This easy pressure cooker mushroom risotto is the perfect recipe to have on hand for those weeknights when you want to cook a delicious dinner but cooking feels a bit much. We’ve made things super simple with just 5 main ingredients and the magic of an electric pressure cooker to get this dinner on the table in just 20 minutes!
Hello and welcome to another episode of I don’t know what to have for dinner. This is the story of my life, particularly on weeknights when after a long, busy day of work, the last thing I want to think about is what ingredients can I turn into something wholesome and nourishing that will feed my body and my soul.
I’m in a season of change and transition. We’ve just bought and quickly moved into a house that was sold for the first time in it’s 60 year life and so as you can imagine there is a lot of work to do as we start to renovate and turn it into our home.
With this change there also comes the feeling of overwhelm. How can we possibly do it all and continue everything that already takes up space in our lives? And when overwhelm hits I know that I am not alone in saying that cooking and eating well is the first thing that slips.
So from this place, I’ve decided to look at creating a repertoire of easy, quick, comforting and SUPER SIMPLE recipes that you can keep in your back pocket for times when you’re feeling like this as well.
For me, just knowing that I can (without thinking about it) grab a few basic ingredients and whip up a meal that is going to make me feel good just starts to make the day feel so much better.
And what better way to start than with risotto. Risotto has become my ultimate comfort food ever since this baked chicken and mushroom version entered my life. And while that version is pretty easy to make (especially compared to classic risotto methods), it still takes way more chopping, stirring and cooking time than I’m prepared for at the moment.
The answer to this? Cook the risotto in an electric pressure cooker. This appliance has changed my life in terms of being able to so easily make dishes that usually require a lot of time.
Ingredients for mushroom risotto
This risotto can be made using just 5 simple ingredients, with an optional 6th if you’re feeling fancy/like things extra creamy and comforting/don’t need the dish to be vegan.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Onion + Garlic – finely chopped, this is the only prep work you’re going to have to do. Together the onion and garlic work together to provide a huge flavour base for our dish.
- Mushrooms – this is where I like to make things easier and buy pre sliced mushrooms. They are generally the same price as whole and it just makes prep time so much easier and I’ll take that. For this risotto we’re just using regular white button mushrooms.
- Plant based chicken style stock or vegetable stock – I’ve recently discovered that Massel has a whole plant based stock range that is easily available at the supermarket so I’m using their chicken-style stock for this recipe for extra flavour but vegetable stock or even regular chicken stock (if you don’t need this dish to be vegetarian), would work fine as a substitute if needed.
- Aborio rice – has to be arborio for that classic risotto texture.
- Parmesan cheese – this is optional and if you are completely dairy-free or vegan then leave this out and the dish will still be just fine, however if you want to go to that extra level of richness and creaminess, then a little parmesan will get you there.
A note on the parmesan. I don’t eat dairy as I have a bad reaction to lactose, however if you’re using good quality italian parmigiano reggiano then the lactose has been removed through the aging process when making the cheese, making it safe to use if your grievance with dairy is only due to lactose. I always make sure the one I buy is imported from Italy to be safe as their control on what you can call parmigiano reggiano ensures it’s been aged for long enough.
Equipment and Tools
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Pressure Cooker / Multi Cooker – I replaced my slow cooker with the Philips All In One as it also functions as a pressure cooker so I get a lot more use out of it.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Now for this recipe you will need to have an electric pressure cooker. I cannot provide alternate cooking instructions because the method of making the risotto this way is centred around the way the pressure cooker works.
To prep for this recipe, start by chopping up your onions and garlic and slicing your mushrooms. Because the goal of this meal is low fuss, I encourage you to purchase pre sliced mushrooms to cut down prep time. I am very pro shortcuts when it comes to weeknight cooking!
Turn your pressure cooker onto Sauté – High and heat some olive oil. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Add in the garlic and mushrooms and cook down until they have softened and reduced in size. Add in the Arborio rice and continue cooking and stirring with a wooden spoon (never use metal in the pressure cooker as it can damage the non-stick surface) until the grains are becoming translucent.
Press cancel to end the saute mode, add the stock to the pot, mix it up and place on the lid making sure the seal is in place. Turn onto pressure cook, select manual mode and set timer to 5 minutes. Once the pressure cooker has finished, carefully release the pressure and remove the lid.
Give everything a really good stir, and add in the parmesan if using and a good seasoning of salt and pepper.
One thing to note if you are new to pressure cooking. The timer won’t start until the pressure cooker has reached temperature and pressure, so while 5 minutes seems like a super short time, it will actually take a bit longer. But honestly, it’s still super fast for risotto!
Recipe FAQs
Because of the super quick cooking time in the pressure cooker, I wouldn’t recommend making it in advance as the benefit is that it is done and ready to eat straight away which is when it’s at it’s best.
Can I freeze this risotto?
If you have left overs, yes they will freeze for up to three months. Just let it defrost overnight in the fridge and then warm it in the microwave until the rice is steaming hot.
Can I add chicken to this risotto?
This risotto recipe was made to be meat-free to keep it simple and low cost. As written the cooking time won’t be enough to cook both rice and chicken and I haven’t done any tests. If you did want to add some, I would recommend adding pre-cooked, shredded chicken to the risotto at the end and heating through instead.
You really can’t go wrong with a warm, creamy bowl of mushroom risotto on a cool winter night. It’s really one of my favourite quick and easy dinner recipes that I never seem to get sick of! Plus I love having leftovers for lunch the next day.
If you’ve found yourself in a situation where cooking is feeling like it’s just a bit much, I totally hear you. This recipe is fantastic for those days when you want something homemade and comforting but without thinking too much about it or spending all evening in the kitchen cooking and cleaning.
And if you haven’t invested in an electric pressure cooker, let me tell you that especially in winter, this is going to be a game changer for you in terms of simplifying your cooking but also making sure there is always something tasty and delicious for dinner.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More easy dinner recipes
One Pot Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
Easy Tomato Soup
Kale and Walnut Pesto Pasta
Simple Prosciutto Pizza
Easy Pressure Cooker Mushroom Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 brown onion finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic crushed or finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 250 grams white button mushrooms sliced
- 2 cups arborio rice
- 4 cups plant-based chicken stock or vegetable stock
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup parmesan optional
- Chopped parsley to serve
Instructions
- Turn your electric pressure cooker onto Saute – High and heat the olive oil in the base of the pot. Add in the onions and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until translucent. Add in the garlic and the mushrooms and continue cooking until the mushrooms have softened and reduced in size. Add the arborio rice and continue cooking until the grains begin to turn translucent.
- Add the stock to the pot and mix to combine before placing the lid of the pot on, ensuring it’s sealed. Switch the pressure cooker to manual pressure cook mode and set the timer for 5 minutes.
- Carefully release the pressure and remove the lid. Mix the risotto until it comes together. Add the parmesan if using and season well with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with chopped parsley to garnish if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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