This vegan mushroom risotto is creamy and rich and packed with mushroom flavor. It’s really easy to make and makes a perfect savory entrée.
My love for a good mushroom risotto goes back a long way. It used to be a firm favorite when we went out to dinner.
Of course a standard risotto recipe uses parmesan in the risotto and is usually served with extra parmesan on top.
I knew I had to make a batch of vegan mushroom risotto for the blog, and I can tell you, this version doesn’t miss the cheese at all.
When I first made this recipe, I used white wine, which a lot of risotto recipes call for.
But….I just wasn’t a fan. There was a bit too much of an acidic after taste to it I found. So I made it again – sans wine this time and it had ALL the flavor with none of the acidity.
If you would like to add some wine to this then you can add ½ cup of wine to this same recipe. You add it in after the rice, and let it cook off and absorb with the rice before you add in the stock.
This risotto is creamy and rich and tastes as if there may actually be cream in it, when of course there is none.
The mushroom flavor cooks in so well with the risotto rice, and it makes a perfect savory entrée.
And if you love a delicious vegan rice dish then also check out our vegan fried rice and our vegan paella.
How To Make Vegan Mushroom Risotto
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- Add olive oil to a pot with chopped onion and sauté on medium high for a couple of minutes until softened.
- Add sliced mushrooms and garlic and toss with the onions.
- Cover the pot and cook for a couple of minutes until the mushrooms have released some of their water.
- Then remove the lid and add the risotto rice and sauté it with the onions, mushrooms and garlic.
- Add 3 cups of vegetable stock and stir well.
- Cover and simmer for around 20 minutes until the broth is mostly absorbed.
- Add 1 and ½ cups vegetable stock, stir well again.
- Cover and simmer for around 10 minutes until the broth is mostly absorbed.
- Then add a final 1 and ½ cups of vegetable stock, stir well again.
- Cover and simmer for a final 5-10 minutes. It’s ready when the stock has been mostly absorbed by the rice.
- Turn off the heat and stir in 2 Tbsp of vegan butter.
- Add sea salt and black pepper to taste.
Ingredient Notes
The Mushrooms. We used cremini mushrooms (also called brown button mushrooms, baby bellas or portobellini mushrooms) but plain white button mushrooms also work great.
Risotto Rice. We used arborio rice which is a widely available type of risotto rice. I highly recommend you use the same rice as we did so that the recipe has consistent results. Other popular types of risotto rice according to the Kitchn are carnaroli and vialone nano though apparently you can really use any short grain rice.
Vegetable Stock. You can really use any vegetable stock or broth. However, if your stock has dehydrated vegetable pieces in it, it’s better to strain it so that it’s just the clear broth. It’s also ideal (but not crucial) for your vegetable stock or broth to be hot when it goes into the risotto. This helps it to absorb with the rice better.
Cooking Times
The cooking times mentioned in this recipe are just a guide, if you’re cooking on a gas stove or just using a different pot, it might go faster. So you need to keep a watch for when the stock is mostly absorbed before adding more stock rather than judging it by time alone.
How To Serve Risotto
Serve it topped with fresh chopped parsley and ground black pepper. Some vegan parmesan can also be really tasty sprinkled on top. You can either make up a batch of homemade vegan parmesan or use a store-bought option.
Storing and Freezing
Keep leftovers stored in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within around 3 days.
It’s not ideal to freeze as the texture can change too much after thawing.
More Vegan Dinner Recipes
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Creamy Vegan Mushroom Risotto
Ingredients
For the Risotto:
For Serving (Optional):
- Fresh Chopped Parsley
- Ground Black Pepper
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a pot with the chopped onion and sauté on medium high for a couple of minutes until softened.
- Add sliced mushrooms and garlic and toss with the onions.
- Cover the pot and cook for a couple of minutes until the mushrooms have released some of their water.
- Then remove the lid and add the rice and sauté it with the onions, mushrooms and garlic.
- Then add 3 cups of vegetable stock, stir well, cover and simmer for around 20 minutes until the broth is mostly absorbed. *(See Notes)
- Then add 1 and ½ cups vegetable stock, stir well again, cover and simmer for around 10 minutes until the broth is mostly absorbed.
- Then add a final 1 and ½ cups of vegetable stock, stir well again, cover and simmer for a final 5-10 minutes.
- It’s ready when all the stock has been mostly absorbed by the rice.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the 2 Tbsp of vegan butter.
- Add sea salt and black pepper to taste.
- Serve it topped with fresh chopped parsley and ground black pepper. Some vegan parmesan can also be really tasty sprinkled on top. You can either make up a batch of homemade vegan parmesan or use a store-bought option.
Video
Notes
- You can use cremini mushrooms (also called brown button mushrooms, baby bellas or portobellini mushrooms) or you can use plain white button mushrooms.
- If your stock has dehydrated vegetable pieces in it, it’s better to strain it so that it’s just the clear broth. It’s also ideal (though not crucial) if your vegetable stock is hot when it goes into the risotto, this allows it to absorb more easily with the rice.
- The times mentioned are just a guide, if you’re cooking on a gas stove or just in a different pot, it might go faster. So you’re watching for when the stock is mostly absorbed before adding more stock rather than keeping a watch on time.
- This recipe was first published in May 2016 – now updated with new photos and improved instructions.
This is one of my favorite recipes! I make this on a regular basis. My husband loves it! When you need comfort food this is on point.
Thanks so much Rhonda!
Thank you for this recipe. I’m eating this right now and it’s amazing! It was very quick and easy. I didn’t end up needing quite as much stock but I did also add rehydrated forest mushrooms so they probably retained liquid. I also used a swirl of truffle oil and a handful of toasted pine nuts at the end because why not?
Sounds awesome! Thanks so much for the great review Nina!
Simple, classic, delicious. I’ve made this like 5 times and it’s always a bop. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks so much James!
Made this for the first time last night. Added broccoli to the mix, but it completely disintegrated when done. It was really good though. We added some general Italian spices, too.
Thanks for sharing Todd!
I have a question. The recipe sounds really nice and contrary to other mushroom risotto recipes I have found this one adds the mushrooms from the start so I imagine that the end result is not just rice with shrooms but a real meal.
Now my question is: Doesn’t the mushrooms get super mushy when they are cooked for more than 20 minutes? Thank you very much!
Hi Susanne, no they don’t get mushy at all.
Loved it. Used mixed mushrooms and chestnut mushrooms. Having it again this week.
So happy to hear that Karen!
Really lovely dinner 😘
Wow! I’m amazed at how flavourful this is! I really loved it and found it an easy risotto to make.
Awesome! Thank you so much!
My first time making risotto and I was nervous because it has such a reputation for being difficult. This was time consuming but actually very easy! And the result was worth all the effort. Creamy, flavorful and a big crowd pleaser in my household. I picked up a bunch of varieties of mushrooms at the farmers market and this really let them shine!
Fantastic! Thanks so much Leah!
Delicious and so easy!!
I added 1/4 cup cashew butter and 1 tbsp nutritional yeast to sub for vegan butter. Makes it super creamy. Yum! 🙂
Thank you for a great recipe! I made this the other day and it was delicious! I followed the recipe, but when I added the vegan butter and salt after turning off the heat, the consistency turned gummy. Next time, I’ll lightly incorporate them well before I turn off the heat when there is more liquid. I added some peas for extra color and flavor.
So glad it was delicious. That is weird what happened with the butter but I think your solve is a good one! Thanks for the great review!
Can you cut the mushrooms into smaller pieces rather then the whole mushroom?
Sure!
Will brown rice work with this recipe?
I’ve never made it with anything other than risotto rice.
Just made this and it’s so delicious! Creamy and flavorful! Love it!
Thanks Melissa!
Made it yesterday and it was delicious. Ended up only using 4 1/2 cups of stock. After the second addition of stock the risotto seemed to be perfect. Amazing recipe. Be using it many times in the future
Awesome! Thanks for sharing Will!