Mushroom and Goat Cheese Risotto

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This Mushroom Risotto with goat cheese is the ultimate comfort food meal, full of the richest flavors. With a restaurant-quality taste, every bite is decadent and hearty, perfect for the fall and winter months.

Calling all mushroom and goat cheese fans, this one’s for you—get ready to indulge in a luxurious, buttery Mushroom and Goat Cheese Risotto. This dish is the epitome of comfort and elegance, combining earthy, savory flavors with a velvety creaminess. Making risotto requires a bit of patience, but I made sure to take you through each step and provide tips along the way so you achieve restaurant-quality results.

After so many rounds of recipe testing, here is the key: slowly ladling warm stock into the rice and stirring gently helps the rice release its starches, giving the dish its signature creamy texture. You want to take your time—adding the stock gradually allows the rice to absorb all the flavors and reach that perfect al dente consistency.

This mushroom and goat cheese risotto is the perfect cozy meal for a weeknight dinner if you have the time, or for a special occasion. If you love a decadent dinner, my Caramelized Leek Pasta and Rosemary Citrus Roast Chicken are two others to try.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

Comforting vegetarian recipe. This mushroom risotto has so much rich flavor perfect for meat lovers and vegetarians.
A recipe that sounds complex but is simple to make. It seems intimidating, but is actually super easy in method.
Easy to make your own. Add herbs, spices, and more to make this your own way.

Ingredients

Mushroom Stock:

Dried mushrooms: This is the easiest way to flavor a mushroom stock for the richest flavor.
Peppercorns: Gives a hint of zestiness.
Bay leaves: Adds a more depth of flavor to the broth.
Dried thyme: A classic herb to pair with mushrooms.
Oregano: Adds a warm, herbal flavor.
Water: Base to the broth.

Risotto:

Vermont Creamery Sea Salt Cultured Butter: Has the richest flavor to pair with the mushrooms.
Olive oil: Cooking oil for the rice.
Yellow onion: Provides nice vegetable aromatic flavor to the risotto.
Garlic cloves: A little bit of garlicky goodness goes a long way in this risotto.
Risotto rice: Also called arborio rice, it’s a short grain rice that has a nice amount of starch.
White wine: Used to deglaze the pan and add more depth of flavor.
Grated parmesan: Freshly grate the cheese for nice sharp flavor.
Vermont Creamery Mascarpone: Adds so much creaminess.
Mixed mushrooms: Use a variety here, oftentimes the store sells them in packs. Some examples are baby bella, white, oyster, shiitake, even porcini if you can find them!
Thyme: Add anther pinch of thyme for a bit more richness.
Vermont Creamery Classic Goat Cheese: Adds both tang and creaminess.

How to Make Mushroom Risotto

1. Make mushroom broth by combining all ingredients in large pot and bringing to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 30 min or until broth has become rich brown.

2. Strain through mesh strainer and set mushroom stock aside.

3. Add butter, thyme and mushrooms to skillet. Season with salt and pepper and let cook for about 8 min or until mushrooms have released liquid and browned.

mushrooms in butter for mushroom risotto

mushrooms in a skillet for mushroom risotto

4. Transfer to bowl and set aside half for topping. Chop up other half to be added to risotto at the end.

5. Dice onion and mince garlic. Add olive oil to a deep, large skillet. Add onion and season with salt. Cook until translucent, then add garlic and cook for another minute or so. Add rice, stirring so that grains toast but do not burn.

6. Once all grains are coated in oil, deglaze pan with wine, allowing it to cook off. Slowly add mushroom stock a little at a time. About ⅓ cup at a time, add stock and let absorb. Keep doing this until rice has cooked (give it a little taste test) it should take about 20 min or so.

7. Fold in mascarpone, grated parmesan and chopped mushrooms. Top with dollops of goat cheese, the rest of the mushrooms and a few leaves of thyme. Enjoy!

Expert Tips

Make sure to toast the rice before adding stock. This gives the rice a little bit of nutty flavor that really shines in the recipe.
Add the stock slowly. I can’t stress this enough! Add it little by little and stir frequently, but not constantly, so your rice is perfectly al dente and not mushy.
Cook the mushrooms until browned. This will take longer than you think, about 8 minutes. They will release a lot of liquid, you want to watch that evaporate and then continue cooking until you see a deep golden brown color.
Always add the cheeses at the end. For the most melty goodness, it’s recommended to do this right before serving so the dairy doesn’t curdle and melts perfectly into the rice.
Use store-bought vegetable stock if you’re in a pinch for time. The mushroom stock is so worth it for flavor, but if you want a shortcut, then using vegetable stock works well too.

Storage

Store any leftover goat cheese risotto in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of stock until warmed through.

While you can freeze risotto, we don’t recommend it since it can change the texture of the rice once thawed and reheated.

If you want to make it in advance, go for it! Just reheat gently with a splash of stock or water on the stovetop when it’s time to serve.

FAQs

Why is my risotto mushy?

You probably overcooked the rice. Make sure you cook it low and slow and gradually add the stock.

What type of mushrooms are best?

I like to use a variety, usually baby bella, shiitake, and oyster are my personal favorite.

How do I get a rich flavor in a vegetarian risotto?

Making the mushroom stock from scratch adds so much more flavor than using store-bought vegetable broth. It’s super simple to make with just a few extra minutes.

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Mushroom and Goat Cheese Risotto