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Mushroom Risotto

The classic rice dish is really just a matter of timing and technique. Once you get a sense of how to do it, you can trade up mushrooms for almost any seasonal vegetable. Risotto does take time as you stand stirring at the stove. Having friends in the kitchen and/or a glass of wine makes the time go faster.

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • a handful of dried mushrooms 8 to 12 (optional but flavor-enhancing)
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion chopped fine
  • 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms regular button mushrooms work, too, sliced
  • 1 cup rice — Arborio is the risotto rice of choice but really, any rice will work
  • 4-1/2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary stem removed, leaves chopped fine (about 2 teaspoons)
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese vegans can substitute 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
  • sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Over medium heat, bring white wine to simmer in a medium saucepan. Add dried mushrooms. Turn off heat and let mushrooms infuse the wine for half an hour.
  • Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion. Reduce heat to medium and saute until onions turn translucent, about 5 minutes.
  • Add sliced mushrooms and continue cooking for another 5 minutes, or until mushrooms become tender. Stir occasionally.
  • Add the rice and stir, coating each grain with oil Keep stirring another few minutes, until rice looks luminous.
  • Chop the wine-infused mushrooms. Add to the rice, along with the warmed wine.
  • Pour the vegetable stock or water into the medium saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. When stock reaches simmer, reduce heat to low but keep on burner.
  • Meanwhile, stir the rice until it absorbs the wine.
  • Add warmed stock to rice a ladleful (or 1/2 cup) at a time, stirring constantly. It’ll take about half an hour to work in all the liquid, by which time the rice will have turned creamy and luscious from slow cooking.
  • Stir in finely chopped rosemary and grated Parmesan (or nutritional yeast). Season with sea salt and fresh pepper.