Wild Mushroom Risotto

Wild mushroom risotto starts with aromatic basmati rice, is filled with earthy wild mushrooms, and finished with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Wild mushroom risotto is one of my absolute favorite dishes ever! Although I dream about eating this dish regularly, I seldom make it because I will devour the entire pot.

I have never met a mushroom that I don’t like and paired with wine, garlic, and fresh thyme most mushrooms turn in to my idea of heaven.

Foraging for Mushrooms

My father, mother, and then my late step-father took me out foraging for mushrooms all throughout my child and young-adult hood. We picked snows, puffballs, shaggy-manes, cauliflower, cow brains, morels, and likely a couple of more I am forgetting.

Morel Mushrooms

Morels are my favorite mushroom and what I am on the hunt for each year. They come in a variety of different shades and this year, my sister and I found many of them all in one area.

Morels are quite expensive to buy in the stores. I never used to worry about getting low on my stash, as my step-dad would always keep me well supplied each year. With his passing, I have definitely hoarded all I have and all I have found the past couple of years. Even though he taught me all the types of places to look for them, I will never be able to compete with the skills and knowledge of the woods that he had.

There are only a couple of dishes I will use my treasured morels in and this risotto is one of them. You don’t have to use morels in your risotto but I do encourage you to add a meaty mushroom.

How to Make Wild Mushroom Risotto

Cover 3 cups of dried wild mushrooms with hot water. Allow to set 5 minutes, remove from the water and squeeze the excess water out of the mushrooms. Cut in to smaller pieces. Reserve the water.

Grind up ½ cup of mushrooms and set aside. Place the broth in a pot over low heat.

Place the oil in a large soup pot, over low to medium-low heat. To the pot, add the garlic and cook for about 10 minutes or just until the garlic starts to brown. Add the shallots and continue to cook until garlic is golden brown.

Add the butter to the pan and melt, then add the mushrooms and cook for 25 minutes. Next, add the rice and cook for 5 minutes. To the rice, add the wine along with the thyme, ground mushrooms, 1 cup reserved mushroom water, and 1 cup of broth.

Allow the liquid to reduce but not all of the way, stirring occasionally. When the liquid has mostly reduced, add about ¾ cup more broth. As the liquid reduces, keep stirring occasionally.

Keep repeating until all the liquid has been used. When last portion of broth is almost fully reduced, add the parmesan cheese and combine.

Don’t forget to salt everything along the way. Be careful to not salt too much before adding the parmesan cheese. Garnish with more parmesan.

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Looking for more great recipes? Check out mushroom and sausage bread pudding and gluten free caramelized onion and mushroom galette.