This mushroom and thyme risotto is a classic and it’s perfect for a chilly evening.
I used Madeira instead of white wine in the initial stages of the recipe (mainly because I didn’t have any white wine in the house) and it worked really well with the earthiness of the mushrooms; it turned it into a much richer dish. Give it a go if you can.
You can use whatever mushrooms you can most easily get your hands on for this recipe. However, it’s tastiest if you use a variety of different types.
This takes 30 minutes and will serve 4.
More risotto recipes to try:
Spring Vegetable Risotto with Feta
Asparagus Risotto with Parmesan Crisps
Beetroot and Goats Cheese Risotto
Ingredients, Substitutions and Variations
- Butter and olive oil – this recipe is best started with both butter and olive oil, BUT you can make it vegan if you omit the butter and the cheese.
- Onion – use a large white or yellow onion.
- Mushrooms – use any you like, however I find that the darker the outside of the mushroom, the better the flavour. For example, chestnut mushrooms work well. I like to use a nice selection of woodland mushrooms.
- Arborio rice – arborio rice, or risotto rice, is an absolute necessity for this dish.
- Madeira – as mentioned above, I used this in place of white wine and it gave the dish a whole other element. I’d really recommend using it, but you can switch for white wine if you need to.
- Vegetable stock – or 1 litre water and a good vegetable stock cube.
- Thyme – fresh thyme is best if you can get it, but you can use a tsp of dried thyme leaves if you can’t.
- Parmesan – you can use a vegetarian or vegan alternative, or omit altogether.
Top Tips
- Butter and olive oil The reason for using butter and olive oil at the start is to really up the flavour. It’s a traditional way of making risottos.
- Take your time Don’t rush the adding of the stock. If you add it all at once, the dish will still be edible but the texture won’t be the same. Add it slowly.
- Leave it to rest The last step is leaving the mushroom and thyme risotto to rest for five minutes. It’s a really important step and you will notice the difference!
One Pot Mushroom and Thyme Risotto
This classic mushroom and thyme risotto is such a comforting and easy dish to make!
Ingredients
- 10 g butter
- 3 tbsps olive oil
- 1 large onion
- 500 g mushrooms
- 350 g arborio rice
- 1 small glass Madeira
- 1 litre vegetable stock
- 1 small handful fresh thyme leaves
- 80 g parmesan grated (or vegetarian alternative)
Instructions
- Peel and chop the onion. Melt the butter in a large casserole dish over a medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and tip in the onion. Stir and sizzle for 2 minutes.
- Roughly slice the mushrooms and add to the dish. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the mushrooms have reduced in size. Add the rice and stir well.
- Pour in the Madeira, stir and allow to reduce down. Begin adding the stock, a little at a time, stirring until the rice has absorbed the stock before adding more. Continue until all of the stock has been used and the rice is plump and tender.
- Stir in the thyme, then turn off the heat. Add the remaining olive oil and the parmesan to the risotto (don’t stir it) and put the lid on the dish. Leave for 5 minutes, then stir well and serve.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
More delicious vegetarian recipes with mushrooms:
- Mushroom Stroganoff
- Vegetarian Garlic Mushroom Orzo
- Vegan Rich Mushroom Soup
- Fennel, Leek and Mushroom Pasta
- Mushroom, Courgette and Ricotta Pasta
- 15 Minute Creamy Garlic Mushroom Pasta
- Vegan Mushroom and Ginger Stir Fry
I made this risotto for dinner last night and it was delicious! So flavorful and easy to make!
So creamy! Love the flavor of the Madeira in this!
One pot meals are the way to go. Love this risotto medley. thanks!
My risotto turned out perfect. We love mushrooms in our house and the combination of mushrooms with the Maderia was heavenly. Thank you for sharing,
Beautifully-flavored comfort food! The addition of Madeira wine is just lovely, thank you!