This easy vegan portobello mushroom risotto recipe is so creamy and rich, and it’s totally dairy-free and gluten-free. It makes a great date night dinner or a cozy weeknight meal when you’re in the mood for comfort food. And, for a complete meal, serve it with our sautéed rainbow Swiss chard.
Published January 18, 2014 and updated February 17, 2020.
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Dairy-Free Mushroom Risotto
When we went vegan over six years ago, it was hard to find a legit vegan parmesan cheese. It wasn’t the end of the world, because arborio rice is creamy on its own, so our risotto was still pretty awesome.
Fast forward many years later, and the world has become incredibly more vegan friendly, and once again, we can add parmesan cheese to our risotto.
Thank you, Violife!
If you haven’t tried the vegan parm wedge from Violife, you need to! It smells and tastes like dairy parmesan, only you won’t find rennet (a natural enzyme from calves intestines) or chemicals and additives. So yes, things look and taste a lot different in 2020 than they did in 2014. Our vegan risotto is proof.
It’s super creamy, and it has that lovely fruity/nutty flavor that you can only get from parmesan cheese.
Furthermore, the earthiness of the mushrooms adds an umami taste to the risotto, that makes it even more delicious.
What Kind of Rice do you Need to Make Risotto and What Kind of Mushrooms Should You Use?
Risotto requires short grain rice because it has a higher starch content, which makes a creamier texture.
We use Arborio rice, but you can use any of the following:
- Carnaroli
- Vialone
- Nano
- Baldo
You can use any kind of mushroom in this dish. We chose baby bellas (cremini) because they are firm and have a stronger flavor than white button mushrooms.
In addition, you can also use Shiitake and large portobello mushrooms to make this dish.
How to Make it Creamy
STEP ONE
- In a large skillet, heat the oil on medium-high heat.
- When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms (they should sizzle) and stir to coat in the oil.
- Cook, stirring often, until they are nicely browned. After that, stir in the Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and set aside.
NOTE: Do not salt the mushrooms until they are browned or they’ll lose most of their moisture and will become tough.
STEP TWO
Heat the 10 cups of mushroom broth in a large saucepan and keep it warm.
NOTE: You can use vegetable broth if you can’t find mushroom broth, just know that you’ll lose a lot of the earthy mushroom flavor.
STEP THREE
- Using a risotto pan or a large saucepan, heat the oil, or broth on medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and stir.
- Cook until it begins to soften and becomes translucent. Add more broth if needed.
STEP FOUR
Add the rice to the onions and stir to coat in the oil or broth.
For best results, use oil to make the risotto. When you add the rice to the oil and stir it for a while before adding the broth, the rice absorbs the oil and cooks more evenly.
- Stir the rice until it becomes translucent, then add ¾ of a cup of the warm broth and stir continuously for approximately 2 to 3 minutes, or until the broth soaks into the rice.
- After that, reduce the heat to low and continue adding ¾ of a cup of broth and stirring until the broth evaporates, and then repeat this step until the remaining broth is gone.
- Just before the risotto is done, add salt and pepper to taste.
- It will take approximately 30 to 40 minutes to cook the risotto. The rice should be creamy and tender, with a slight bite. If the rice is gritty, continue to add more broth (or water) and cook until it’s tender.
STEP FIVE
- Stir in the vegan parmesan and half of the cooked mushrooms.
- Serve in pasta bowls or on a plate and top with the remaining mushrooms.
- Grate extra parmesan on top and garnish with basil.
Pro Tip
- Cook your veggies separately! To make a lasting impression on your guests, cook your veggies and risotto separately. This way, when they all come together on the plate in the end, everything will be cooked perfectly.
If mushrooms aren’t your jam, but you love risotto, we’ve got you covered. Try the following vegan risotto recipes: Braised Butternut Squash Risotto
Lemon Herb Risotto
Vegan Pumpkin Sage Risotto
Dairy-free Lemon & Asparagus Risotto
More Vegan Mushroom Recipes
Roasted Garlic Parmesan Mushrooms
Black Bean & Mushroom Enchiladas
Spicy Black Bean and Shiitake Street Tacos
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Vegan Mushroom Risotto
Equipment
- 1 stove
- 1 skillet
- 2 risotto or saucepans
Ingredients
- 10 cups mushroom broth Add more if necessary.
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil, divided
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 3 cups baby bella mushrooms sliced (See Note)
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 1 cup vegan parmesan cheese grated
- ½ cup fresh basil finely chopped
- Salt to taste
- pepper to taste
GARNISH
- finely chopped basil
- grated parmesan
- ground black pepper
Instructions
Heat the 10 cups of mushroom broth in a large saucepan and keep
warm. You can use vegetable broth if you can’t find mushroom broth, but know
that you’ll lose much of the earthy mushroom flavor.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil (or 3 tablespoon broth) in a large skillet.
When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms (they should sizzle) and sauté until
they are nicely browned. NOTE: Don’t salt the mushrooms before they are browned
or they’ll lose most of their moisture and become tough.
Add the 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste
to the mushrooms and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute and remove the
mushrooms from the heat and set aside.
Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil (or 3 tablespoon of broth SEE
NOTE) to a risotto pan, or a deep saucepan.
When the oil is hot add the onions and cook until translucent.- Add the Italian seasoning.
- Reduce the heat to low and add two cups of warm mushroom broth. Stir constantly until the broth evaporates, then add another cup of broth. Repeat this step, cup by cup, until the broth is gone. Be sure the heat is on a low setting (simmering) so the rice absorbs the liquid slowly. This step takes approximately 30 minutes.
Add the 1 cup of rice and stir constantly until it begins to
glisten and looks translucent, approximately 1 to 2 minutes.
Add ¾ of a cup of the warm mushroom broth and stir continuously until
the liquid evaporates.
Reduce the heat to low and continue to add ¾ of a cup of the
warm mushroom broth. Stir constantly until the broth evaporates, then add
another ¾ of a cup of broth. Repeat this step, until the broth is gone. Be sure
the heat is on a low setting (simmering) so the rice absorbs the liquid slowly.
This step takes approximately 30 to 40 minutes.
Add half of the mushrooms, the 1 cup of grated vegan parmesan,
and salt and pepper to taste, to the risotto and stir to combine.
Spoon the risotto into bowls and top with the remaining
mushrooms, grated parmesan, basil, and freshly ground black pepper.- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
PIN ME!
Christine @ Run Plant Based says
Yum, this look wonderful! Such a perfect way to enjoy mushrooms, thanks!
Linda Meyer says
Hey Christine! Yes, absolutely!