Love risotto but short on time? Instant Pot Vegan Mushroom Risotto is a fast, easy, vegan risotto recipe thanks to your pressure cooker!
Traditional risotto requires lots of hands-on cooking time. Cooked low and slow, with constant stirring, over a stovetop. Like this Risotto with Prawns. Absolutely delicious (I love that dish!!), but sometimes you want restaurant quality risotto without a longer cooking time.
Thanks to modern day pressure cookers – i.e. the Instant Pot – you can make vegan mushroom risotto in less time. And, it still turns out as creamy and flavorful as the traditional stovetop preparation!
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🍚 Ingredient notes
You don’t need a lot of fancy ingredients to make this Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto. You just need:
- Arborio rice (found in the rice section at most grocery stores)
- Cremini mushrooms
- garlic
- shallots (or a yellow onion will work instead)
- peas
- white wine
- vegetable broth
- lemon
- thyme
- dairy-free parmesan alternative or nutritional yeast; or parmesan if you don’t need it to be dairy-free or vegan
✅ Step-by-step instructions
To make this instant pot mushroom risotto, start by heating the broth in a microwave for about 5 minutes. I heat the broth in a large glass bowl in two 2:30 (2 min. 30 second) increments, for a total of 5 minutes.
While it heats up, chop the shallots, mince the garlic, and slice the mushrooms.
- Press SAUTE button on the Instant Pot, and add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add shallots and garlic. Cook the aromatics until they’re soft, about 2-3 minutes.
- Next, add mushrooms, garlic, and thyme and cook until fragrant, 1-3 minutes more.
- Add rice and stir until toasted.
- Pour in the wine and deglaze pot with a wooden spoon. Cook until most of wine is absorbed, just a minute or two, then hit Cancel to turn the Sauté function off. Add warm broth and lemon zest, place lid on Instant Pot, and seal. Set to Manual, High and set time for 5 minutes. The Instant Pot should take about 3-5 minutes to come to pressure.
- When the 5 minutes is done, immediately turn valve to to Quick Release. When all pressure is released and the valve is down, carefully remove lid and immediately stir in your dairy-free parmesan alternative or parmesan cheese, and add peas. Stir until combined.
- Season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
Most people think all risotto is cheesy, but it can be made completely without cheese. Vegan risotto can be just as creamy as risotto with cheese. The kind of rice used in risotto, Arborio rice, contains higher starch levels. Thus, the result is a creamier texture once cooked.
In the traditional method of making risotto, the creamy texture is also achieved from slow, constant stirring. In the instant pot, the intense pressure helps release the starches in the Arborio rice, making it extra creamy.
You can make this without cheese and without a dairy-free parmesan alternative. However, if you do want that creamy, velvety, cheesy texture, add a little parmesan or dairy-free parmesan alternative at the end. After you open the lid, sprinkle it in, stir, and enjoy the magic that is instant pot mushroom risotto!
🥂 Wine pairings
The earthiness of the mushrooms and the fullness of this vegan mushroom risotto dish calls for a fuller-bodied white or earthier red wine. White wines such as an oaky Chardonnay pair beautifully. Or, an Oregon Pinot Noir is an ideal wine pairing for mushroom risotto, as the wine already has an earthy, mushroom quality.
🥘 More Instant Pot recipes
If you’d like to make a delicious risotto recipe in a traditional cooking method, try my Risotto with Prawns. It’s a restaurant quality dish that is still easy to make at home!
For more pressure cooker recipes, try one of these recipes in your Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or other electric pressure cooker:
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto
Ingredients
- 4 cups two 14.5 ounce cans low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons shallot, finely chopped
- 1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 cups arborio rice
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¾ cup your fave dairy-free parmesan alternative or freshly grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup peas, thaw if frozen
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat broth in the microwave for about 5 minutes* while you chop the shallots, mince the garlic, and slice the mushrooms.
- Press SAUTE button on the Instant Pot, add butter. Once the butter is melted, add shallots and garlic, cook until soft, about 2-3 minutes, then add mushrooms, garlic, and thyme and cook until fragrant, 1-3 minutes more. Add rice and stir until toasted, 2 minutes.
- Pour in the wine and deglaze pot. Cook until most of wine is absorbed, then hit Cancel to turn the Sauté function off.
- Add warm broth and lemon zest, place lid on Instant Pot, and seal. Set to Manual, High and set time for 5 minutes. The Instant Pot should take about 3-5 minutes to come to pressure.
- When the 5 minutes is done, immediately turn valve to to Quick Release. When all pressure is released and the valve is down, carefully remove lid and immediately stir in dairy-free parmesan alternative (or parmesan cheese) and add peas. Stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
- Storage: Risotto will keep well in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was so easy! I only have a 3 quart, so I made 3/4 recipe. Worked like a charm!
Your Instant Risotto Rice recipes sounds wonderful. Instant Pot cooks everything in a jiffy.
Thanks so much, Sandhya! :)
Isn’t science a wonderful thing‽ I love the idea of letting the InstaPot do the work for me, and a good, earthy mushroom risotto can’t be beat!
It is! Having an IP sure helps when things get busy! Thanks, Renee!
Mushrooms have totally grown on me in recent years. As a kid, I couldn’t stand them. But now I love ’em. And pairing those mushrooms with a good risotto sounds amazing! Pinning this one to make soon.
I can’t get enough! Thanks so much, Neli! Let me know how you like it!
This is the only way I make risotto now!! It comes out perfect and is so crazy easy with the Instant pot!
Instant pots are life changing! Thanks so much, Pam!
OMG! Your recipe of risotto is just amazing! I am used to make it regularly, but have not tried to add lemon zest:) Will follow your recipe next time.
Thanks so much, Irina! I’m so glad you enjoy it! :)