Velvety Homemade Vegan Risotto with Mushrooms

Name: Velvety Homemade Vegan Risotto with Mushrooms
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 quart vegetable broth; 3 6.5 ounce cans Edward & Sons cremini mushroom slices (see notes for fresh mushrooms); 3 cloves garlic, minced; 3 tbsp salted vegan butter; 1 tsp onion powder; 1 tsp dried parsley; 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning; 2 cups arborio rice; 1 cup dry non-alcoholic white wine (or regular vegan dry white wine); ⅓ cup heavy coconut cream; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1 cup shredded vegan parmesan; Fresh thyme, to taste; Vegan breadcrumbs, for topping

posted by Britt Berlin on Jan 31, 2023 (last updated Jan 23, 2024) 0 comments »

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This creamy and velvety vegan risotto is simple to make and packed with rich cheesy flavor! You won’t believe this risotto is dairy free!

This vegan risotto is the epitome of easy Italian pasta dishes. It’s ultra creamy and velvety rich, and packed with so much flavor. You’d never know that this risotto recipe is entirely vegan and dairy free.

I’m not joking, when I gave some to my family (who are not vegan), they were shocked. With the simplest plant based ingredients (many coming from your pantry!), you can truly throw together the ultimate comfort food dish for those cozy wintery months.

And mushrooms are just such a cozy food- it’s why I love them in the winter, especially in this vegan mushroom soup!

Or even make it light and bright with seasonal spring and summer vegetables if desired! Risotto can really do it all.

This is one of my all time favorite vegan Italian dinner recipes (but of course, I also love classic comfort vegan lasagna and my cheesy vegan baked gnocchi!). You’re just going to love it!

And guess what? It’s more than suitable for vegetarians (since it’s all vegan) and completely gluten-free!

What is risotto?

Risotto is a classic Italian pasta dish made from rice, broth, and parmesan cheese. It’s typically described as creamy (despite not containing any cream) and silky in texture, and when cooked right, should have the perfect chewy (NOT mushy) structure. You can sometimes add in vegetables like mushrooms (we’re doing a vegan mushroom risotto here!), and herbs, like thyme, parsley, or even saffron.

But how is there no cream in risotto and yet it’s creamy? The perfect mouth feel and texture of risotto, even vegan risotto, is achieved through the method in which we cook!

To start, I recommend using a large pan, like a wide pot or even a Dutch oven works great, like I did here. This allows the rice to cook evenly.

The other key to making the perfect risotto is in adding the broth in increments. Don’t overwhelm the rice with too much broth (I’ve called this out in the instructions, so not to worry!).

But more tips and tricks in the following sections! Let’s get started!

Ingredients & Substitutions

Arborio rice: This is the most important part of your risotto- choosing the correct rice! Arborio rice is a wonderful short grain rice that’s wide and absorbs liquid in a way that makes it super creamy and thick. I would not try this with a long grain of rice, as it doesn’t have enough starch to create that creamy texture. Stick with arborio!
Vegetable broth: You can make your own vegetable stock by using carrots, celery, onion, etc. or you can use store bought! Homemade is what I usually do. A mushroom broth is also a wonderful way to add more flavor to your vegan risotto!
Garlic
Vegan butter: You can also use olive oil to keep this risotto super pantry friendly!
Seasoning spices & herbs: I added in onion powder, parsley, and an Italian seasoning blend. You can use your favorites!
Dry white wine: Like lemon juice, the acid from the wine helps to create a really robust and grounded flavor. You’ll be shocked when you
Coconut cream: Traditionally, risotto does not contain any cream. However, given that we’re using vegan cheeses, I prefer to add some sort of cream to my vegan risotto recipe so that it’s not so dependent on a vegan cheese. You can use vegan heavy cream or a coconut cream, and you won’t taste the coconut in there since it’s not that much!
Vegan parmesan cheese: I personally love Forager Project, but for nut-free, you can use Violife!
Lemon juice: Just a bit of lemon for flavor! Acid and fat is so important when it comes to creating robust flavors in dishes. Don’t skip this! You can even add some lemon zest too if you’d like a bit more lemon flavor.

Step by Step How To Make Vegan Mushroom Risotto in 30 Minutes

mushrooms sautéing in a pan — Start by sautéing the mushrooms and garlic in the vegan butter in a Dutch oven or large pan.

toasting the rice — Start by sautéing the mushrooms and garlic in the vegan butter in a Dutch oven or large pan.

rice before cooking into risotto — Once the wine is almost absorbed, add in 2 ladles of heated vegetable broth.

Adding in broth to the risotto — Once the wine is almost absorbed, add in 2 ladles of heated vegetable broth.

cooking risotto — Cook the risotto on medium heat until the broth is absorbed. Then add in more broth (about 2 ladles).

vegan risotto cooking in a dutch oven. — Cook the risotto on medium heat until the broth is absorbed. Then add in more broth (about 2 ladles).

Tips & Tricks for making this creamy risotto recipe:

Make sure you bring the broth to a boil before adding to your risotto:

This is so crucial, as you’re still cooking the rice, and you need the liquid to be warm so that the rice cooks!

Heating the both as the first step, then incorporating hot broth to the cooking vegan risotto is key for ensuring that your vegan risotto cooks thoroughly (and within 30 minutes!).

For a non-alcoholic version, use dealcoholized wine or swap in a homemade mix:

I actually used a non-alcoholic wine for this recipe, and it tasted amazing. You can use whichever you’d prefer!

If you don’t have a good dealcoholized wine near you, you can also mix together an equal amount of water with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. The acid is really what we’re going for to help give an amazing flavor to the vegan risotto.

Add the parmesan last:

For risotto, stirring in a vegan cheese, like vegan parmesan, is used more for flavor and creaminess rather than a thickening agent (like how you would add flour to a soup or cream sauce).

Stirring in the cheese last helps to keep the flavor fresh and the cheese JUST melted into the risotto so that it’s not absorbed and lends to the overall texture of the risotto.

Use arborio rice:

I mentioned this above, but arborio rice is truly the key to a good vegan risotto! While carnaroli rice is considered to be the best of the best for risotto, it’s not as commonly found. So using arborio is the next best option! It’s a wider rice that really creates a super creamy texture.

You won’t be disappointed!

You don’t need to stir constantly:

Just as long as you’re stirring consistently- every minute or so- you’ll be completely fine to step away from the pot for a second!

Cook the rice just until al dente:

Overcooking the rice will lead to a mushy risotto. We want the rice to just be cooked to al dente, which usually uses just the amount of broth required (sometimes you’ll have leftovers). Then we finish it off with the vegan cheese.

Use your favorite veggies!

If you don’t want to make this a vegan mushroom risotto, you can absolutely swap in your seasonal favorite. Asparagus and carrots would be lovely for spring, and Brussels sprouts or squash would be amazing for fall!

How To Serve Vegan Risotto

The best part about any risotto is that you can serve it as is for a main dish or as a side or primo piatto.

I sometimes will stir in some beans right before serving for some added protein.

For this specific vegan risotto that I topped with mushrooms, I also added a tablespoon of vegan breadcrumbs from Edward & Sons for flavor and a fun texture variation.

Storage

For storing, I store any leftovers in an airtight container and in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, you can add some extra broth to a pot to heat, then stir it into the risotto. This will help recreate that super creamy texture from when it was just made!

Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest!

Velvety Vegan Risotto with Mushrooms pinterest pin

If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!