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Wild Mushroom Risotto

Our easy-peasy wild mushroom risotto recipe is so richly flavorful you’ll want to find any excuse to make it again.

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wild mushroom risotto in a large braiser skillet

Our Favorite Sous Chef? He’s a Fungi.

It is a culinary truth that mushrooms make everything better. Whether dehydrated, freshly-foraged, or simply plucked from the produce department, wild mushrooms add an essential depth of umami richness to any recipe. One of our favorite ways to use them? This comforting, hearty mushroom risotto recipe.

A while back back Natalie and Holly gathered with some of their dear fellow blogger friends for an unforgettable weekend in the stunning Columbia River Gorge. Inspired by the gorgeous grains made by Lundberg Family Farms, they each created a recipe designed to showcase their versatility and flavor. Throughout the summer our friend’s released their recipes one by one, and now that it’s finally our turn to share this wild mushroom risotto.

ingredients for wild mushroom risotto

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Present at the lunch there was an absolutely scrumptious black pearl rice stir fry with miso, mushrooms, and crispy tofu made by Eva of Adventures In Cooking, a flavor packed tomato and stone fruit crostini with creamy feta using Lundberg thin stackers was created by Shelly of Vegetarian Ventures, and Trisha of Eat Your Beets rounded out the meal with a bright and creamy vanilla red rice pudding with brown rice syrup and strawberry rhubarb compote. What we really want to talk about though, is the risotto.

What is Risotto?

And—relatedly—what is risotto rice? Traditional risotto is made with the Italian short-grained Arborio rice, which is named for its namesake town in Italy, but also grown all across the U.S. Arborio rice has a higher starch content than other kinds of rice, giving it a toothsome, creamy texture when cooked. That creamy starchiness is a must when it comes to our mushroom risotto. Here’s a breakdown of the different types of rice that can produce a creamy risotto:

  • Arborio rice is likely the most common type of risotto rice you’ll find stateside. It contains one of the highest levels of starches, which is what turns rice into a creamy bowl of risotto.
  • Carnaroli rice is a fancy-pants chef rice. If anyone ever offers to bring you an edible souvenir from Italy, make it this. It’s almost impossible to find stateside.
  • Vialone Nano rice is grown in the same Italian region from which Prosecco hails. Meaning the two really should be consumed together. Sadly, while Prosecco is easy to find, vialone nano is a little harder to track down here in the U.S.
hands passing food on a table

Magic Mushrooms

The mushrooms used in this dish can be adjusted depending on what’s in season (we love using wild mushrooms if we can). Springtime in the Pacific Northwest means morel mushrooms, but come late summer and early fall we crave the sunny, meaty flavor of chanterelle mushrooms, which are abundant at that time of year. When it comes to selecting wild mushrooms, the fresher, the better. Add to the heady, earthy flavor of those ‘shrooms a little dry white wine, homemade mushroom stock, cream, butter, shallots, thyme, and of course, risotto rice (we love the Arborio rice from Lundberg Family Farm), and this risotto recipe becomes pure magic. Other mushrooms that also work great in this recipe are:

  • Crimini
  • Button
  • Hen of the Woods
  • Portobello
  • Oyster
  • Shiitake
ingredients for wild mushroom risotto in small bowls
mushrooms sauteed in a skillet with butter
cooked wild mushrooms with garlic, shallots and thyme  in a skillet
dried rice with melted butter in a skillet
rice browned in a skillet
risotto in a skillet with a wood spoon
wild mushroom risotto with heavy cream
wild mushroom risotto in a skillet topped with grated parmesan cheese and fresh parsley

How to Make Creamy, Dreamy Risotto

If you can stir a pot of soup you can make a creamy risotto. Here’s how to cook risotto:

  • The best risotto recipe is really the most simple: use the best ingredients you can (high-quality Arborio rice like the one from Lundberg Family Farm, a good broth—homemade if you can, and a good aged Parmesan).
  • Don’t rinse the rice—the rice’s outer coating is where most of the starch is, and it’s this rice starch that makes for a creamy risotto.
  • The most involved part of making risotto is the constant stirring, but it’s really not as bad as it sounds (especially if your non-stirring hand is holding a glass of wine).
  • Speaking of wine, for risotto wine, we recommend something tasty enough you’d want to drink it, but perhaps not that premiere class Chablis that you’re saving for your 20th wedding anniversary. Usually bottles in the $15 range are ideal for both cooking and sipping.
  • And our final tip—lean into the stir. There’s no way around it, so you might as well enjoy it. Let the meditative motion take you away. Stir, stir, stirrrrr.
wild mushroom risotto topped with crispy mushrooms and fresh parsley

Tools You’ll Need to Make Our Basic Risotto Recipe

Okay, all the stirring aside, this easy mushroom risotto is perfect for a weeknight meal, either as a vegetarian entree or a complement to a meaty main. Here’s what you’ll need to stir up some creamy risotto perfection:

wild mushroom risotto
skillet of wild mushroom risotto

Going Meatless?

Hungry for some additional vegetarian recipes like our Italian risotto? We’ve got a few ideas.

Love Our Creamy Mushroom Risotto?

Think our cheese risotto is molto, molto bene? Show us your risotto-y goodness and tag us @themodernproper and #themodernproper.

This sponsored post is written by TMP on behalf of Lundberg Farms. The opinions and text are all ours. Thank you for supporting the brands we love.

Wild Mushroom Risotto

  • Serves: 6
  • Prep Time:  10 min
  • Cook Time:  45 min
  • Calories: 450

Ingredients

  • 1 lb wild mushroom
  • 8 tbsp butter
  • 2 small shallots, minced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
  • 3/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 5 cups chicken stock (or vegetable)
  • 1 1/2 cups Lundberg Family Farm's Arborio Rice
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • fresh parsley minced, optional

Method

  1. Warm broth over low heat in a small saucepan.
  2. In a heavy skillet melt half of the butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and shallots and saute until tender, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, thyme sprigs, salt and pepper and stir for an additional minute. Remove mushroom mixture from pan and set aside.
  3. Add remaining butter to pan over medium heat. Once melted, add rice and stir until rice begins to look translucent, 3-4 minutes.
  4. Add ¾ cup dry white wine and lemon juice and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly until liquid is absorbed. Add mushroom stock or 1 cup of vegetable broth and stir until almost all broth is absorbed. Continuing adding broth 1 cup at a time, and stir until liquid is almost absorbed. (This step takes 20-25 minutes.)
  5. Add mushrooms mixture into the rice and stir to combine. Gently stir in heavy cream and parmesan cheese and cook for an additional 5 min on low heat. Risotto should be creamy, but firm to the bite. Transfer risotto to a serving bowl and top with freshly ground pepper, shaved parmesan and fresh parsley.

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories450
  • Protein14 g
  • Carbohydrates49 g
  • Total Fat20 g
  • Dietary Fiber4 g
  • Cholesterol58 mg
  • sodium297 mg
  • Total Sugars5 g

Wild Mushroom Risotto

Questions & Reviews

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  • Brooke

    can this recipe be made 2 days ahead and warmed up before serving?

    Yes you can, you'll need to use a non stick pan over low heat stirring constantly and you'll probably want to add a little bit of stock or broth to preserve the consistency. Hope you enjoy Brooke!

  • Amy

    All I can get for a grain is farro. Is this going to work?

    That won't work in this recipe. Sorry Amy.

  • Rupa

    Any other ‘ lighter’ options other than heavy cream? Would appreciate any recommendations

    We haven't tested this with anything lighter so couldn't say for sure how it would turn out.

  • Mike

    Hi! When should I add the tablespoon of lemon juice! Recipe was great otherwise.

    With the white wine. It is listed in step 4.

  • Christy

    Hello, do I precook the rice before adding to the butter??

    Thank you so much for your time

    No, you do not pre-cook the rice. The rice will slowly cook in the liquid in this recipe. Hope you enjoy Christy!

  • Summer

    I followed this recipe to the T, this is one of the best things I have ever made from scratch, and I will definitely be making this again!!

    Thanks Summer, we are so glad you loved it!

  • Allan

    I’m a chef and I’ve use many Mushroom Risotto recipes. If you follow the directions this has been my go to. Absolutely delicious.

    Thanks Allan, so happy you love it!

  • Beth

    This was soooo good. I’ve been making risotto for years, this is at the top of my list. I added seared scallops on top 😜

    YUM! Scallops are a great addition. We are so glad you loved this Beth.

  • Amanda

    I made this recipe EXACTLY as written (with vegetable stock), only cut it in half for 2 people. It turned out perfectly! Delicious, and decadently rich.. It's supposed to serve 6, but we cleaned up every last bite.

    Thanks Amanda, so glad you both loved it!

  • Dave

    Wow! This risotto is amazing! I used a good quality mushroom broth instead of chicken or vegetable broth. Aside from that I stuck to the recipe. Unless you know how to forage for your own mushrooms, this dish will cost you a few bucks to make but it’s definitely worth it!

    Thanks Dave, we are so happy that you loved it!