Simple Basic Mushroom Risotto

I think everyone should have a recipe for a Simple Basic Mushroom Risotto. Not only is it a great recipe in and of itself – once you master it, it’ll serve as a great base for a bunch of other risotto dishes, too!  Come and take a look at how easy it is to achieve the basics…

As you probably know, risotto is a traditional rice dish originating from Northern Italy. What was your first thought when you saw the word risotto? Time consuming? Complicated?

A simple basic mushroom risotto can take about 40 minutes from start to finish. In my opinion, that’s a reasonable investment of time for the return you will get on the taste. Besides, if you have all of your ingredients measured and prepped, it’s really not complicated to throw it together.

I’d like to share with you some simple facts (or perhaps rules) about making risotto:

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Simple fact#1:  In order to achieve a silky creamy texture, you need to use a short grain rice. Arborio rice is a popular one. (If you recall, this is the rice I used to make creamy rice pudding).  Other kinds of rice that are appropriate include vialone nano and carnaroli. The short grain will allow for a huge amount of liquid to be absorbed without the grain tasting like mush. Remember, risotto should always be cooked al dente.

Simple fact#2: When making your soffritto, sauté your vegetables (in this case the onions and mushrooms) over medium-low heat until translucent.

Simple fact#3: It is crucial that these short grains be toasted for a few minutes in the oil before the liquids are added. This will enable each cup of uncooked rice to absorb up to 4 cups of hot broth. There are some recipes which will use butter as their source of fat; others will use a combination of oil and butter. I like using olive oil – it minimizes the amount of saturated fats in the recipe. As usual, feel free to experiment! Do what you like best.

Simple fact#4: The broth added to the rice must be hot. This allows for the rice to release its starch slowly, consequently allowing the rice to cook evenly.

Simple fact#5: When the risotto reaches the perfect texture, remove it from heat, add Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Origins of recipe for Simple Basic Mushroom Risotto:

The links on this blog are affiliate links, which means I’ll earn a commission if you use those links (there’s no extra charge to you).

A few years ago, I bought a magazine from Better Homes and Gardens called “Cook’s Secrets”.  Just like my recipe for easy mashed potato cinnamon rolls, I’ve adapted this recipe from that magazine. I absolutely love this magazine! More recipe from it to come!!!

If you recall, I mentioned in my recipe for Easy One Pot Lemon Thyme Chicken Breasts my experience with some herbs and spices from Gourmet Garden. Once again, I found that the chunky garlic and the freeze dried chives were extremely easy to use and so aromatic. These products are easily becoming my favourites, especially in the dead of winter.

This recipe for a Simple Basic Mushroom Risotto is a great place to begin your love-affair with risotto. Use the 5 simple rules as a bouncing board, and you’ll find yourself coming up with your very own risotto recipes in no time.

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Simple Basic Mushroom Risotto

This recipe for a Simple Basic Mushroom Risotto is a great place to begin your love-affair with risotto. Use the 5 simple rules as a bouncing board, and you'll find yourself coming up with your very own risotto recipes in no time.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 212 kcal

Author adapted from recipe in Cook's Secrets Magazine

Ingredients

• 3-4 cups vegetable or chicken broth low sodium
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups mushrooms chopped (Portobello, shitakes, wild, Hen-of-the-Woods, cremini, etc...)
• 1 tablespoon chives dried
• 1 small onion minced (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 cup arborio rice uncooked
• 1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated (plus additional for serving-optional)
• zested lemon peel optional
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Place the broth in a medium saucepan and bring to a low simmer.Keep warm.
2. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil in a heavy, very large skillet,over medium-high heat.
3. Saute the mushrooms with the chives until tender and just browning, about 5-7 minutes. (salt and pepper to taste)
4. Transfer mushrooms to bowl and set aside.
5. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil in the same large skillet,over medium-low heat.
6. Saute the onions, and garlic for about 5-7 minutes until translucent. Stir frequently.
7. Add the rice. Increase heat to medium.
8. Keep stirring rice and onions (frequently) for about 4- 5 minutes. The edges of the rice should begin to turn translucent and just beginning to turn a light golden brown.
9. Add the wine (or broth) and stir constantly until absorbed. This should take 30-60 seconds.
10. Stir in 1/2 cup of hot broth into the rice mixture.
11. Keep stirring until the broth is absorbed.
12. Keep adding the broth (1/2 cup at a time) until it is absorbed, stirring all the while.
13. Halfway through this procedure (about 8-10 minutes of adding broth and stirring) add the sauteed mushrooms.
14. Keep adding and stirring 1/2 cup of broth at a time.
15. At the end of 16-20 minutes, start tasting your risotto. The texture should be al dente but still creamy.
16. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese.
17. Add zested lemon peel (if using)
18. Serve immediately with additional parmesan (if desired).

Recipe Notes

The versatility of this recipe really allows you to use whatever mushrooms you have on hand.

Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used. 

 

Nutrition Facts

Simple Basic Mushroom Risotto

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 212 Calories from Fat 54

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 6g 9%

Saturated Fat 1g 5%

Cholesterol 2mg 1%

Sodium 500mg 21%

Potassium 252mg 7%

Total Carbohydrates 30g 10%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 1g

Protein 5g 10%

Vitamin A 1.1%

Vitamin C 12.6%

Calcium 6.3%

Iron 10.5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks for dropping by.

Ciao for now!

Maria

Disclosure: I have been provided with a complimentary package of herbs and spices from Gourmet Garden. I have not received any monetary compensation for this review. Views and opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.