All RecipesGrain Bowls · One-Pot

Kip’s Rich Mushroom Risotto

30 minutes·Serves 4

While recipes for mushroom risotto abound, this is Kip’s favorite. Who’s Kip? He’s married to Clare, my publisher, and is a really good cook. Kip started cooking risotto about 20 years ago and does it mostly “by feel” these days. He often makes this dish for friends accustomed to eating meat—with this risotto, no one misses it. He adds dried mushrooms to the vegetable broth to give the rice the umami richness you typically get from beef or veal stock. He also recommends using saltier cheeses, like Parmesan or a good aged Gouda, over milder cheeses. I’ve had the risotto with and without a drizzle of truffle oil—both ways are delicious.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 package (1- to 2-ounces) dried mushrooms, porcini or mixed
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
  • 4 to 5 medium-large portobello mushrooms, cut into ½ inch cubes
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Dried or fresh thyme
  • ⅔ cup arborio rice
  • 1 cup fresh basil, cut into strips, divided
  • ⅔ cup grated cheese, such as Parmesan or aged Gouda, plus more for garnish

Serving suggestion

Fresh basil, cut into strips

1 tablespoon truffle oil

Instructions

  1. 1Microwave the vegetable broth in a large measuring cup for 1 minute. Add the dried mushrooms and let sit for 30 minutes.
  2. 2Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and half the mushrooms. Season with dashes of salt, black pepper, and thyme, and sauté until the liquid released by the mushrooms dries up and they’re seared, or lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms.
  3. 3Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the same skillet with the arborio rice and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes.
  4. 4Pour about ½ cup of the vegetable broth and mushroom mixture into the skillet and cook, stirring, until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Repeat until the rice is al dente, which means cooked but firm to the bite.
  5. 5Add the mushroom and onion mixture to the rice and stir until combined. Mix in ⅔ cup of the basil along with the cheese. Continue to stir the risotto over heat until it’s the consistency of oatmeal, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add more broth, if needed.
  6. 6Serve the risotto topped with the remaining basil and a little truffle oil.

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