Creamy, healthy mushroom risotto is an indulgent comfort food that’s perfect for a dinner party or date night! (vegetarian, gluten-free)
What is your ultimate comfort food meal? One of my favorites is a delicious, creamy risotto. The way it takes so much care to stir consistently and the smooth, luxuriously creamy texture without the need for heavy cream (at least in my version). It’s the perfect embodiment of a cozy meal.
This mushroom risotto is amazingly comforting, yet surprisingly healthy. It’s full of earthy mushrooms, one of my favorite veggies, and it’s made with whole grain brown rice, making it a nourishing meal that’s just perfect for cold winter nights. It has just enough cheese to take it over the top without tanking the nutritional value.
Try this delicious, healthy mushroom risotto for special nights like New Years Eve or for date night. It’s sure to impress guests at a dinner party (the recipe makes enough for at least 10 people!) or your significant other for a surprise candlelight dinner. It feels so special and is not too hard to prepare other than the time it takes at the stove stirring. I suggest serving it on it’s own with a crisp green salad or even with a nice beef dish, like short ribs (recipe for that one coming soon!) and a glass of wine.
In dishes like risotto, it’s important to choose a high quality cheese so that just a little bit will go a long way. Your cheese can definitely make the dish. I love manchego and gruyere for their decadent flavor. You’ll also want to use broth or stock instead of water to get the most flavor out of the rice. I like to make my own in the slow cooker to have on hand for delicious dishes like this.
The best part about making this healthy mushroom risotto is that once you have used the cup of wine for the recipe, you can pour yourself a glass to drink while you stir. That’s the perfect idea of a relaxing night to me. If you’re in need of a wholesome, comforting dish that’s super simple to make, head to the store for some wine, cheese and mushrooms and get cooking. Cheers!
Creamy, earthy mushroom risotto is a healthier indulgent comfort food that's perfect for a dinner party or date night!
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pint mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 cups brown rice
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1/2 cup manchego or gruyere cheese, grated
Instructions
- In a saucepan, keep broth warm on low heat.
- In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and mushrooms. Sautee until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add rice, salt and pepper and stir to toast rice a bit. Add wine and deglaze the bottom of the pan by scraping the browned bits with a spoon.
- Turn heat down to medium low and stir until liquid is absorbed. Add broth, a half cup at a time, stirring until liquid is just absorbed each time. Keep adding liquid and stirring until rice is fully cooked and creamy. It will take about 45 minutes to an hour.
- Once rice is fully cooked, stir in grated cheese.
- Serve hot.
Yum! Your healthy risotto looks delicious – especially paired with that glass of red 🙂