Wild Mushroom Risotto

This hearty wild mushroom risotto is my ideal vegan comfort food recipe. It's packed with flavor, sophisticated, perfect for entertaining, and yet so easy to make!

Risotto has long been a family favorite, but this flavorful mushroom version gets rave reviews from the whole family - and it’s 100% vegan! All it takes is a few simple swaps.

My mom and I love making risotto together. It's often our go-to recipe for entertaining during the chillier months (although you also can't go wrong with a good lasagna!).

Risotto seems so fancy and sophisticated, but once you get the process down, it's actually quite simple. As long as you have the right ingredients and a bit of patience, it's easy to whip up a big pot in less than an hour. Wild mushrooms add meatiness and earthy flavor that's absolutely perfect for fall!

Which mushrooms are best for risotto?

The great thing about this vegan risotto? You can use just about any type of mushroom and have fantastic results. Here are my top choices:

• Shiitake
• Chanterelle
• Porcini
• Oyster
• Trumpet

Any combination of the above is delicious in this risotto, or you can just use one or two.

Read more about our favorite varieties of wild mushrooms in this post.

Ingredients

• Vegan butter: or olive oil
• Onions: yellow onions work best. We dice them finely, then sauté for about 10 minutes to let them caramelize.
• Garlic
• Wild mushrooms: any mix of shiitake, chanterelle, porcini, oyster, trumpet, etc. will do!
• White wine: a dry white wine works best, like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.
• Arborio rice: you can also use carnaroli or vialone nano rice.
• Vegetable broth: you can also use mushroom broth.
• Salt & pepper
• Vegan parmesan cheese: if not vegan, use regular parmesan!

Instructions

Sauté onions and mushrooms. Heat a large pot to medium and add butter. Add onion and sauté for 8-10 minutes, until slightly caramelized and softened. Add garlic, mushrooms and salt and continue cooking for 5-7 minutes.

Prep broth. In a separate pot, heat vegetable broth over low heat. Bring to a low simmer, cover and keep over low heat. It's best for the broth to stay hot to cook the rice faster.

Cook the rice. Add rice to the mushroom/onion mixture and stir well to coat. Let toast for a minute or two, then add wine. Stir until wine is completely absorbed, then begin ladling in broth, one ladle-full at a time. Don't add the next ladle of broth until the previous one has been almost fully absorbed. You'll have to stir often and keep a close eye on the risotto to prevent it from burning/drying out.

Cook until al dente. When the rice is al dente, stir in pepper and vegan cheese. Note that you may not need to use all 6 cups of broth. It varies depending on the temperature, pot, etc. Taste the rice as you go to determine doneness. Serve warm.

How to store and reheat risotto

Risotto is best eaten fresh, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Due to the starch content, risotto will thicken up the longer it sits. To reheat, add to a pan over medium-low heat and add an additional ¼ cup of vegetable broth per cup of risotto. Stir well and gently heat.

More favorite mushroom recipes

• Teriyaki Mushroom Bowls
• Stuffed Mushrooms
• Wild Mushroom Pizza
• Mushroom Gravy
• Creamy Polenta with Mushrooms
• Mushroom Stew over Mashed Potatoes

If you make this vegan wild mushroom risotto, we’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been cooking.

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