This dish is hearty, comforting, and delicious

This Mushroom Risotto is delicious, full of rich and savory flavors, and a perfect cold weather meal. It’s also an excellent option for Meatless Monday!

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Need something delicious for dinner?

Look no further. This risotto is creamy and cheesy, savory, and full of delicious Garlic & Thyme Roasted Mushrooms.

It’s an excellent choice no matter what day of the week it is, but it’s an especially good choice for Meatless Monday! The “meaty” mushrooms and savory flavors of the mushroom powder ought to please pretty much anyone, including carnivores.

What’s the deal with the mushroom powder?

Trader Joe’s has this Mushroom & Company Multipurpose Umami Seasoning Blend.

And no, this is not an ad or sponsored content. I just really like it. But, Trader Joe’s, if you’re out there. Hit me up. It would be a dream to work with you.

Anyway, this spice mix has kosher salt, black pepper, red pepper, mushroom powder, and mustard seed. It really brings out a deep, savory umami flavor in dishes. It’s especially good in things like beef stew. I’ve been using it in a recipe for beef tips and it’s 10/10. And, of course, it’s fabulous in this risotto!

If you have a TJ’s near you, definitely pick some up. You can also buy it on Amazon (scroll down below the recipe for a link).

How does this all come together?

You’ll start out by making a slightly scaled down version of my Garlic & Thyme Roasted Mushrooms that I’ve shared with you before. They’re so so good. They’re good on their own as a side, in a salad, and perfect in this risotto.

While those are roasting up, you’ll get started on a pretty standard risotto. However, there is one small difference. Once the garlic and onions soften up in the butter and oil, you’ll add dried thyme and some of the mushroom powder before proceeding.

You’ll toast the Arborio rice up in the butter and oil before adding a little warm broth and stirring and stirring and stirring. Once the it is soaked up, you’ll add more broth, stir stir stir, and repeat until the rice is just past al dente.

From there, you’ll add the cheese and mushrooms, then garnish with chives. And you’re done!

Looking for more risotto recipes?

You know that I have your back. Most of my risotto recipes are vegetarian or can be easily made vegetarian by using vegetable broth instead of chicken. I just usually have chicken broth in my pantry, which is why I tend to use it more often.

If you’re leaning toward a vegetarian dish, check out my Sweet Corn Risotto with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Beet Risotto with Goat Cheese, Pumpkin Risotto, and Avocado and Corn Risotto!

Looking for something a little more meaty? I also have a great Beer, Cheddar, and Sausage Risotto recipe for you.

Mushroom Risotto

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

This Mushroom Risotto is delicious, full of rich flavors, and a perfect cold weather meal.

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Ingredients

For the Roasted Mushrooms

• 16 oz cremini mushrooms
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1.5 tsp dried thyme
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• kosher salt and pepper, to taste

For the Mushroom Risotto

• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium-sized onion, chopped
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp Trader Joe's Mushroom & Company Multipurpose Umami Seasoning Blend
• 1.5 cups Arborio rice
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
• roasted mushrooms, from above 
• minced chives, for garnish (if desired)

Instructions

To make the Roasted Mushrooms

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.
2. Add the mushrooms to the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with dried thyme. Toss to coat.
3. Roast for 20 minutes, tossing around halfway through.
4. Sprinkle the minced garlic, salt, and pepper over the partially roasted mushrooms. Toss to combine.
5. Roast for 10 additional minutes.

To make the Mushroom Risotto

1. Heat the 5 cups of broth in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Bring it to a simmer and then turn it to low.
2. In a heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and butter until the butter melts. Add the garlic and onions. Sauté until the onions begin to become translucent.
3. Add the dried thyme and Mushroom & Company Multipurpose Umami Seasoning Blend to the pot. Stir to combine.
4. Add the Arborio rice and stir so that every grain gets coated in the olive oil and butter. Allow the rice to toast for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Turn the heat off under the broth, and add a couple of ladles to the rice. Stir occasionally until almost all of the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this process until the risotto is creamy and the rice is no longer al dente.
6. Add the Parmesan cheese, stirring until it has been incorporated. Add salt and pepper, to taste. 
7. Add the roasted mushrooms and stir to distribute them throughout the risotto.
8. Top the risotto with minced chives, if desired.

What do I need to have on hand in order to make this?

• Trader Joe’s Mushroom and Company Multipurpose Umami Seasoning Blend

• A Dutch oven

• Baking sheets, for roasting the mushrooms

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The flavors of sweet corn, tangy roasted cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil make this Sweet Corn Risotto with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes taste just like summer in a bowl.

This risotto is summery AF.  There’s no way around it.

Sweet corn, perfectly ripe cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil play so, so well together.

The sweet corn flavor factor is amplified in this risotto, because in addition to using corn kernels, I also used about a cup of pureed corn in place of some of the broth.  It takes up a little extra time, but is well worth it.

In search of even more risotto goodness?  This Avocado and Corn Risotto is also pretty dang summery.  You can’t go wrong with Beer, Cheddar, and Sausage Risotto, IMO.  And, really.  Pumpkin Risotto is appropriate at all times of the year, no matter what anyone else says.

The flavors of this risotto was inspired by this recipe found on Celebrating Sweets.

5 from 2 votes

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Sweet Corn Risotto with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Total Time

1 hr

 

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: 4 people

Author: laurenpacek

Ingredients

For the roasted tomatoes

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 tbs olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste

For the corn

• 4 ears of fresh sweet corn, shucked
• 2-4 tbs vegetable or chicken broth

For the risotto

• 5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper, to taste
• fresh basil, cut into ribbons

Instructions

To make the roasted tomatoes

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil.

2. Combine the halved cherry tomatoes, olive oil, and salt and pepper on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 1 hour, checking after 30 and 45 minutes, to ensure that they aren't burning. Set aside to cool once done.

To make the corn

1. Cut the kernels off of the 4 corn cobs. 

2. Blend ~1 cup of the kernels in a blender or food processor with 2-4 tbs of broth. Use just enough broth to make a mostly smooth puree. Set the pureed corn and other kernels aside for a few minutes.

To make the risotto

1. Heat the 5 cups of broth in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Bring it to a simmer and then turn it to low.

2. In a heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and butter until the butter melts.  Add the garlic and remaining corn kernels.  Sauté until the garlic is very fragrant.

3. Add the Arborio rice and stir so that every grain gets coated in the olive oil and butter. Allow the rice to toast a bit, stirring occasionally.  Once it starts to smell nutty, add the pureed corn. Stir occasionally until almost all of the puree has been absorbed by the rice.

4. Turn the heat off under the broth, and add a couple of ladles to the rice. Stir occasionally until, again, almost all of the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this process until the risotto is creamy and the rice is no longer al dente.

5. Add the Parmesan cheese, stirring until it has been incorporated. Add salt and pepper, to taste. 

6. Top the risotto with roasted cherry tomatoes and fresh basil. 

Recipe Notes

Notes:

• You can substitute ~3-4 cups of frozen corn (thawed) for the fresh corn, if needed
• You may or may not need to use all of the broth
• To test whether the rice is still al dente, take a bite

 

 

This risotto is undeniably delicious.

Avocado and Corn Risotto is one of my very favorite ways to prepare risotto. The avocado is creamy and buttery, while the corn kernels provide a pop of color and sweetness.

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Have you ever thought about putting avocado in your risotto?

No? Well, start thinking about it! Seriously, though. It’s pretty great.

I know that it’s pretty natural to have avocado in cold or room temperature dishes, right? Think guacamole, topping on a taco, in a salad … But adding it to warm/hot dishes might not be most people’s first instinct.

But it really works! Avocado is buttery and creamy, which lends itself well to risotto. It’s also a great backdrop for additional flavors and textures, like fresh basil and sweet corn kernels.

Risotto is one of my favorite things to cook and eat

I mean, yes of course it’s delicious. We can all agree on that, right? 

But there’s something about the act of making it that is supremely relaxing. There’s just something about the process of standing over the stove and stirring, stirring, stirring. It’s slow and methodical.  

And I dig that.

Risotto is also pretty endlessly customizable

I’ve shown you more than my fair share of risotto recipes on this blog. Check these out:

• Beet Risotto with Goat Cheese (great for Valentine’s Day!)
• Sweet Corn Risotto with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes (hello, Summer!)
• Beer, Cheddar, and Sausage Risotto
• Pumpkin Risotto (not just for Fall)

What inspired this recipe?

This recipe was inspired by the avocado risotto at Joe Squared in Baltimore. If you’re in the Baltimore area and haven’t gone there, do yourself a favor and go immediately. Everything there is really, really good.

Avocado and Corn Risotto

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Buttery and creamy avocado gets together with fresh basil and sweet corn to make one delicious risotto!

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Ingredients

• 5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 2 medium-sized ripe avocados
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
• 1 cup corn kernels, frozen or fresh
• 1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
• salt and pepper, to taste
• fresh basil, cut into ribbons

Instructions

1. Heat the 5 cups of broth in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Bring it to a simmer and then turn it to low.
2. In a small bowl, mash the avocados and set aside.
3. In a heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and butter until the butter melts.  Add the onion and garlic.  Sauté until the garlic is very fragrant and the onions are beginning to become translucent.
4. Add the arborio rice and stir so that every grain gets covered in the oil and butter.
5. Turn the heat off under the broth, and add a couple of ladles to the rice. Stir almost constantly until almost all of the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this process until the risotto is creamy and the rice is no longer al dente.
6. Add the corn and cheese and stir to combine.
7. Turn the heat off and add the mashed avocados to the risotto, stirring to combine.
8. Add the basil, salt, and pepper.

Notes

• While cooking, take a bite of the risotto to see if it's still al dente!
• You may not need to use all 5 cups of broth.

Will I need any special equipment for this recipe?

• I love these Pyrex measuring cups for measuring out the broth
• Wooden spoon for all of the stirring you’ll do
• I sometimes like to mash my avocados with a potato masher

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