I’ve had the opportunity to up my cooking game over here in Europe, and one thing I’ve gotten pretty good at is risotto. For some reason, it always intimidated me a bit in the past, maybe because it does need a lot of attention while it’s cooking. However, I’ve found that it’s really the perfect side dish for so many proteins, or even as a one-dish meal.
Risotto is almost like a frittata in that you can pretty much throw in whatever leftovers you have available and it will work, but there are a few flavor combinations that are my favorite. Today I’m sharing mushroom/arugula risotto, but I use this same recipe for mushroom/asparagus risotto as well.
A couple quick ingredient tips, then I’ll get straight to the recipe. First, you’ll need to buy risotto rice for this recipe. If you use regular white rice, your recipe won’t have the creaminess that risotto is known for. The one I use is here, although I can’t find a US-based source for this exact brand. You can also look for arborio rice.
Next, if you don’t already have a Staub or Le Creuset enameled cast iron pot, that’s definitely my preferred pot for this recipe. I have a 4 qt Staub round cocotte and use it every day of the week along with my 7 qt size and my Le Creuset fry pan.
I’ve also been using this fleur de sel salt lately instead of my usual kosher salt, and I do think it improves the flavor. It’s so inexpensive over here because we’re right next door to France, but I’ve found it in the States for you here.
Now, let’s get to the recipe!
Mushroom and Arugula Risotto
This creamy dish is the perfect side to chicken or fish, or as a meal on its own
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups mushrooms use whatever variety is fresh and available
- 4-5 cups chicken broth
- 4 T butter
- 1 medium onion, chopped you can also substitute shallots for a more delicate taste
- 1-1/2 cups risotto or arborio rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 4 cups baby arugula (I use four handfuls to roughly equal four cups)
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
- freshly ground pepper
Instructions
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In a 4-quart pot, melt 2 T. butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook the onion, stirring, until it softens and turns a light brown, about 3 minutes.
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Add the rice and mushrooms and cook for about 1 minute.
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Add the wine; increase the heat to high, and cook, stirring, until it almost completely reduces, about 1 minute.
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Reduce the heat to medium; add 1 cup of the broth to the rice, and cook, stirring often, until the rice absorbs the broth, usually about 2 to 3 minutes.
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Add another cup of the broth and cook until it's absorbed. Continue adding broth in this manner until the rice is creamy and tender, about 20 minutes total—you may or may not need all of the broth.
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Toss in the arugula, cheese, all but a sprinkling of the chives, and the remaining 2 T. butter and stir until the arugula is just wilted, about 1 minute.
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Serve immediately topped with black pepper and a sprinkling of chives.
If you substitute other vegetables for the arugula, just sauté them at the beginning with the mushrooms and onions.
If you’ve never tried risotto before, I highly recommend it. Next week I’m going to be making crab and garlic risotto–I’ll let you know how it works out!
If you’d like some other great recipe ideas, check out the other bloggers who are participating in today’s budget-friendly recipe series. Some of my new favorites have come from their suggestions.
Thanks for stopping by!
11 Magnolia Lane – – –CitrineLiving
This looks SO delicious! I can’t wait to try it.
I make the same mushroom/arugula risotto but use my instantpot. It come out nice as creamy without having to stand over to risotto adding/reducing liquids. If anyone wants to try follow steps 1, 2 and 3 (but use 2 cups Arborio rice and 1/2 cup wine…go ahead drink the rest) using the sauté setting, add in 4 cups broth and scrap down sides. Close and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. When time is up release pressure and move to step 6.
Oh, Robin, I’m so very sorry that this comment got lost in my inbox. You must think I’m terribly rude! Please accept my apologies and thanks for taking the time to write. I know everyone will appreciate the Instapot adaptations. Thank you.
Christy