This creamy vegan mushroom risotto recipe is easy to make for a delicious meal that’s perfect for a mid-week dinner or special occasion.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

  • it’s the ultimate comfort food!
  • ready in under 40 minutes
  • completely dairy-free yet still creamy and delicious
  • made with just a handful of basic ingredients
  • easy enough for everyday but elegant enough for special occasions too

Ingredient Notes

Visual of all ingredients needed for making a vegan mushroom risotto recipe.
  • thyme – fresh is lovely but if you only have ground thyme that’s ok
  • olive oil – can be substituted with broth for oil-free risotto
  • mushroom – you’ll need white button and portobellos
  • arborio rice – use this as it’s best for making risotto
  • vegetable broth – any homemade or store-bough broth works, you can also use bouillon powder or cubes
  • lemon – you’ll need both the juice and zest from a lemon
  • vegan butter – totally optional but adds a creamy, decadent finish

See recipe card below for complete list of ingredients and amounts.

How to Make Mushroom Risotto

Step 1. Bring the vegetable stock to a boil in a large pot on the stovetop. This is an important step!

Hot vegetable broth cooking in a pot.

Step 2. In a separate saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions, garlic and thyme and cook for a few minutes until the onions are translucent and fragrant.

Onion, thyme and garlic cooking in a pot on a small cooktop.

Step 3. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes. The mushrooms will release liquid as they cook, keep cooking until they pan is nearly dry again.

  • Chopped mushrooms cooked in a skillet.
  • Cooked chopped mushrooms cooking in a skillet. Steam coming off skillet.

Step 4. Add the rice to the pot and “toast” the rice for 1 minute by sautéing it in the pan. This is an important step and enhances the flavour of the risotto by opening the pores of the rice.

Rice and mushrooms cooking in a small skillet on a cooktop.

Step 5. Now to start cooking the rice. Slowly add the hot stock 1 cup at time, constantly stirring as the rice absorbs the stock.

Continue to add the stock 1 cup at a a time until all of the stock is incorporated and the rice is cooked. This still should take 25-30 minutes.

Quick Tip: Be consistent with stirring the rice. Consistent stirring helps the final dish being more evenly cooked and creamier in consistency.

Pouring hot stock into a skillet of rice cooking on a small cooktop.

Step 5. Season with salt and pepper and fold in the lemon zest and parsley.

Skillet of mushroom risotto topped with lemon zest and fresh chopped parsley.

Finally, stir in the vegan butter, if using, for a decadent, creamy finish.

FAQs

How long does mushroom risotto keep?

Mushroom risotto is best enjoyed hot right after cooking but leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Can you reheat mushroom risotto?

To reheat the risotto, add it to saucepan and slowly heat stovetop, adding broth as needed until the rice has loosened and the risotto has heated through.

Spoon lifting a spoonful of vegan mushroom risotto out of a bowl.

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Overhead image of vegan mushroom topped with parsley in a bowl.

Vegan Mushroom Risotto

  • Author: Deryn Macey
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 40 mins
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Diet: Vegan

This creamy mushroom risotto is surprisingly easy to make for a flavourful meal that’s sure to impress. Easy enough for a mid-week dinner and elegant enough for special occasions, enjoy this lovely dish anytime!

★★★★★

5 from 4 reviews
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Ingredients

  • 8 cup vegetable stock, boiling 
  • 1 medium white onion, diced (2 cups, 250 g) 
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (1 tbsp, 10 g) 
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme, leaves removed from stem (or 1 tsp dried) 
  • 2 tbsp olive oil (15 g, use vegetable stock for oil-free risotto) 
  • 3 cups button mushrooms, roughly chopped (300 g) 
  • 2 cups portobello mushrooms, gills removed, cut in half and finely chopped (150 g) 
  • 2 cup arborio rice (400 g) 
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest (if you don’t have a zester, use a peeler and finely chop) 
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley (10 g)
  • 1 tbsp vegan butter (optional for a “creamy” finish) 

Instructions

  1. Start by bring the vegetable stock to boil in a pot. This is a very important step in making the risotto as we need the stock to be hot when we start cooking the rice. 
  2. In a separate medium-sized pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions, garlic and thyme and sauté for 3-5 minutes until onions are translucent and fragrant. 
  3. Place the chopped mushrooms in the pot and cook for an additional 5 minutes. The mushrooms will release liquid in this process. Cook the mushrooms until the have fully absorbed the liquid and the pan is almost dry.
  4. Add the rice to the pot and “toast” the rice by sautéing it with the other ingredients for 1 minute. This is an important step to enhance the flavour of the risotto as it helps open the pores of the rice. 
  5. Begin cooking the rice by slowly adding the hot stock 1 cup at a time. Ensure you are constantly stirring the rice while the stock is being absorbed. The more consistently you stir the rice, the more evenly cooked and creamy in consistency the final risotto will be. Continue to add 1 cup of stock at a time and stir until all stock is incorporated and the rice is cooked. This step should take 25 – 30 minutes. 
  6. Once the rice is cooked, season with salt and fold in the parsley and lemon zest. Finish with a tablespoon of vegan butter, if desired, and fresh cracked black pepper.  

Notes

Storing and Reheating: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat place on stove and slowly add stock until rice has loosened in consistency and is heated all the way through. 

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 308
  • Fat: 3 g
  • Carbohydrates: 60 g
  • Protein: 8 g

Keywords: vegan mushroom risotto