Creamy Vegan Risotto With Mushrooms Recipe
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Aug 1, 2022 • 2 min read
Vegan risotto is a creamy rice dish made with vegetable stock, white wine, and vegan cheese. Learn how to make this comforting vegan recipe for a side dish or main course.
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What Is Vegan Risotto?
Vegan risotto is a dairy-free version of the classic Italian rice dish. Traditional risotto recipes simmer short-grain rice in chicken stock and wine and include Parmesan cheese. To make vegan risotto, swap the chicken stock with vegetable stock and stir vegan Parmesan cheese into the risotto. Add vegetables for a heartier dish, like mushrooms, butternut squash, or asparagus.
The key to risotto is the cooking method: Sauté the starch and then cook it on low heat as you add ladles of stock. This allows the rice to release its starches gradually, yielding a perfectly al dente result.
4 Tips for Making Vegan Mushroom Risotto
When making vegan mushroom risotto, consider these tips:
- 1. Add the stock slowly. During cooking, your risotto needs just enough liquid for the rice to absorb and release its starch, which only happens if the grains are close together and move steadily. If the rice is floating freely, you’ve added too much liquid.
- 2. Boost the flavor. Finish the dish with lemon juice and red pepper flakes for extra flavor and texture.
- 3. Sprinkle on nutritional yeast. Sprinkle nutritional yeast atop your vegan risotto. Nutritional yeast flakes add a cheesy flavor to dishes without animal products or gluten. Cooks often use nutritional yeast as a vegan Parmesan alternative that contains less cholesterol.
- 4. Use dried mushrooms. You can add fresh mushrooms, too, but don’t skip the dry ones. Dehydrated mushrooms have concentrated flavor, and once rehydrated in the risotto broth, they are more potent than fresh mushrooms.
Easy Vegan Mushroom Risotto Recipe
makes
prep time
10 mintotal time
55 mincook time
45 minIngredients
- 1
In a medium saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, bring broth to a low boil then reduce heat to low heat, keeping the broth just below a simmer.
- 2
Add the mushrooms to rehydrate. You want the broth to be about the same temperature as the rice while it’s cooking.
- 3
In a large pot, heat the vegan butter over medium-low, then sauté the shallots until softened and translucent, about 4 minutes.
- 4
Add the garlic and stir continuously until fragrant, about 30–60 seconds.
- 5
Add the rice to shallot-garlic mixture, season with salt, and stir to combine. Continue stirring rice until well coated and just translucent, 2–5 minutes.
- 6
Ladle about ½ cup warm broth and a splash of wine to the rice mixture. Stir often, until rice has fully absorbed the liquid. Add the remaining broth in ½-cup increments, following each addition with a splash of wine and allowing rice to absorb liquid between additions, until risotto rice is al dente, about 25–35 minutes. (You may not need all of the liquid.)
- 7
Remove pan from heat and add ½ cup vegan cheese and pepper, stirring to combine. Cover and allow to rest 5 minutes.
- 8
Garnish the risotto with parsley and serve with additional vegan cheese.
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