This Creamy Vegan Mushroom Risotto is in my top 5 favorite recipes ever. Its creamy and rich, yet light and simple. Make it for date night, or pour a glass of wine and enjoy by yourself! No judgement here...
Ready to dive into this creamy risotto?
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Why This Recipe Works
- This dairy free mushroom risotto is the perfect date night dinner. It's fancy enough to impress your date for Valentine's day, a birthday, anniversary or special occasion. That said, I'm also in favor of treating yourself whenever the mood strikes.
- Thankfully, this risotto isn't hard to make, it just takes time, so pour yourself a drink and get stirring.
Looking for more impressive dinners? I've got you covered. Check out this vegan lasagna or butternut squash lasagna. You'll also love this tasty dairy free pizza with arugula.
Want to impress with breakfast in bed instead? This cornflake crusted french toast is a stunner. These whole wheat pancakes are simpler and a tad healthier. And if all else fails, this pink strawberry mango smoothie always impresses.
📋 Ingredients
The ingredients for this mushroom risotto are super simple!
- Mushrooms
- Garlic
- Shallot
- Soy Sauce
- Vegetable Stock
- White Wine - NOT cooking wine. Only use what you'd drink in a glass. Note that not all wines are vegan due to processing agents - here are a few good white wine options.
- Vegan Butter (such as Miyoko's) - this will take the recipe from good to ah-mazing
- Thyme Leaves
- Arborio Rice - this is the key to making a creamy risotto. Look for it near the other rices in the grocery store.
- Grapeseed Oil
- Salt and Black Pepper to taste
For the complete list of ingredients with measurements and instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
The easy vegan mushroom risotto is naturally dairy free, egg-free, and nut free.
- Risotto without wine - substitute the wine for water, unsweetened plain plant-based milk, or more vegetable broth.
- Without mushrooms - use other veggies of choice. This summer vegetable risotto uses roasted veggies.
- Gluten-free - use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce
There are plenty of risotto variations - here are some of my favorites:
- Cheesier - add a teaspoon of nutritional yeast at the end.
- Veggie packed - add any roasted or cooked vegetable, like roasted tomatoes, asparagus, zucchini, leeks, or roasted butternut squash.
- Herb it up - a quarter teaspoon of dried rosemary or fresh parsley will bring another dimension to this vegan mushroom risotto - use what you have on hand.
- Fancy - finish with a tiny drizzle of truffle oil for extra luxury
🔪 How To Make Creamy Mushroom Risotto
First, prepare your produce. For the shallots: slice off end opposite the hairy root. Slice in half lengthwise (cutting the root in half), then remove papery outside. Then place onto largest flat side, then slice thinly parallel to the root.
For the garlic: gently smash with flat side of knife (careful with your hands - sharp edge toward cutting board always!). Now mince with knife, or a garlic press.
For the mushrooms: rinse with water, then pat dry. Remove the hard ends and slice thinly.
Place mushrooms into a frying pan on medium heat with a splash of grapeseed oil and pinch of salt. Cook until mushrooms release juices and shrink to half their original size (5-8 minutes).
Next add soy sauce, and stir gently until mushrooms absorb the soy sauce. Set aside off the heat until risotto is ready.
Now, prepare the risotto. Start by sauteeing the shallots in a splash of grapeseed oil and pinch of salt in a large flat bottomed pan on medium heat.
Meanwhile, warm the broth in a separate saucepan. Warm broth will help the risotto cook faster.
Once the shallots are soft (3-4 minutes), add garlic and arborio rice. Stir frequently to prevent burning. You may smell a slightly nutty aroma - this is great!
Toast the rice grains for another 2-3 minutes, then add 1 cup of the vegetable broth. Stir every couple minutes to prevent sticking. Once the rice has absorbed all of the liquid, add another cup, alternating wine and vegetable broth.
As the risotto rice absorbs more of the vegetable broth and wine, a sauce will form. Once you can draw a line in the risotto without it closing immediately, it's time for more liquid.
As the risotto rice absorbs more of the vegetable broth and wine, a sauce will form. Once you can draw a line in the risotto without it closing immediately, it's time for more liquid.
Once the rice has absorbed all of the vegetable broth and wine, give it a taste. If it still has a "bite," or hard bits, add water a quarter cup at a time until it's soft enough for your taste. In my experience, "al dente" or rice with just a little "bite" is perfect.
Turn off the heat, add sautéed mushrooms, thyme leaves, and vegan butter. Stir gently until the butter melts.
Finally, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve!
Hint: Use oils with a high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds - grapeseed oil and olive oil are my favorite options.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
Pro tip 1: Warm the vegetable broth in a small saucepan before adding to risotto pan.
Pro tip 2: Good risotto takes time and patience. Pour yourself a glass of wine (or two) and relax. Taste frequently toward the end, and don't be afraid to add a little more liquid if needed.
Pro tip 3: The key piece of equipment for this risotto is a good saute pan. Mine is a flat bottomed stainless steel pan - about 14 inches in diameter. Note that stainless steel pans conduct heat more efficiently than other pans. If you're using a nonstick, ceramic, or enamel pans, increase heat by one half a notch. For example, from medium heat to medium high heat.
💭 FAQs
You may substitute wine for more vegetable broth, water, or unsweetened plain plant-based milk. Note that the alcohol in the wine should cook off in the risotto.
There are two ways to reheat risotto. To reheat risotto in the microwave, cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute. If needed, add a tablespoon of water or vegetable broth.
To reheat on the stove, place risotto into a small frying pan on medium heat with a tablespoon of water, stirring frequently for 3-5 minutes. Add an extra half tablespoon of butter to prevent sticking if needed.
Traditional risotto uses Parmesan cheese, and may contain other dairy products like butter and heavy cream, which are not vegan. However, cheese is not required to make a delicious risotto. This vegan mushroom risotto omits the cheese, but leans into the nuttiness of the arborio rice. You could also add a spritz of lemon juice or nutritional yeast to achieve some of the cheesy flavor, though not required.
The great thing about risotto is that it makes most wines taste great, even the less expensive ones. Use a white wine like a lightly oaked chardonay or pinot gris in the risotto. To serve with dinner, use the same white wine, or go for a lighter red like a Pinot Noir.
🍜 Related Recipes
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Creamy Vegan Mushroom Risotto (Dairy Free)
Ingredients
- 2 Packages Mushrooms 16 oz total
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 Medium Shallot
- 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 1 quart Vegetable Stock Or Broth
- 2 cups White Wine
- 1 tablespoon Vegan Butter such as Miyoko's
- 2-3 sprigs Fresh Thyme Leaves
- 1 cup Arborio Rice
- 1-2 tablespoon Grapeseed Oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- First, prepare produce.
- For the mushrooms: rinse with water, then pat dry. Remove the hard ends and slice thinly.
- For the shallots: slice off end opposite the hairy root. Slice in half lengthwise (cut the root in half), then remove papery outside. Place onto largest flat side, then slice thinly parallel to the root.
- For the garlic: gently smash with flat side of knife (careful with your hands - sharp edge toward cutting board always!). Then mince with knife, or a garlic press.
- Place mushrooms into a frying pan on medium heat with a splash of grapeseed oil and pinch of salt. Cook until mushrooms release juices and shrink to half their original volume (5-8 minutes). Then add soy sauce, and stir gently until mushrooms absorb the soy sauce. Set aside off the heat until risotto is ready.
- Now, prepare the risotto. Start by sautéing the shallots in a splash of grapeseed oil and pinch of salt in a large flat bottomed pan on medium heat.
- Once the shallots are soft (3-4 minutes), add garlic and arborio rice. Stir frequently to prevent burning. You may smell a slightly nutty aroma - this is great!
- Toast the arborio rice for another 2-3 minutes, then add 1 cup of the vegetable broth. Stir every couple minutes to prevent sticking. Once the rice has absorbed all of the liquid, add another cup, alternating wine and vegetable broth.
- As the rice absorbs more of the vegetable broth and wine, a sauce will form. Once you can draw a line in the risotto without it closing immediately, it's time for more liquid.
- Once the rice has absorbed all of the vegetable broth and wine, give it a taste. If it still has a "bite," or hard bits, add water (or plant based milk) a quarter cup at a time until it's soft enough for your taste. In my experience, "al dente" or rice with just a little "bite" is perfect.
- Turn off the heat, add sautéed mushrooms, thyme leaves, and vegan butter. Stir gently until butter melts. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve!
Angela Milnes says
Well worth the time spent stirring. The mushroom/soy sauce trick is gold!