’t want to overcook the mushrooms, so stir them in to your risotto right at the very end of your cook time. Keep the broth warm while you’re working on the rice. Cool broth will stop the cooking process every time you add it to the rice, so it’s constantly one step forward and two steps back. Add the broth to the rice very slowly, in small amounts, and let it evaporate before adding more. And don’t stop stirring ever!
Other Delicious Mushroom Recipes
Mushroom Gravy Cream of Mushroom Soup Air Fryer Mushrooms Creamy Whole30 Bacon Mushroom Chicken Thighs with Thyme (Paleo) Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
