Kelly’s Mushroom Risotto
This recipe comes from Kelly’s kitchen.
Kelly is my mom’s lifelong best friend and one of the most influential women in my life. I spent nearly every Sunday and Wednesday running wild through the neighborhood with her kids, and man, did we have fun. We tortured our moms when they made us pile into the car to go home. More than once, we’d sneak one of the littles into the wrong vehicle just so the other family would get home, realize someone was missing, and have to turn right back around. Pure chaos. Pure childhood magic.
But Kelly wasn’t just part of the fun.
When I was struggling in high school, drifting down a path that wasn’t right, she was brave enough, and cared enough, to pull me aside. I don’t remember exactly what she said. But I remember how she made me feel: Seen. Valued. Loved. Steady. Her words gently guided me back toward who I was meant to be.
This risotto feels like home for that reason and so many more. It’s life-changing. Just like Kelly. A once-in-a-lifetime friend.
So make it slowly. Stir it with intention. And serve it to the people you love most, the ones you’re willing to have the hard conversations with. Because sometimes those conversations, held over a warm stove or around a familiar table, can quietly change the trajectory of a life ♥
What You’ll Need
6 cups chicken broth (plus extra if needed), warmed
3 tbs olive oil, divided
4 tbs butter (Kelly says “trust me, butter makes it better”)
1 lb portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 lb white or exotic mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 medium shallots, finely diced
1½ cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice
½ cup dry white wine
⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
How to Make
First, let’s get our broth warmed up for our risotto in one saucepan.
Warm broth in a saucepan over low heat. Keep it warming while you do the next steps.
Meanwhile, let’s get our mushrooms ready for their big day in another saucepan.
Warm 2 tbs olive oil in a deep-sided large saucepan over medium-high heat (Kelly says its best to add butter to the pan at this point too). Add mushrooms; cook and stir until soft, ~3 mins. Remove mushrooms and their liquid to a bowl, set aside.
Add remaining 1 tbs olive oil (butter with the olive oil here too) to the saucepan. Stir in shallots and cook for ~1 min.
Now add rice. Cook and stir until rice is coated with oil and pale, golden in color, ~2 mins.
Now, it’s time to babysit to the risotto… a worthy labor of love!
Pour in wine, stirring constantly until wine is fully absorbed. Add 1/2 cup warm broth to the rice, and stir until the broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, yet firm to the bite, about 15 to 20 minutes. (Laborious but worth it).
Finally, remove from heat and combine!
Remove from heat. Stir in reserved mushrooms and their liquid, butter, chives, and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Enjoy!
