Vegan Mushroom Risotto Recipe | Easy + gluten-free | Two Spoons (2024)

Dec 4, 2019(Last updated Oct 18, 2023)by Hannah Sunderani

Vegan Mushroom Risotto

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Looking for a cozy dinner recipe to get you through these cold winter days? I’ve got you covered with this dreamy and Creamy Vegan Mushroom Risotto. With just 10 ingredients and under 40 minutes to make from start to finish, this risotto can be yours.

This recipe is so creamy and comforting. It’s simple enough to make for a mid-week dinner, yet decadent enough for entertaining. And vegan or not, everyone will love thissatiating bowl.

The risotto is rich, thick and creamy, with garlicky and cheesy flavour. Topped with pan-fried mushrooms cooked in balsamic vinegar really brings the umami to this dish.

Ya’ll know I love my cozy mushroom dishes, like my Creamy Vegan Mushroom Pasta, Mushroom Stroganoff and Cream of Mushroom Soup. Well, this mushroom risotto is equally as comforting.

All-in-all, this is an unforgettable recipe that you’ll have on repeat. Serve as your main dish, and watch it go down all too easy.

Featured Review

5 from 20 votes

“Such a simple and delicious recipe! Really makes cooking risotto a lot less intimidating, especially with the small number of ingredients this requires. ”-Glory

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Now, let me tell you how to make this Creamy Vegan Mushroom Risotto.

Vegan Mushroom Risotto Recipe | Easy + gluten-free | Two Spoons (1)

Vegan Mushroom Risotto Recipe

The ingredients

Vegan Mushroom Risotto Recipe | Easy + gluten-free | Two Spoons (2)

The ingredients for this recipe are simple and straight forward. And you might already have them in your pantry/fridge.

For this risotto you will need:

  • onion
  • garlic
  • coconut oil
  • sea salt
  • arborio rice
  • vegetable broth
  • nutritional yeast
  • mushrooms
  • balsamic vinegar
  • parsley, to sprinkle

As you can see, the ingredients are simple and straight forward. With nothing finicky or strange, which is why I have given it my skeptic stamp of approval.

What is nutritional yeast?

The only ingredient you might not be familiar with in this recipe is nutritional yeast. Now, if you’re new to vegan cooking than say hello to magical vegan staple!

Nutritional yeast is used a lot in vegan cooking to bring cheesy umami flavour to dishes. You can enjoy it sprinkled on popocorn and avocado toast, or use it to make veganAlfredo, Mac and cheese and cashew based cheeses. And of course, this vegan mushroom risotto.

Certainly, it’s a pantry must-have for a plant-based diet. But even the non-vegans can appreciate just how tasty this seasoning is. In fact, Bon Appetit coined nutritional yeast as “nature’s cheeto dust.”

In addition, we can feel good about adding nutritional yeast to our diet, because it’s really healthy. Turns out, nutritional yeast is given its name for the exact reason that it’s full of protein, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

How to make mushroom risotto

Contrary to popular belief, making risotto is actually really easy and straight-forward!

This mushroom risotto begins by sautéing onion and garlic, then adding arborio rice and pouring in vegetable broth in batches as it thickens.

Really, it’s the fact that we need to stir the risotto often, and keep a close watch that’s the hardest part about making risotto. But really, that’s not a hard task to do.

As for the mushrooms, we will cook this in a separate skillet with a bit of oil, sea salt and balsamic. You can do this at the same time your rice is cooking. It’s easy to watch over the two, and stir as needed.

Vegan Mushroom Risotto Recipe | Easy + gluten-free | Two Spoons (3)

Watch the how-to video!

Tips for this recipe

In fact, my top trick to getting perfect risotto is to keep stirring!

Stirring the rice helps to release the starches, which results in a creamier risotto. If you don’t stir, the rice will likely become a thick solid mixture. And likely will bind to the bottom of the pot. We don’t want that!

So, if I can give you any advice for making this risotto, it’s to keep a close watch, and stir often.

As for what type of rice to use for making risotto? There are three types of recommended rice, and my favourite is arborio. It’s starchy and creamy, and relatively easy to find at most generic grocery stores. I also like to use it to make rice pudding.

Other recipes you might like

If you’re digging this recipe, you might also like these comforting dishes:

  • Stuffed Baked Potatoes with Mushroom and Spinach
  • Healthy Balsamic Mushrooms
  • Eggplant and Lentil Meatballs
Vegan Mushroom Risotto Recipe | Easy + gluten-free | Two Spoons (4)

So there we have it, a very simple Vegan Mushroom Risotto recipe that’s creamy, comforting and full of umami flavour. It’s easy to make, with just 10 ingredients and minimal effort.

Certainly, anyone can make this easy risotto. Enjoy as a comforting dinner recipe with your loved ones, or serve for a night of vegan entertaining. This recipe is sure to please all eaters.

And, if you do make this recipe please let me know in the comments below what you think! I love hearing from you. And of course, tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #twospoons. Nothing makes me happier than to see your recreations.

GF

Creamy Vegan Mushroom Risotto

5 from 20 votes

By Hannah Sunderani

This rich and creamy vegan risotto brings all the umami flavour. It’s simple enough to make for a mid-week dinner, yet decadent enough for entertaining.

Print RecipePin Recipe

Vegan Mushroom Risotto Recipe | Easy + gluten-free | Two Spoons (5)

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Serves 6 people

Ingredients

For the risotto:

  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 yellow onion finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • pinch sea salt
  • 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
  • 5 cups vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1/3 cup parsley , chopped

For the balsamic mushrooms:

  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 16 oz cremini mushrooms (2 boxes), sliced
  • pinch sea salt
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Instructions

  • Add the coconut oil to a large pot with the onion, garlic, and sea salt. Bring to medium heat and cook stirring often until softened, 10 minutes.

  • Pour in the arborio rice and toast until the grains become lightly perfumed, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the vegetable broth, starting with 2 cups, and adding more in splashes as it thickens. (I find 5 cups total to be the perfect amount!). Cook stirring often until the risotto is soft and pleasantly chewy, 20-30 minutes. Add the nutritional yeast and stir to combine.

  • While the risotto is cooking, make the Balsamic Mushrooms: Add the coconut oil to a large skillet with the sliced mushrooms and sea salt. Bring to medium heat. Cook the mushrooms until beautifully browned and the liquid is almost entirely reduced, 12 minutes. Then reduce heat to low and pour in the balsamic vinegar. Stir and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

  • Add the balsamic mushrooms to the cooked risotto. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and stir everything to combine. Serve the risotto in bowls.

Watch The Video

Notes

If you prefer to make this recipe a one-pot recipe: start by first cooking the balsamic mushrooms (Step 4) in the large pot. When ready, remove the mushrooms from the pot and set aside. Use the pot to cook the risotto as instructed in Step 1 and 2.

This method increases the cooking time as you’re not doing two things at once. But it makes for less clean up! The choice is yours 🙂

Recipe will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store in an air-tight container. You can also freeze this recipe. Let thaw before reheating.

Approvals

Vegan Mushroom Risotto Recipe | Easy + gluten-free | Two Spoons (6)Vegan Mushroom Risotto Recipe | Easy + gluten-free | Two Spoons (7)Vegan Mushroom Risotto Recipe | Easy + gluten-free | Two Spoons (8)

Nutrition

Calories: 479kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 919mg | Potassium: 473mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g

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    Vegan Mushroom Risotto Recipe | Easy + gluten-free | Two Spoons (2024)

    FAQs

    Can risotto be gluten-free? ›

    Risotto can be 100 percent gluten-free in two ways: If you're making it at home, you can read ingredients for everything you put in the risotto to be sure nothing contains gluten. If you are ordering it at a restaurant, double check with the chef to make sure it contains no gluten.

    How much risotto rice per person? ›

    As a general rule, 60g per person is perfect for a starter, light meal, or if you've bulked out the dish with other ingredients. For more generous portions, go with 75g each. Whatever type of risotto you're making, use piping hot stock – it means the grains will start to soften and cook straight away.

    Does mushroom risotto contain gluten? ›

    Risotto is not pasta. Risotto is a hearty, creamy rice dish from Northern Italy that's made with short-grain Italian rice. While pasta is made from wheat containing gluten, risotto is made with naturally gluten-free rice.

    Do you have to put Parmesan in risotto? ›

    Traditionally the only cheese in risotto is Parmigiano Reggiano (obviously freshly grated). That is the cheese you add whe you need your risotto to feature any vegetable or other ingredient. You can use a number of different cheeses, though, to add an unusual flavor to your risotto.

    What brand of risotto is gluten free? ›

    Lundberg Family Farms - Traditional Italian Risotto, Creamy Parmesan, Convenient Side Dish, 20 Minute Cook Time, Pantry Staple, Sustainably Farmed, Gluten-Free, (5.5 oz, 6-Pack)

    Which grains Cannot be used to make risotto? ›

    The only grains you'll want to avoid are really tough grains, like wheat berries or kamut. I learned the hard way that these will never get creamy or soft like a grain should for risotto, no matter how long you cook them or how much broth you add.

    How much does 1 cup of risotto make? ›

    One cup of rice combined with 3 (or slightly more) cups of stock will make 4 servings of risotto. A saucepan or tall-sided heavy pot or skillet.

    Why do you put butter in risotto? ›

    I want my risotto to stick together, that is part of its charm, and that's why you use a starchy, medium grain rice. If I'm making it, I sweat onions in butter, before toasting the rice in the butter and onion mixture. You need to use a fat one way or the other. And butter adds its particular flavor.

    How many cups of risotto rice for 2? ›

    Remember that it will always be 3 times as much broth as rice, meaning if you use 1 cup of rice you will need to use at least 3 cups of broth and the amount increases if there are more people. Risotto for two people: ¾ cup of rice, at least 2 ¼ cups of broth.

    Can vegans eat risotto? ›

    For risotto, even vegan risotto, you want to use arborio rice, which is an Italian short grain white rice. If you can't specifically find arborio rice, you can safely use just generic short grain white rice.

    What is vegan risotto made of? ›

    Aromatics: Yellow or sweet onions and fresh garlic are the base of flavor in this easy vegetable risotto recipe. Arborio rice: Essential to make a perfectly creamy risotto. Vegetable broth: Gives the risotto more flavor than cooking with water. Veggies: Fresh asparagus, tomato, and carrot work best in our version.

    What is a substitute for butter in risotto? ›

    Many people mistakenly think that butter, and lots of it, is required as the finish, to make risotto creamy. Olive oil at the end adds a nice complexity that does not alter the essential flavor of the risotto: it is, in my opinion, a cleaner finish.

    What is the secret to creamy risotto? ›

    Yes, the foundational creaminess of well-made risotto should come from the starches that the grains release slowly over the cooking process—but a bit of actual cream doesn't hurt, either. Make sure to season the risotto with salt after you've added the whipped cream.

    Do Italians eat risotto with fork or spoon? ›

    How to Eat Risotto According to Etiquette. Most Italians eat risotto with a fork, but there are areas where you are given a spoon by default to eat it: it happens in Campania, for example, but not only there. It partly depends on convenience and habits.

    What happens if you don't stir risotto? ›

    Stirring the rice constantly will add air into the risotto, cooling it down and making it gluey. But if you don't stir enough, the rice will stick to the bottom and burn. Agitating the rice is important, because risotto's creaminess comes from the starch generated when grains of rice rub against each other.

    Do stock cubes have gluten? ›

    They are occasionally made with wheat flour, which usually serves as a thickener. OXO Cubes are a popular brand of stock cubes that contain gluten and should be avoided, but the Oxo Stock Pots are all gluten free.

    Is gluten-free rice OK for celiacs? ›

    All natural forms of rice, including white, brown, or wild, are gluten-free. Natural rice is a great option for people who are sensitive to or allergic to gluten, a protein usually found in wheat, barley, and rye, and for people who have celiac disease, an autoimmune disease triggered by gluten.

    Are gnocchi gluten-free? ›

    While the primary ingredient in gnocchi is potatoes, flour is typically used as a binder in traditional gnocchi so this makes them definitely NOT gluten-free.

    Is orzo risotto gluten free? ›

    Is Orzo Gluten-Free? Orzo is not a gluten-free food. Orzo is made from wheat semolina flour, which contains gluten. Because orzo is made intentionally to resemble rice (which is gluten-free), people will sometimes mistake it for Italian arborio rice, particularly if it's been cooked al dente (firm to the bite).

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