Rich, comforting, and full of earthy flavor, this creamy mushroom risotto is the perfect cozy dish for cool nights.
Ingredients:
- 0.7 oz dried shiitake mushrooms (see note 1)
- 7 cups vegetable broth (see note 2)
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided (see note 3)
- 1 yellow onion, minced (about 2 cups)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ cups carnaroli rice (or arborio rice, see note 4)
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lb mushrooms, sliced (ideally a mix of fresh shiitake and cremini)
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese (more for garnish, see note 5)
- Chopped flat-leaf parsley (for garnish)
Directions:
Prepare broth: Add dried shiitakes to a high speed blender, and blend until a fine powder. Let the powder settle before opening the 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.
