Easy Mushroom Risotto

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This rich and creamy Easy Mushroom Risotto recipe will become a staple! It’s made with Arborio rice, mushrooms, parmesan cheese, and a few other simple ingredients.

Risotto piled high on a dark plate. Garnished with parmesan and parsley.

If you are looking for a super impressive side dish to go along with your fancy dinner then this Easy Mushroom Risotto is just for you! Now, don’t be intimidate just because I said impressive because this dish couldn’t be easier to make.

Reasons to love this Easy Mushroom Risotto:

It is restaurant quality but so easy to make
Pairs well with so many main dishes
It’s hearty enough you could eat it as a main dish
Uses simple easy to find ingredients to make delicious comfort food

Ingredients:

MUSHROOMS: You can use any type of mushrooms you like. I like baby portabella for their flavor. A blend of mushrooms would also be very tasty!!
BROTH/STOCK: I chose to use vegetable broth to keep this vegetarian but chicken broth will also work great.

ONION AND GARLIC: Add more flavor to the risotto. Add more garlic if you like!
ARBORIO RICE: Nothing can be substituted for this type of rice, sorry!
WHITE WINE: Wine adds a nice depth of flavor. Choose a wine that you like to drink for this recipe. You can substitute with more broth but it will change the flavor.

HEAVY CREAM: Adds a little more creaminess as well as richness. It also helps to lighten the color of the dish. (If this is something that doesn’t matter to you, you can leave it out)

PARMESAN CHEESE and PARSLEY

Four pictures showing how to cook the vegetables and toast the rice.

Final step in cooking the risotto is stirring in the mushrooms, parsley, cheese, and cream.

How to make Easy Mushroom Risotto:

COOK THE VEGGIES: Start off by cooking the mushrooms and onion in 4 tablespoons of butter until the onions and mushrooms are soft and golden. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Remove this mixture and set aside.

COOKING THE RICE: Add the remaining butter to the pot and stir in the rice. Cook for 3 minutes or until the edges of the rice start to become translucent. Add the wine and cook stirring constantly until almost fully absorbed.

BROTH AND SIMMERING: Add the heated broth and reduce the heat to medium low. Cover and simmer until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed (16-18min) stirring twice during this time.

CHEESE: Stir in 1 cup of hot broth and stir gently until risotto becomes creamy. Remove from the heat and stir in the mushrooms, cheese, cream, and parsley.

Overhead view of easy mushroom risotto garnished with parsley and parmesan cheese.

FAQs:

Should I rinse the rice before cooking?

No! The outer coating is where most of the starch is and when making risotto starch is good. It’s what makes this dish “creamy”.

What is risotto?

It’s a classic Italian dish using Arborio rice cooked in broth and stirred constantly to release the starches and make the dish creamy. However, this recipe uses an easier method!

How to reheat risotto?

Add a little broth to the risotto and reheat gently on the stovetop. Renew the flavors with a little sprinkle of salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon if needed.

Close up of risotto in pot. Garnished with cheese and parsley.

What to serve with this easy side dish?

As mentioned earlier this is hearty enough it can be served as a main. Serve alongside a nice punchy salad and you have one comforting dinner!

More comforting dishes you may like:

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