This pumpkin mushroom risotto is rich, creamy, and loaded with umami flavor from shiitake mushrooms. It is an easy one pan meal with a little Asian twist!
Risotto is originally an Italian dish with rice and broth cooked together until creamy and soft, and is often finished off with butter and cheese.
This version is cooked with an Asian flair using Japanese rice, and sesame oil as a part of seasoning. The shiitake mushrooms add a robust umami flavor, and the pumpkin puree makes the dish extra rich with a subtle sweetness. Follow the foolproof step by step recipe and tips for the perfect risotto!
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Ingredients for this recipe
- Chicken broth - Or vegetable broth for a vegan option.
- Pumpkin puree - I use Libby's pumpkin puree.
- Olive oil
- Garlic - Minced.
- Onion - Finely chopped.
- Shiitake mushrooms - Stems removed and sliced.
- Japanese rice (sushi rice) - Unwashed
- Dry white wine
- Sesame oil
- Salt
Optional toppings:
- Thinly sliced scallions
- Roasted white sesame
- Ground pepper
How to make pumpkin mushroom risotto
1. Prepare broth. Heat up the chicken broth and pumpkin puree together in a saucepan.
2. Sauté. Heat up the olive oil in a large pan. Cook the onion and garlic together until lightly browned. Then add in the mushrooms.
3. Add rice. Add in the rice and cook for 1 minute to coat the grains with oil.
4. Deglaze. Pour in the wine and scrape off any burned bits at the bottom.
5. Simmer. Add one cup of heated broth to the rice and stir frequently but not constantly. Once the liquid is absorbed, add one more cup of broth. Keep adding broth one cup at a time until the rice is al dente soft (slightly firm) but not mushy. This will take about 20-25 minutes.
6. Season. Mix in the sesame oil. Adjust the flavor with salt if necessary.
7. Serve. Garnish with scallions, white sesame and ground black pepper (optional).
*See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Important tips
1. Do not wash the rice.
Wet rice absorbs water quicker, and releases too much starch (stickiness) into the broth.
2. Make sure the broth is HOT.
Adding cold or room temperature broth will bring down the rice’s temperature in the middle of cooking, bringing out a mushy, sticky texture. So, keep reheating the broth if necessary.
3. Do not stir too much.
Stirring too much causes the starch to leak out into the broth, resulting in a sticky heavy texture. Whenever you stir, stir very gently from the bottom to prevent burning.
4. Do not overcook
To make the perfect risotto, stop cooking when the rice is al dente versus fully cooked. You want to leave a bit of texture. The rice continues to cook and absorb the liquid after you turn off the heat.
Frequently asked questions
You may use Arborio rice which is traditionally used in Italian recipes. You can also try other short grain rice as they are capable of absorbing a large amount of liquid. Brown rice works as well but note that it takes longer to cook, and comes out with more texture.
My go-to is shiitake mushroom as it has so much umami flavor. However, you can switch to, or mix different kinds such as shimeji, portobello, or oyster.
Pumpkin mushroom risotto is best enjoyed immediately, as the texture continues to change. For any leftovers, store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days. Microwave to heat up, or cook on the stovetop with a bit of broth to loosen.
Recipe
Pumpkin Mushroom Risotto
Ingredients
- 5 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth for a vegan option
- 1½ cup pumpkin puree approx 1-15oz can, I use Libby's pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 6 ounces shiitake mushrooms stems removed and sliced
- 1½ cup Japanese rice (sushi rice) unwashed
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- Salt to taste
Toppings (optional)
- Thinly sliced scallions
- Roasted white sesame
- Ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat up the chicken broth and pumpkin puree together in a saucepan.
- Heat up the olive oil in a large pan. Cook the onion and garlic together until lightly browned.
- Add in the mushrooms and sauté until soft, for about 3 minutes.
- Add in the rice and cook for 1 minute to coat the grains with oil.
- Pour in the wine and scrape off any burned bits at the bottom (deglaze).
- Add one cup of heated broth to the rice and stir frequently but not constantly. Once the liquid is absorbed, add one more cup of broth. Keep adding broth one cup at a time until the rice is al dente soft (slightly firm) but not mushy. This will take about 20-25 minutes.
- Mix in the sesame oil. Adjust the flavor with salt if necessary.
- Optional: garnish with scallions, white sesame and ground black pepper.
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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