GF

Vegan Mushroom Risotto

5 from 22 votes
This rich and creamy vegan risotto brings all the umami flavour. It's simple enough to make for a mid-week dinner, yet decadent enough for entertaining.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
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Dec 4, 2019 (Last updated Mar 11, 2024) by Hannah Sunderani

Vegan Mushroom Risotto

Looking for a cozy dinner recipe to get you through these cold winter days? I’ve got you covered with this dreamy and Creamy Vegan Mushroom Risotto. With just 10 ingredients and under 40 minutes to make from start to finish, this risotto can be yours.

This recipe is so creamy and comforting. It’s simple enough to make for a mid-week dinner, yet decadent enough for entertaining. And vegan or not, everyone will love this satiating bowl.

The risotto is rich, thick and creamy, with garlicky and cheesy flavour. Topped with pan-fried mushrooms cooked in balsamic vinegar really brings the umami to this dish.

Ya’ll know I love my cozy mushroom dishes, like my Creamy Vegan Mushroom Pasta, Mushroom Stroganoff and Cream of Mushroom Soup. Well, this mushroom risotto is equally as comforting.

All-in-all, this is an unforgettable recipe that you’ll have on repeat. Serve as your main dish, and watch it go down all too easy.

Now, let me tell you how to make this Creamy Vegan Mushroom Risotto.

Easy creamy vegan mushroom risotto

Vegan Mushroom Risotto Recipe

The ingredients

The ingredients -Vegan Mushroom Risotto

The ingredients for this recipe are simple and straight forward. And you might already have them in your pantry/fridge.

For this risotto you will need:

  • onion
  • garlic
  • coconut oil
  • sea salt
  • arborio rice
  • vegetable broth
  • nutritional yeast
  • mushrooms
  • balsamic vinegar
  • parsley, to sprinkle

As you can see, the ingredients are simple and straight forward. With nothing finicky or strange, which is why I have given it my skeptic stamp of approval.

What is nutritional yeast?

The only ingredient you might not be familiar with in this recipe is nutritional yeast. Now, if you’re new to vegan cooking than say hello to magical vegan staple!

Nutritional yeast is used a lot in vegan cooking to bring cheesy umami flavour to dishes. You can enjoy it sprinkled on popocorn and avocado toast, or use it to make vegan Alfredo, Mac and cheese and cashew based cheeses. And of course, this vegan mushroom risotto.

Certainly, it’s a pantry must-have for a plant-based diet. But even the non-vegans can appreciate just how tasty this seasoning is. In fact, Bon Appetit coined nutritional yeast as “nature’s cheeto dust.”

In addition, we can feel good about adding nutritional yeast to our diet, because it’s really healthy. Turns out, nutritional yeast is given its name for the exact reason that it’s full of protein, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

How to make mushroom risotto

Contrary to popular belief, making risotto is actually really easy and straight-forward!

This mushroom risotto  begins by sautéing onion and garlic, then adding arborio rice and pouring in vegetable broth in batches as it thickens.

Really, it’s the fact that we need to stir the risotto often, and keep a close watch that’s the hardest part about making risotto. But really, that’s not a hard task to do.

As for the mushrooms, we will cook this in a separate skillet with a bit of oil, sea salt and balsamic. You can do this at the same time your rice is cooking. It’s easy to watch over the two, and stir as needed.

Mushroom Risotto

Watch the how-to video!

 

Tips for this recipe

In fact, my top trick to getting perfect risotto is to keep stirring!

Stirring the rice helps to release the starches, which results in a creamier risotto. If you don’t stir, the rice will likely become a thick solid mixture. And likely will bind to the bottom of the pot. We don’t want that!

So, if I can give you any advice for making this risotto, it’s to keep a close watch, and stir often.

As for what type of rice to use for making risotto? There are three types of recommended rice, and my favourite is arborio. It’s starchy and creamy, and relatively easy to find at most generic grocery stores. I also like to use it to make rice pudding.

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Pin it!

So there we have it, a very simple Vegan Mushroom Risotto recipe that’s creamy, comforting and full of umami flavour. It’s easy to make, with just 10 ingredients and minimal effort.

Certainly, anyone can make this easy risotto. Enjoy as a comforting dinner recipe with your loved ones, or serve for a night of vegan entertaining. This recipe is sure to please all eaters.

And, if you do make this recipe please let me know in the comments below what you think! I love hearing from you. And of course, tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #twospoons. Nothing makes me happier than to see your recreations.

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GF

Creamy Vegan Mushroom Risotto

5 from 22 votes
This rich and creamy vegan risotto brings all the umami flavour. It’s simple enough to make for a mid-week dinner, yet decadent enough for entertaining.
Creamy Mushroom Vegan Risotto
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Serves 6 people

Ingredients

For the risotto:

  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 yellow onion finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • pinch sea salt
  • 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
  • 5 cups vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1/3 cup parsley , chopped

For the balsamic mushrooms:

  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 16 oz cremini mushrooms (2 boxes), sliced
  • pinch sea salt
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Instructions

  • Add the coconut oil to a large pot with the onion, garlic, and sea salt. Bring to medium heat and cook stirring often until softened, 10 minutes.
  • Pour in the arborio rice and toast until the grains become lightly perfumed, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the vegetable broth, starting with 2 cups, and adding more in splashes as it thickens. (I find 5 cups total to be the perfect amount!). Cook stirring often until the risotto is soft and pleasantly chewy, 20-30 minutes. Add the nutritional yeast and stir to combine.
  • While the risotto is cooking, make the Balsamic Mushrooms: Add the coconut oil to a large skillet with the sliced mushrooms and sea salt. Bring to medium heat. Cook the mushrooms until beautifully browned and the liquid is almost entirely reduced, 12 minutes. Then reduce heat to low and pour in the balsamic vinegar. Stir and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the balsamic mushrooms to the cooked risotto. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and stir everything to combine. Serve the risotto in bowls.

Watch The Video

Notes

If you prefer to make this recipe a one-pot recipe: start by first cooking the balsamic mushrooms (Step 4) in the large pot. When ready, remove the mushrooms from the pot and set aside. Use the pot to cook the risotto as instructed in Step 1 and 2. 
This method increases the cooking time as you’re not doing two things at once. But it makes for less clean up! The choice is yours 🙂 
Recipe will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store in an air-tight container. You can also freeze this recipe. Let thaw before reheating.

Approvals

Nutrition

Calories: 479kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 919mg | Potassium: 473mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g
DID YOU

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  1. Sooo good, so freakin good. I was worried with it being so few ingredients, but this was amazing, filling, and the kids loved it too.

  2. This is my go to recipe. The meat eaters love it, the vegans love it. It’s easy to make. Filling….delicious….what more could you wish for. Thank you.

  3. I made this tonight and it was incredibly delicious. This was my first vegan risotto and I could not tell that it did not contain cheese. I added frozen peas while the rice was cooking for some extra veggies and it turned out really well. I will definitely make this again!

    • I really like the flavour profile of the coconut oil and it works really well in this recipe, but feel free to use olive oil, avocado oil, or another cooking oil of your choice. 🙂

  4. Thanks so much for including cooking times for each of the steps. I’m not a great cook and having an idea for how long things should take is hugely helpful! Like ‘cook until soft” means nothing to me really so having a ballpark time listed is super helpful, thank you! It makes me return to this recipe!

    • Aww I’m glad that was helpful. I always like to give a visual and timing as I think both are really helpful together! I learned that while writing my cookbook!

  5. How many people does this serve? I think only I would eat it. Can you reheat? Am so iffy about reheating rice!

    • Hi Aimee, the recipe card indicates that the recipe serves 6 people. It can be frozen and also reheated and it reheats very well. You’ll find those details in the notes section of the recipe card. 🙂

  6. This was easy to make and so good. I’m serving this to the vegans at a wedding reception and will make ahead and freeze. I cut the nutritional yeast in half.

    • So glad you enjoyed this recipe Melly! The recipe was inspired by my wedding as well! Hope it was one to remember. 🙂 Thanks for the very kind review. It means the world to me. <3

  7. I need to make this for more than 6 people. Can I double the recipe? or increase by half? Thanks!

    • Hi Ruth! I absolutely see no problem with doing that! The only thing I’d recommend is to cook the mushrooms in batches because if you overcrowd them they won’t brown as nicely. Good luck!

  8. Hello! Excited to make this tonight!! Question – can I omit the nutritional yeast? Or is there a good substitute for it if not? Thanks!

  9. This was truly an amazing recipe – thank you!!
    I am new to the gluten free and dairy free lifestyle.

    • Hi Kimberly! For this recipe, I recommend using arborio rice. It’s more starchy and absorbent than other rice types, and gives it that classic risotto consistency! The ratios of liquid to rice also works perfectly for arborio. I do know someone who tried this recipe with sushi rice, and she said it worked – although I haven’t recipe tested it. 🙂 I hope this helps!

  10. Thank you so much for this recipe! I am GF/V, my family is not. My husband has been pretty adventurous though after trying a few things I have made for myself and this jumped straight to the top of his list of “delicious vegan stuff.” I actually left out the garlic and onion because they cause digestive upset for me in large amounts and my veggie base already had onion and garlic. Even omitting those this was so dreamy and flavorful! This will surely be a regular dish in our house!

    • Hi Michelle! I’m absolutely thrilled to hear that you loved this vegan mushroom risotto! It’s such a popular recipe in our home too, and one of my go-tos! I’m so glad it will be a regular in your home too. Thanks for the very sweet comment. 🙂

  11. Hello, I am a bit confused on the amount of mushrooms to use. Is it 2 boxes of 8oz mushrooms or 2 boxes of 16oz mushrooms? I see “16oz (2 boxes)” listed in the ingredients and want to make sure I understand correctly!
    Thanks in advance!

  12. Thank you, I will freeze it if I don’t eat it all first in the next day. It was really delicious and easy to make, no fuss. Big thumbs up for texture and flavour.. thanks for sharing. 🙂🙂💙

  13. Fabulous dish exactly as is, thank you so much for this amazing recipe!! I’ve only just begun my meatless journey and this will be on major repeat 🙂 love all the helpful and positive comments- I’m trying this next with roasted kale, and I will add that these balsamic vinegar mushrooms are the best I’ve ever eaten. Plus, the nutritional yeast is a smart and unbelievably tasty addition!

  14. Can you please tell me if this keeps in the fridge or can it be frozen. I am making this now and will post photo later. Thank you

    • Hi Elaine! This Vegan Mushroom risotto will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days! It can also be frozen. Let thaw before reheating!

  15. Such a simple and delicious recipe! Really makes cooking risotto a lot less intimidating, especially with the small number of ingredients this requires. Goes perfectly with a freshly steamed artichoke and lemon juice!

    • Hi Glory! I am so thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe. It’s one of our faves too!! And what a good idea to serve it with artichoke. That sounds so yummy!

  16. I made this last night – it was soooo good! I didn’t use balsamic on the mushrooms and I mixed a few in while cooking it. I will definitely make this again. And it was really easy to make. 20 minutes of stirring and it was perfect!

    • Hi Kristin! I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for leaving such a sweet comment. 🙂

  17. Looks amazing! Cannot wait to try! 🙂
    For the nutrition is the calories for the whole dish or is it per serving? and what is the serving size?
    Thanks so much! 🙂

    • This makes me so happy Mary! I’m thrilled you liked the recipe. 🙂 Thanks for the very kind comment.

  18. Turned out delicious. I didn’t have any nutritional yeast (how did I run out?!?) but I did have a premade mix of nutritional yeast, garlic salt, sea salt & parsley that I had made for garlic bread. I didn’t use a whole half cup bc the salt would’ve been too much, but it turned out well.

    • Hi Laura. I am thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe!! And that premade mix sounds so tasty! I have to get my hands on it! Thanks for the very kind note. 🙂

  19. We are eating this as I write. 10 out of 10! Definitely going to put this on my list of meals to serve to non- vegan family and friends! Thank you so much from Down Under!

    • I’m so glad that you enjoyed this risotto! Thanks so much for the very sweet comment!

  20. Hi
    I don’t have parsley, what spice would be similar?Also, how about adding sun dried tomatoes to recipe?
    Thanks
    Kim

    • Hi Kim! You could replace the parsley with basil leaves. Or, feel free to omit altogether! It’s still delicious without. 🙂 And yes! I think adding some chopped sun-dried tomatoes would be absolutely delicious. 🙂 Enjoy!!

  21. This was so so good for the first cold night of the season. My husband loved it, perfect comfort food with a nice glass of wine. I substituted the vegetable broth with Imagine’s No-Chicken Broth. I am looking forward to trying more of your recipes! Thank you for sharing.

    • Hi Kim! I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe! Couldn’t agree more that it’s a perfect dish for those chilly winter evenings! Thanks for the very sweet note. It made my day. 🙂

  22. This recipe was so delicious! I used mushroom broth for added mushroom flavor in the rice. I didn’t have parsley so I added some Italian seasoning and topped it with some crispy roasted kale for some greens. Both my husband and I loved it, and it will definitely be a go to recipe for us!

    • Nikki I am so thrilled that you loved this recipe!! Adding crispy roasted kale sounds absolutely heavenly! You’ve inspired me to give it a try. Thanks so much for the very sweet comment. 🙂

    • I am so glad that you and your toddler enjoyed it Laura! Thanks for the sweet comment!

  23. Hello, made this for lunch and it was amazing! I added some Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy seasoning to the mushrooms. Gave it a great little kick. I did not have any nutritional yeast though, but it was still amazing! This will definitely be a regular on the home menu. Thank you again for sharing.

    • So glad you enjoyed the recipe Isabel, and I love that you added some spicy seasoning to the mushrooms. That sounds delicious! Thanks for the sweet note. 🙂

  24. Thanks so much for the sweet comment Adrienna! I’m so glad that you liked the recipe, and I love that you added peas to it. That sounds perfect! Enjoy the leftovers – if you have any left! hehe.

  25. This was great! I agree with, Jackie, this will now become a regular part of the rotation. I added petite sweet peas to enhance the texture and flavor. Thanks for sharing; I had not cooked with this type or rice or used balsamic with mushrooms before.

  26. This was amazing! I’m not a huge fan of mushrooms but your recipe has me absolutely loving them now haha. I can’t wait to try more of your delicious recipes! Thanks so much for sharing this with us 🙂

  27. Hi Connie! I am thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe! And I love how you added so many vegetables to the mix. That sounds right up my ally! I would love to see a picture of the recipe! Typically, if you’re able to share on your Instagram (stories and/or feed) I can take a peek and will re-share! I love seeing your creations. And of course you can share on Pinterest if this is how you came about the recipe. But for now, I will imagine this delicious risotto with all that tasty veg! Thanks so much for the sweet comment.

  28. Loved it!! I do not see how to add a picture, but it was AMAZING! I added a leek, a zucchini, Mrs. Dash, and dried bell peppers to the risotto. I added half a head of cauliflower to the mushrooms. Yum!

  29. Hi, in the recipe it said 1 1/2 cup of rice, but pictured in the product you need it show only I cup. please clarify that

    • Hi Judith! The photo is merely a shot of the ingredients you will need on hand, but not exactly proportional. For example, you only need 3 cloves of garlic, not three heads! Unless you really like garlic! haha. Please refer to the recipe ingredients and instructions for the exact measurements. 🙂 I hope you enjoy!

  30. Lovely risotto, really enjoyed the mushroom and balsamic vinegar combo. Used homemade veg stock, added some celery, didn’t add the nutritional yeast as I just wasn’t sure if my family would have liked the taste. We thoroughly enjoyed it 🙂

    • Hi Jess! I am SO happy that you liked the recipe. So kind of you to let me know. I love the changes as well you added to make it your own. Celery sounds like it would be lovely in this recipe! Thanks so much for the kind words. xx