Mushroom Risotto (Vegetarian or Vegan)

This creamy mushroom risotto was the first vegetarian recipe I made that my (usually meat-loving) husband completely devoured without complaint, and it’s become a staple at our house ever since! It’s a super versatile recipe and can easily be made dairy free and vegan with a few very simple swaps. It’s been a great gateway into more plant-based recipes in our home and I hope that it can be a meal that you and your family love as much as we do!

So a note before we begin, this recipe is made in two parts- the risotto base and the garlic herb mushrooms- which are then combined together. You will need a stove with at least two cooktops/hobs (and two pans) to make this as efficiently as possible as we will be cooking the two parts at the same time, side by side. You don’t have to do this but doing so will save you a lot of time (and makes standing there stirring the risotto a little less boring!).

Jump to:

• Instructions
• Vegan Substitutions
• Spinach and Mushroom Variation
• What to Serve With Your Risotto
• How to Store
• Recipe Card

Instructions

Before you start, make sure you have all your ingredients chopped and measured out so that they’re ready to go.

1. Risotto Base

1. Make sure your stock has been warmed either on the stove or in the microwave. If you are using stock cubes, your stock should already be warmed in the process of mixing them up with hot water.
   
2. Start your risotto base by sautéing your onions in a tablespoon of oil. Once these are soft and slightly translucent, add your arborio rice and stir.
   A change I sometimes like to make is to substitute half the arborio rice with pearl barley. This adds a bit of a textural variation (and a little increased nutritional value) to the dish which is nice.
   
3. Next add your white wine and cook for a few minutes so that the alcohol can evaporate.
   I recommend using wine if you can as it adds flavour to the dish, but it can be substituted for more stock instead if required.
   
4. Begin adding a ladleful of stock to your rice and gently stir until absorbed. Repeat this process and continue to do so until all the stock has been absorbed into the rice.
   While it’s important to give the risotto a stir every few minutes, you don’t have to keep an eagle eye on the pot for every moment until the risotto cooks- it’ll survive you walking away for a minute or two at a time. Which makes this the perfect time to start making the mushrooms.

2. Garlic Herb Mushrooms

1. Place a large non-stick pan on the stove next to your risotto base and heat a tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add your minced garlic and cook for a minute or two until the garlic starts to become fragrant and golden.
   
2. Reduce the heat to medium and add your butter (if using) and mushrooms. As the mushrooms cook they will start to reduce in volume and begin to release a lot of liquid. Give the mushrooms a stir every few minutes or so and allow them to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. During this process, don’t forget to give your risotto rice a good stir every few minutes!
   You can use any type of mushrooms for this recipe- I will often use button or portobellos, but feel free to try any combination you like!
   
3.  Once the water from the mushrooms has evaporated, season with salt and pepper and add your chopped fresh parsley (or dried parsley) to the pan.

3. Putting It Together

1. Reserve some mushrooms to the side for topping if desired and mix the remainder and any remaining mushroom liquid into the risotto. Add the parmesan and stir well. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired. 
   
2. Divide risotto onto plates for serving and garnish with reserved mushroom and additional cheese and parsley if desired.

Vegan Substitutions

This mushroom risotto recipe can be made vegan with a few simple changes:

• Use vegetable stock
• Omit the butter when cooking the mushrooms
• Use vegan parmesan instead of parmesan cheese

For this recipe, vegan parmesan can easily be made by using a few teaspoons of garlic powder and nutritional yeast. A staple in vegan cuisine which can be found in most large grocery stores (check the health food isle), nutritional yeast gives the risotto a deliciously cheesy flavour without the actual cheese. You could even make half the risotto with parmesan cheese and the other half with vegan parmesan by dividing the dish in two before the last step. This is great if you’re making this dish for a few guests with different dietary needs.

Spinach and Mushroom Variation

Add even more health to your dish by adding some baby spinach at the same time as your parmesan. Simply stir it in and enjoy! The dish pictured above was made with spinach, fresh parsley and half arborio rice and half pearl barley.

What to Serve With Your Risotto

There’s so much flavour in this dish that I don’t think it needs anything more than just a sprinkle of cheese/ nutritional yeast and maybe some extra parsley to garnish, but here are some other suggestions that go great with this risotto:

• Bread: Crusty sourdough would be delicious with this risotto, or make it even more indulgent by serving it with buttery garlic bread!
• Salad: A light, leafy green salad would go well with this dish.
• Protein: If you’re having this with meat, something light and simple would go best with this rich dish, such as a roast chicken or grilled fish.

How to Store

This mushroom risotto is best stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It’s also great for making ahead as it freezes and reheats well.

• To Freeze: simply pop into a plastic, food safe container and place in the freezer for up to 3 months. I’ve read that freezing risotto can cause the rice to become hard when reheated, but I’ve never had that problem with this risotto recipe.
• To Reheat: Simply pop the risotto into the microwave and stir halfway through heating!

If you make this mushroom risotto, please leave a rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!