Mushroom Risotto Vegan | This is how creamy enjoyment tastes

Recipe Note

Do you have all the ingredients ready? Then nothing stands in the way of your vegan mushroom risotto!

What is risotto?

Risotto is an Italian rice dish and a true classic of Italian cuisine! The original comes from northern Italy, but risotto is now known and loved worldwide! The traditional basic ingredients are usually risotto rice (mostly Arborio rice, a round-grain rice), onions, garlic, white wine, broth, butter, and Parmesan. The rice is slightly firm at the end but still soft (also called al dente) and is combined with the other ingredients into an incredibly creamy dish. 
Risotto is often described as the final boss in the kitchen and "super complicated." But it’s not that difficult – you just have to follow the mushroom risotto recipe exactly.
If you want to prepare risotto, only one thing is important: constant stirring. Well, and enough time. Because only then will your mushroom risotto (vegan) become truly creamy and full-bodied in flavor. Risotto is not a dish you can quickly mix together in 5 minutes. Instead, it requires patience, love for the ingredients, and a big portion of Italian zest for life.

Vegan mushroom risotto to your taste

Risotto is a popular dish and can be served either alone as a main course or together with side dishes.
What goes well with risotto?
A fresh salad, hearty grilled vegetables, fried asparagus, antipasti, or some bread taste especially good with risotto.

Speaking of choices: Most recipes for vegan mushroom risotto offer two options: either cooked with fresh mushrooms or with dried mushrooms. In our recipe for mushroom risotto, you can decide which type of mushrooms you want to use – or whether you want to combine both types:

Risotto with fresh button mushrooms: Your risotto will be fresher, the mushrooms have a more pleasant texture, but the flavor will be less intense.

Porcini mushroom risotto with dried mushrooms: Your risotto will be more intense in flavor, but dried mushrooms are often more expensive.

Mushroom risotto (vegan) made from dried and fresh mushrooms: Your risotto will be intense in flavor, fresh, and have a pleasant texture.

Which type of mushroom you choose for your vegan mushroom risotto is entirely up to you: let our recipe become a porcini mushroom risotto recipe or opt for a creamy risotto with button mushrooms. 

Risotto without …

Especially with complex dishes with many ingredients, the question often arises whether the recipe can be made without ingredient A or B.

Mushroom risotto without wine?
Especially when children are eating the risotto, many want to skip the wine. Instead, you can simply use more broth. A secret tip is to add a bit of vinegar to imitate the slight acidity of wine. Don’t worry, you won’t taste the vinegar in the end. Our mushroom risotto is really delicious even without wine.

Risotto without risotto rice?
That’s a bit harder and to be honest: there’s no real way to replace risotto rice 1:1. Your mushroom risotto (vegan or not) will be best with the right rice. Risotto rice alternatives, if necessary, are barley, spelt, emmer, couscous, bulgur, millet, polenta, or long-grain or jasmine rice. But none of these compare to regular risotto rice.

Risotto without cheese?
Making risotto without Parmesan is relatively easy. You can simply use nutritional yeast flakes as a savory substitute or (if it’s just about avoiding animal products) switch to vegan, plant-based alternatives. This way your risotto recipe stays vegan but still tastes cheesy.

Risotto variations

Not in the mood for mushrooms? The mushroom risotto (vegan) can easily be modified by swapping a few ingredients. This way, risotto is a versatile recipe that can be cooked not only as the original mushroom risotto but also in many different delicious variations.

Here are our 5 favorite variations:

• Risotto alla Milanese – with saffron and Parmesan, the classic version 

• Risotto agli Asparagi – springtime version with green or white asparagus, maybe an alternative to asparagus with Hollandaise sauce?

• Risotto ai Quattro Formaggi – super cheesy with a mix of four (vegan) cheeses

• Risotto al Pomodoro – fruity and summery, with tomatoes, fresh herbs, and a bit of basil oil

• Risotto alla Zucca – autumn pumpkin risotto, perfect for the cold season

But our mushroom risotto (vegan) is the clear favorite! Because risotto with mushrooms (also called Risotto ai Funghi) is the perfect mix of creaminess, seasoning, and warmth.

Substitution table

How often do we want to cook a recipe but are missing certain ingredients or don’t like some components? For this case, we have a substitution table for you so you can adjust your vegan risotto recipe however you like! Simply swap individual ingredients as you wish!

• risotto rice → hard to replace, if necessary: barley, spelt, emmer, couscous, bulgur, millet, polenta, or long-grain or jasmine rice

• fresh button mushrooms → other mushrooms

• onion → shallots

• olive oil → other plant-based oils, vegan butter

• white wine (vegan!) → non-alcoholic wine, vegetable broth & a splash of vinegar

• dried porcini mushrooms → other dried mushrooms

Our mushroom risotto is vegan, but of course you can also use animal ingredients if you want!

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