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This highly impressive wild mushroom risotto is definitely one to break out at a dinner party! Not only is it naturally gluten free (with a vegan option also included) but I guarantee your guests will be blown away by it’s bountiful, creamy, umami flavour.
Contrary to popular belief, risotto actually doesn’t take that long to make either. You can have this crazy delicious wild mushroom risotto on the table in less than 40 mins! Making it equally ideal for a healthy midweek meal. WIN!
How do you cook wild mushroom risotto?
There are a couple of ways to cook risotto. This particular recipe (and most traditional recipes) uses the stove top method. This means you need to stand there and tend to it the whole way through cooking by adding little amounts of stock and stirring until it’s absorbed.
You can also oven bake risottos which is way more hands off and much more my usual style. (Like this oven baked bacon and pea risotto.) Sometimes it’s nice to really make an effort though, as you get a real sense of achievement when you nail it!
You might also like this mushroom and wild rice casserole.
Is wild mushroom risotto expensive to make?
The more specialist types of mushrooms, like wild mushrooms and shitake, tend to be a little more expensive than your regular button mushrooms.
If you’re on a tight budget, you can absolutely go ahead and use button mushrooms or whatever happens to be on offer at your local green grocers/supermarket! I’m all for saving a few pennies. Just be aware that the flavour may alter slightly.
Is wild mushroom risotto hard to make?
I feel like risotto has this false stigma attached to it. For some reason – it’s become renowned as being difficult to make and that’s just not true. If you follow my step by step picture recipe and read through my top tips for making wild mushroom risotto I guarantee you’ll think it’s easy!
Trust me – you can DO this! But if you’d rather have a go another day, there’s always this amazing one pot mushroom rice to keep you going in the mean time!
Wild mushroom risotto recipe tips
As I said before, risotto is known for being difficult to make – well shake it off my lovely because that simply is NOT true! Follow these helpful tips and I promise, you can’t go wrong. It’s as easy as one, two, EAT!
- Make sure each helping of stock is fully absorbed before adding the next. Patience works wonders here!
- Don’t be tempted to crank up the heat too high. This will not only make your arm ached from all the frantic stirring but also, the stock might evaporate instead of being fully absorbed – meaning your risotto won’t be properly cooked at the end.
- Prepare all the ingredients before starting to cook. Risotto requires your full attention so don’t leave it to start chopping things half way through! You’re asking for disaster.
- Make sure that stock is kept hot in a saucepan! If you use cold stock it will dramatically slow the cooking process down.
- Don’t forget to season/taste during cooking and not just at the end. It makes a BIG difference to the overall flavour.
- Leftover risotto? Refrigerate it then make mozarella stuffed arancini with it the next day. It’s AMAZING!
In all seriousness, just be patient and don’t rush it. It’s the single most effective technique you can use while cooking any risotto!
Wild Mushroom Risotto – Step by Step Picture Recipe
Here is what you will need to serve 2 as a main and 4 as a starter.
(For a printer friendly version, see the recipe card at the end of this post)
Ingredients
- approx 600 ml (2 + 3/4 Cup) vegetable stock (cube/stock pot is fine)
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 Onion, finely diced
- 100g (1 Cup) Wild Mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 100g (1 Cup) Shitake Mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp Butter *
- 2 Garlic Cloves, peeled and minced
- 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
- Salt & Pepper
- 100g (1/2 Cup) Arborio Rice
- 75 ml (1/3 Cup) White Wine
- 30g (1/3 Cup) Parmesan Cheese, grated **
- Freshly Chopped Parsley, to serve (optional)
*Use 1 tbsp Flora Buttery for a vegan option
**Use 30g of grated vegan cheese for a vegan option
Essential equipment
- Medium Saucepan
- Large Saute Pan
Top tip! Make sure you chop all the vegetables/prep your ingredients before you begin as this will make your life much easier.
Instructions
First, make your stock according to the packet instructions (600 ml | 2 + 3/4 Cup) then pour it into a medium sized saucepan. Place over a low flame to keep it hot throughout the cooking process. (This is important as it helps to continue the cooking process. If it’s cold – it will slow down the cooking process and take you forever and a day!)
Now we can get cracking! Heat a large saute pan over a medium heat then add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion (1/2 onion, finely diced) into the pan and cook, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes until it’s softened.
Time for the mushrooms! Add them all to the pan (100g | 1 Cup wild mushrooms / 100g | 1 Cup shitake mushrooms, all roughly chopped) and cook, stirring continuously, for around 5 mins until they’ve cooked down.
Now for the secondary flavours. Add the butter (1 tbsp | Flora Buttery for vegan option), garlic cloves (2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced), dried thyme (1/2 tsp) and a generous helping of salt and pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often, until your kitchen smells AMAZING!
As seen as wild mushroom risotto is a rice dish – let’s get some rice in there! Add the arborio rice (100g | 1/2 Cup) and stir, making sure that every grain is coated in the mushroom mixture. Let cook for a further 2 minutes while stirring continuously.
Ok now for the good bit! Pour in the wine (75 ml | 1/3 Cup)…
Continue cooking and stirring until the wine has evaporated.
Ok, back to that hot stock that’s been sitting there since the beginning. Time to start adding it, little by little, into the rice. I like to add around 200 ml of stock at a time. For this, you can use a large ladle, a US 1 Cup measuring cup or even just ‘guess-timate’ using your eyes. It really doesn’t matter. What’s important is that you don’t add more stock until what’s in the pan has been fully absorbed.
So! Add in a ladle/cup full of stock and stir, bubbling away, until it’s been completely absorbed. Repeat until the rice is plump and no longer hard in the middle. (You may have a little stock leftover at the end, that’s ok!)
Now the rice is nice and plump, it’s time for the final burst of flavour. Switch off the heat and add in the parmesan cheese. (30g | 1/3 Cup parmesan cheese, grated | use grated vegan cheese for a vegan option.) Stir well until it’s melted through.
Now is a good point to check the seasoning. Have a taste and add more salt and pepper if you think it needs it. TADAH! You’ve just successfully made an epic wild mushroom risotto that will wow anyone that eats it! You’re amazing did you know that?
If you’re feeling fancy, you can add a few fried mushrooms onto the top of each bowl and sprinkle with some freshly chopped parsley. I told you it wasn’t difficult didn’t I?!
Have you made this recipe? I want to know!
Will this beautiful wild mushroom risotto be making an appearance in your household? I’d love to know if they are! Send me your pics and comments on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or email me at emma@kitchenmason.com.
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Wild Mushroom Risotto - Printable Recipe
This incredibly impressive wild mushroom risotto is perfect for both dinner parties and weeknight meals. Made in just 40 minutes from start to finish, it's nowhere near as difficult as you think! (Naturally gluten free + vegan option)
Ingredients
- approx 600 ml (2 + 3/4 Cup) vegetable stock (cube/stock pot is fine)
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 Onion, finely diced
- 100g (1 Cup) Wild Mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 100g (1 Cup) Shitake Mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp Butter *
- 2 Garlic Cloves, peeled and minced
- 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
- Salt & Pepper
- 100g (1/2 Cup) Arborio Rice
- 75 ml (1/3 Cup) White Wine
- 30g (1/3 Cup) Parmesan Cheese, grated **
- Freshly Chopped Parsley, to serve (optional)
Essential Equipment
- Medium Saucepan
- Large Saute Pan
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetable stock and keep it hot in a saucepan set over a low heat.
- Heat the saute pan over a medium heat and add the oil. When hot, fry the onions until soft. (3-4 mins.)
- Add the wild and shitake mushrooms and cook down for approx 5 mins, stirring often.
- Add the butter *, garlic and thyme. Stir well and cook for 1-2 mins.
- Season with salt and pepper then add the arborio rice. Stir to coat each grain in the oil/juices. Cook for 2 mins.
- Add the wine and cook, stirring often, until the wine has evaporated/cooked out.
- One ladle/cup at a time, add the stock. Stir continuously and don't add more stock until the previous batch has been completely absorbed.
- Continue adding stock until the rice is plump and al dente. (You may have stock leftover.) BE PATIENT.
- Turn off the heat, add the parmesan cheese ** and stir through until melted.
- Serve scattered with freshly chopped parsley.
Notes
*Use 1 tbsp Flora Buttery for a vegan option
**Use 30g of grated vegan cheese for a vegan option
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 320Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 720mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 8g
Nutritional information on kitchenmason.com should only be used as a general guideline, I am not a certified nutritionist. Please always check labels for allergens where applicable.