creamy wild mushroom risotto

Creamy mushroom risotto is filled with crispy, caramelized mushrooms and luscious rice. We balance it with zesty white wine, sharp parmesan and sweet buttery onions. It’s a gourmet dish that is screaming for some gorgeous fall mushrooms!

Our mushroom risotto recipe is an elevated take on a simple rice dish. We use dried porcini mushrooms and a mix of crispy wild mushrooms to add layers of flavor, along with plenty of parmesan for ultra creamy risotto. It’s rich and earthy, silky and saucy.

This mushroom risotto is one of my favorite ways to showcase the flavors and textures of great mushrooms!

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wild mushroom risotto ingredients:

how to make mushroom risotto:

1. Sauté wild mushrooms until crispy and caramelized; keep warm.
2. Rehydrate dried porcini mushrooms in a pot filled with hot chicken stock.
3. Remove and chop porcini; keep the stock hot for risotto.
4. Gently cook onion and garlic until very soft, but not browned.
5. Stir in rice, cook until just translucent on the edges.
6. Add wine and chopped porcini mushrooms; cook until evaporated.
7. Add hot stock, little by little, until absorbed/ evaporated. Repeat process, stirring often, until rice is tender, toothsome and saucy, about 20 minutes.
8. Stir in a chunk of butter and grated parmesan.
9. Garnish with crispy mushrooms; serve immediately. 

types of mushrooms for risotto:

While I call this wild mushroom risotto, there are plenty of great mushrooms that can be cultivated and are not technically wild. 

Here’s a big list of mushroom types to look for that, wild or not, will bring a bunch of flavor and texture to your risotto.

• Beech
• Oyster
• Black trumpet
• Shiitake
• Maitake
• Portobello
• Cremini
• King trumpet (also called the king oyster, trumpet royale, and French horn)
• Hedgehog
• Lion’s mane
• Chanterelle
• Lobster 
• Morel

make this mushroom risotto your own:

I love this mushroom risotto as is, but if you want an extra hit of protein or some more vegetables, here's a big list of add-on ideas to get you started!

• Roasted or grilled chicken
• Sauteed shrimp
• Seared, sliced steak
• Rosted or grilled salmon
• Seared scallops
• Browned sausage crumbles
• Crispy bacon or cubed pancetta
• Soft, buttery leeks
• Blanched cauliflower
• Blanced asparagus
• Shaved truffles
• Sweet peas (stir in at the very end)
• Fresh spinach (stir in at the very end)

what to serve with mushroom risotto:

Serve this mushroom risotto with a seared steak, like filet mignon or ribeye for an extra special occasion, or a crispy roast chicken for elegant simplicity.

I also love to serve this risotto with a great salad, like our kale caesar salad, raw beet salad, or this simple and fresh butter lettuce salad.

is mushroom risotto gluten free?

Yes! Mushroom risotto is gluten-free. It’s a rice-based dish that is thickened by slowly cooking and releasing rice starches, then stirring in plenty of parmesan and butter at the end. The result is a rich and silky sauce that coats the rice grains for an extra creamy dish, no flour required!

mushroom risotto wine pairing:

I tend to pair anything mushroom with an aged Pinot Noir (especially if I have a fancy Cote d’Or floating around). They’re earthy, silky, and complex. They have fresh acidity to balance the creamy risotto, and delicate tannins that harmonize with the luscious texture of the rice. Too tannic, and it’s hard to appreciate that silky rice texture we worked so hard to build!

But today I wanted to branch out and explore some more wine options. Give these a try if you want something new:

• Barbera d’Asti DOCG: Lush, elegant red wines with fresh acidity and delicate tannins. Perfect to offset the richness of the risotto, and the intense red fruit flavors are a delicious complement to the earthy mushrooms.
  • For a rich and complex style, look for bottles that are $20 or more.
• Rioja DOCa: These Spanish reds are supple and fresh, balanced with velvety tannins, ripe black fruit, herbs and spicy oak.
  • There are all kinds of styles and ages of Rioja wines, but I really love the higher acid reds from the Rioja Alta subregion-- especially the Reserve ones, which have a few years of age on them and more earthy flavors..
• Cru Beaujolais: Perfumed and elegant red wines with pure fruit flavors and just enough structure for this silky risotto.
  • There are 10 Beaujolais “crus”: vineyard areas that vary in their soil, elevation and wine style. But in general, you can expect silky reds with bright red fruit flavors and crunchy acidity.

more risotto recipes to try!

apple risotto

asparagus risotto

black truffle risotto

butternut squash risotto

farro mushroom risotto

lemon risotto

lobster risotto recipe

parmesan risotto

pea risotto

saffron risotto (risotto milanese)

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