Mushroom risotto is a delicious, satisfying vegetarian dinner. Homemade restaurant-quality risotto is easier to make than you'd think! This dish is packed with umami, thanks to fresh and dried mushrooms. This comforting recipe is gluten-free and easily be made vegan.
Prepare broth: Add dried shiitakes to a high speed blender, and blend until a fine powder. Let the powder settle before opening blender lid. Add 4 cups of stock, and blend on low speed until powder is incorporated. Transfer to a medium saucepan and add the remaining 3 cups of vegetable stock. Cover with a lid and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Set aside a ladle for transferring stock to the risotto.
Cook risotto: Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large, wide heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add rice, cook for 1 minute, stirring to coat. Ladle about 1½ cups of hot stock over the rice. Stir in ½ teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, to prevent the rice from sticking. When the broth is almost absorbed, add about 1 cup of broth at a time and repeat (see note 2). Cook until the rice is tender and the mixture is creamy, 16 to 22 minutes. (Do not overcook, otherwise rice will be mushy).
Cook mushrooms: (When the rice is 5 to 10 minutes away from finishing, start this step.) In a skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add mushrooms and thyme. Cook until mushrooms are golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the remaining ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Remove from heat.
Assemble: Gently stir the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and Parmesan into the rice. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Spoon risotto into dishes, top with mushrooms, and garnish with parsley and more cheese.
Notes
Dried shiitake mushrooms: Dried shiitake are often sold sliced or as whole mushrooms. Either forms of dried shiitake works for this recipe, since they'll get blended into powder. It's difficult to measure dried mushrooms in a measuring cup, so use a scale if you have one. This recipe has been developed and tested with dried shiitake mushrooms. Dried porcini have a more distinctive flavor and are much more intense (also, more expensive!); we do not recommend substituting them here 1:1. You can find dried shiitake at well-stocked grocery stores, Asian markets, or online.
Vegetable broth: Select a high-quality vegetable broth if you can, so that the flavors really shine. Use your favorite brand here, it'll be worth it. We love the Better than Bouillon Organic Seasoned Vegetable Base (we buy the large jars at Costco). While cooking, the rice may absorb anywhere from 5 to 7 cups of broth (for one batch of this recipe). So, you may have some leftover broth. If for some reason you run short, simply add more.
Vegan butter substitute: Use meltable vegan butter or substitute with extra virgin olive oil.
Carnaroli rice and Arborio rice: Carnaroli rice is often referred to as the “king” of Italian rice. It looks very similar to Arborio, however it makes for a slightly creamier dish - and as an added benefit, it's a bit more resistant to overcooking. Use carnaroli rice if you can find it, otherwise go for Arborio (but don't substitute for any other kind of rice).
Parmesan cheese: Imported Parmesan cheese typically contains animal-based rennet. If you wish to avoid this, look for cheese labelled as "vegetarian friendly" or lists "microbial enzymes" as an ingredient (instead of rennet). Asiago cheese is also a good alternative. For a vegan option, use a meltable vegan shredded Parmesan cheese - or leave it out from this recipe and season with more salt.