A creamy and fresh Italian favourite, risotto. This dish has the heartiness of a winter meal yet fresh enough for warmer spring days. This Mushroom and Leek Risotto is full of earthy and fresh flavours and is a perfect dinner for mid week meals or weekend entertaining.
We haven’t had risotto in a while, so last night I decided it was time! And it was delish! We served it alongside the Roasted Cherry Tomato and Cannellini Bean Salad and Fresh Tomato Bruschetta.
What Is This Risotto Like
- Difficulty – This rice dish is a medium difficulty recipe to make. It’s really straightforward and doesn’t require many ingredients, but you need to follow the instructions carefully to get desired results.
- Taste – This rice dish is very creamy and the rice has a bit of a bite. The mushrooms give an earthy flavour.
- Serving – You can serve this as a light main course or a side dish to a bigger meal. It makes four servings.
Ingredients
- Rice – This recipe uses arborio rice which is a short grain rounded rice. When cooked it’s creamy and chewy due to the high starch content.
- Mushrooms – I used small fresh white onions.
- Leek – I used one medium sized leek that was sliced into small pieces.
- Olive oil – I used extra virgin olive oil.
- Garlic – Fresh minced garlic is best for this rice dish.
- Broth – I used vegetable broth to cook the rice.
- Herbs – A small amount of fresh parsley is added at the end to add flavour
- Cheese – Freshly grated parmesan cheese is essential for this dish.
- Butter – Butter is added at the end for extra creaminess.
- Salt – Just a little salt to help enhance flavours.
Instructions
- Cook mushrooms and leeks – In a large stainless steel pot set over a high heat, add one tablespoon of the olive oil and mushrooms. Cook down the mushrooms until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pot. Add the leeks to the same pot and cook down for about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms back to the pot along with the garlic and stir well. Cook for about 1 minute.
- Add rice – Add remaining olive oil to the pot and the uncooked rice. Stir really well until the edges of the rice become translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the white wine and stir. Allow it to absorb for about 1 – 2 minutes more.
- Cook rice – Add one cup of vegetable broth and stir well. Allow it to absorb into the rice for about 2 – 3 minutes. Then add the next cup of broth and repeat until you have used all the broth and the rice is fully cooked. This will take about 10 minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients and serve – Add the Parmesan cheese, butter and parsley. Stir well until fully combined and serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
- Always use good quality broth – As a lot of broth is used, make sure the one you are using is worthy of your dish. You can usually buy quality stock in cartons. Try this and you will note a difference.
- Prep everything before you start – Prep all ingredients before you start to make the cooking easier.
- Use a heavy bottomed pot – Heavy bottomed cook wear produces even heat while cooking which is essential in making a good risotto.
- Keep stirring the risotto – This is key as it releases the starch from the rice and gives risotto its creamy texture. It also ensures the rice doesn’t stick and cooks evenly.
- Serve immediately – Risottos are at their absolute creaminess as soon as you take them off the stove top.
Substitutions
- Vegetable broth – I used store bought carton vegetable broth. It was a pretty good quality and added a great flavour. If you prefer, you can make your own broth from scratch (if you have time…lol). Or you can chose a little different flavour by using chicken broth.
- Fresh parsley – I love this herb for risotto, but you can omit it and use fresh or dried basil or even dried oregano for a boost of flavour.
Serving
One of the wonderful things about Risotto dishes is that they are so versatile. Not only can you serve them as a Main Course, you can easily serve them as a Side Dish as well. This dish would go great alongside of so many salads like the 5 Minute Goat Cheese and Pecan Salad or the Caprese Salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of pan is best for risotto?
A heavy bottomed skillet works best. The heavy bottom will create even heat while cooking and help prevent the rice sticking.
What is the secret to making creamy risotto?
Stirring the rice constantly is key. It’s important because the creaminess will come from the starch created through stirring.
Why is my risotto crunchy?
Generally if your risotto is crunchy, the rice hasn’t cooked all the way through. You can correct this in the future by adding a little more stock while cooking. Another reason is that you probably cooked it too long in the oil before adding the wine or stock.
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Creamy Broccoli Risotto
A creamy and fresh Italian favourite, risotto. This dish has the heartiness of a winter meal yet fresh enough for warmer spring days. This Creamy Broccoli Risotto will have you going back for seconds.
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Butternut Squash Risotto
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Mushroom and Leek Risotto
A creamy and fresh Italian favourite, risotto. This dish has the heartiness of a winter meal yet fresh enough for warmer spring days. This Mushroom and Leek Risotto is full of earthy and fresh flavours and is a perfect dinner for mid week meals or weekend entertaining.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 423kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 6 ounces mushrooms sliced
- 1 leek thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 1 cup white wine
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large stainless steel pot set over a high heat, add one tablespoon of the olive oil and mushrooms. Cook down the mushrooms until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pot. Add the leeks to the same pot and cook down for about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms back to the pot along with the garlic and stir well. Cook for about 1 minute.
- Add remaining olive oil to the pot and the uncooked rice. Stir really well until the edges of the rice become translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the white wine and stir. Allow it to absorb for about 1 – 2 minutes more.
- Add one cup of vegetable broth and stir well. Allow it to absorb into the rice for about 2 – 3 minutes. Then add the next cup of broth and repeat until you have used all the broth and the rice is fully cooked. This will take about 10 minutes.
- Add the Parmesan cheese, butter and parsley. Stir well until fully combined and serve immediately.
*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
Notes
- Arborio rice is an Italian rice specially used for Risottos. It’s short grain and tends to be a little sticky.
- Just a note, as it is important. Sometimes you will not need all the stock, and sometimes you may need a touch more. Taste your risotto towards the end and see if you think you have added all the stock it needs or if you need to add a bit more. Sometimes, while making the exact same risotto dishes, I do need to change the amount of stock added by just a touch. If you are familiar with making risottos, you will know what I mean. If, you are a first timer, you will get the hang of it pretty quick.
Nutrition Facts
Mushroom and Leek Risotto
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 423
Calories from Fat 126
% Daily Value*
Fat 14g22%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 7g
Cholesterol 17mg6%
Sodium 1698mg74%
Potassium 296mg8%
Carbohydrates 49g16%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 14g28%
Vitamin A 1110IU22%
Vitamin C 7mg8%
Calcium 323mg32%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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