Easy Mushroom Risotto

This delicious risotto recipe includes minimal ingredients and comes together in less than an hour. I suggest using a variety of fresh mushrooms to maximize flavor and texture. Mushrooms offer a variety of health benefits including prebiotic fiber to support gut function and vitamin D to support bone health. This is a perfect weekend meal to share with friends and family.

Easy Mushroom Risotto Recipe

Ingredients

For the mushrooms:

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 lbs fresh mushrooms (I suggest a mix of varieties such as shiitake, golden oyster, baby bell)

Salt and pepper (to taste)

For the risotto:

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, diced

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp dried thyme (or 1 Tbsp fresh thyme)

1 1/2 c Arborio rice, uncooked and rinsed

2-3 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar

40 oz vegetable broth, warmed in pan on stovetop (~110 F)

1/2 c grated parmesan cheese (plus add’l for serving)

Fresh basil and/or Italian parsley (for garnish)

Instructions

For the mushrooms:

1. Using a dutch oven or deep pan, heat olive oil over medium-low heat.
2. Add mushrooms to the pan and cook for 5-10 minutes until mushrooms are softened
3. Before removing from heat, add salt and pepper to taste
4. Transfer mushrooms to bowl and set aside

For the risotto:

1. Using original pan that held mushrooms, heat pan to medium and add olive oil
2. Add onion to pan and cook until softened and translucent (3-5 min)
3. Add garlic, salt, thyme and cook for about 1 minute (occasional stirring)
4. Add uncooked rice and balsamic vinegar to pan, stir for about 30 seconds
5. Reduce heat to low and begin to add 1 ladle (about 3/4 c) of warmed broth to pan, stir. (Pro Tip: At this stage, it is important to keep heat low to where you see a gentle simmer of the liquid in the pan. This will ensure that the rice is cooked low-and-slow. The rice will need around 20 minutes to cook ‘Al dente’ or ‘firm not mushy’)
6. Add 1 ladle (3/4 c) at-a-time of broth once liquid looks mostly absorbed in pan. This should be every 3-5 minutes. Regularly stir risotto throughout cooking process to prevent sticking/burning at bottom of pan.
7. Once rice is fully cooked, remove from heat and add about 2/3 of cooked mushrooms and parmesan to mixture and stir.
8. Serve and garnish with remaining cooked mushrooms, fresh herbs, and additional grated parmesan