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Risotto is a delicious dish that can be customized with different ingredients, depending on what you have on hand. You can add vegetables, meat, seafood, cheese, or herbs – the options are limitless.
But among all the variations, my favorite one is the mushroom risotto. It highlights the earthy, rich and meaty taste of mushrooms, and when paired with the creamy texture of arborio rice and freshly grated parmesan cheese, it is simply heavenly!
To make a good risotto, you need to start with a good broth. You can get good quality chicken broth from the supermarket but I recommend making your own from roasted chicken bones and browned onions. Add other vegetables, such as carrots, celery, parsley, and bay leaves to enhance its flavor. The broth should be simmered for at least an hour, or up to 2 hours if you can, to get the most out of the ingredients. You can make the broth in advance and keep it in the fridge or freezer, or use it right away for the risotto.
The process involves slow cooking the rice in hot broth, stirring frequently to release its starch. I chose to use arborio rice for this recipe; it’s short-grained rice that has a lot of starch, which will give the risotto its creamy and silky consistency.
To get the most flavor out of your mushrooms, saute them in olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Cook the mushrooms until they are golden and fragrant. This will help bring out their natural sweetness and rich aroma. You can use different varieties of mushrooms, such as button, portobello, shiitake, oyster, porcini, or a combination of them.
When the risotto is ready, the rice should be tender and creamy. At this stage, fold in the cream cheese and be sure to take a moment to taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as desired.
As the cream cheese melts into the warm rice, the risotto takes on a luxuriously creamy texture. I love the pop of color and freshness that the basil adds, so be sure to have some extra on the side (along with more parmesan cheese, what could it hurt?). Soon enough, the only sound left at the table will be the clatter of a spoon against an empty bowl.
A bowlful of warm and rich mushroom risotto is an ideal comfort food on a winter evening. Risotto is a dish that takes time but isn’t difficult to make at all. The result of that little extra effort is a beautiful meal!
Mushroom Risotto
Yield(s): Serves 4
20m prep time
30m cook time
you're making mealtime meaningful.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup Portobello or field mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 cup cream cheese
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste
- 6 - 8 basil leaves, torn
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté the mushrooms until they are golden and fragrant. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- In the same saucepan, heat remaining olive oil over medium heat then add the onions and garlic. Sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the Arborio rice to the pan and stir well to coat the rice in the oil. Cook for a couple of minutes until the rice starts to look slightly translucent.
- Add the chicken broth, one cup at a time, stirring constantly. Wait until each addition of broth is almost completely absorbed before adding the next.
- When the rice is ¾ cooked, add the sliced mushrooms. Continue to add broth and stir the risotto.
- When the rice is tender and creamy, remove from heat. Stir in the cream cheese until well combined.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and torn basil leaves. Serve immediately.