Description
Seriously Creamy Porcini Mushroom Risotto – Starchy Italian arborio rice slowly simmers with shallots, garlic, & cremini mushrooms in a simple porcini-infused broth until perfectly al dente & ridiculously creamy. Naturally vegetarian & gluten-free. Easily dairy-free & vegan – see Recipe Notes, below.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or stock
- 1 (one) 1-ounce package dried porcini mushrooms (see Recipe Notes)
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 large (or 2 small) shallot, finely diced
- 16 ounces cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1/2 cup dry, unoaked white wine
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
Instructions
- Reconstitute the porcini mushrooms: Add the vegetable broth, dried porcini mushrooms & bay leaf to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil & reduce to a gentle simmer. Simmer 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or spider strainer to remove the mushrooms & bay leaf from the pot, allowing all excess liquid to drain back into the pot. Keep the porcini-infused broth simmering gently over low heat. Transfer reconstituted porcini mushrooms to a cutting board & finely chop. Discard the bay leaf.
- Cook the aromatics: Meanwhile, begin cooking the risotto. Add 3 tablespoons of the butter to a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once melted, add in the shallot & cremini mushrooms. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened & all of the water drawn out of the mushrooms is cooked off, about 5 minutes. Add in garlic & reconstituted porcini mushrooms. Stir to combine & cook 2-3 minutes longer.
- Toast the arborio rice: Stir in the arborio rice. Cook 2-3 minutes, until lightly toasted.
- Make the mushroom risotto (stir, stir, stir!): Pour the wine into the Dutch oven, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits that may have formed at the bottom of the pot. Cook, stirring constantly, until all of the wine evaporates. Reduce heat to low. Ladle the porcini-infused vegetable broth into the risotto 1 cup at a time, stirring frequently until the arborio rice absorbs all of the broth between additions. Start tasting for doneness after 15 minutes. The risotto is done when the arborio rice is creamy & cooked through with a nice bite (i.e. al dente). This step will likely take 20-25 minutes total, & you may not need to use all of the broth. [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="14683,14684"]
- Finish the mushroom risotto: Once the arborio rice is perfectly al dente, finish the risotto. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon unsalted butter & the grated parmesan. Taste & season with additional kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired.
- Serve immediately, topped with crispy mushrooms (see blog post, above), a light drizzling of truffle oil, fresh herbs, extra parmesan, and lots of freshly cracked black pepper, as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Porcini mushrooms are an Italian mushroom with especially rich & deep umami flavor. They are the star ingredient in this mushroom risotto recipe! Dried porcini mushrooms are more readily available throughout the year here in the States, which you can typically find in the bulk section or in 1-ounce packages at grocery stores or natural food stores that stock dried mushrooms. You can also purchase dried porcini mushrooms online.
- Dairy-free &/or Vegan mushroom risotto: To make this recipe dairy-free &/or vegan, use coconut oil or your favorite plant butter in place of the unsalted butter. Omit the parmesan cheese – be sure taste and add some extra salt to account for the saltiness that parmesan would add. Jazz it up, as desired, with some extra spices or herbs – think: thyme, rosemary, crispy fried sage.
- 10-Minute Meal Prep: While there’s lots of stove time involved in making any risotto recipe, you can eliminate all of the active prep needed for this mushroom risotto by chopping up the veggies in advance. To meal prep, complete the following tasks & store in individual airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. At dinnertime, all you have to do is get cooking – easy!
- Clean, trim & thinly slice 16 ounces cremini (baby bella) mushrooms
- Dice 1 large shallot & finely chop or grate 2 cloves of garlic.