Instant Pot Wild Mushroom Risotto

4.79 from 23 votes

Instant Pot Wild Mushroom Risotto ~ this earthy risotto is one of my all time favorites for a quick weeknight meal or a romantic dinner by the fire. Wild mushrooms, dry sherry, and fresh thyme provide glorious flavor, and the Instant Pot does its thing in 6 minutes.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Soaking time (for dried mushrooms)30 mins

Total Time1 hr 5 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 374kcal

Author: Sue Moran

Equipment

Instant Pot

Ingredients

1 ounce dried wild mushrooms, or two 1/2 ounce packages
1/2 ounce package fresh thyme, divided
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 large shallot, peeled and minced
1 large clove of garlic, peeled and minced
1 cup arborio rice
1/3 cup dry sherry, you can also use white wine, but steer clear of cooking wine
15 ounce can beef broth, you can use chicken broth as well
optional: 1 tsp Kitchen Bouquet gravy browning sauce, which just gives the risotto a deeper richer color.
1/2 cup grated good quality Parmesan plus more for garnish
salt and fresh cracked black pepper

garnish

2 cups cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp unsalted butter
optional: a final drizzle of truffle oil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pour boiling water over the mushrooms and let them soak for 30 minutes. Push the mushrooms down into the water if they float. You may need to put a plate over the top to keep them submerged. I put mine in a large mason jar. Drain and reserve the liquid and then strain it through cheesecloth or through a coffee filter to remove any sediment. Set aside. Give the soaked mushrooms a rough chop.
Take about half of the thyme sprigs and tie them in a bundle with a piece of string. Strip the other stems to make about 2 tablespoons of leaves. Set both aside.
Meanwhile put the butter and oil into the Instant Pot and press sauté. Sauté the shallots and garlic on the 'normal' setting for a few minutes, stirring often, until they've softened. Add the rice and stir for another minute.
Add the sherry to the pot and stir until it gets absorbed. Press OFF.
Add 1/2 cup of the mushroom liquid and the beef broth to the pot, along with the chopped wild mushrooms, stirring to combine everything. Add the Kitchen Bouquet to the pot now, if you are using. Add the salt and pepper, along with the bundle of thyme and push it down into the liquid. Lock the lid and set the vent to SEAL. Set the Instant Pot to PRESSURE COOK on HIGH, for 6 minutes.
While the risotto is cooking, sauté the fresh mushrooms in the butter until they soften and begin to brown.
When the Instant Pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally (don't touch the valve) for 5 minutes, then turn the valve to VENT. When the pressure is all released, open the pot. Carefully remove the bundle of thyme and discard. Stir the cheese and loose thyme leaves into the risotto. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve the risotto topped with the sautéed mushrooms, a final shower of Parmesan cheese, and, if you're going all out, a drizzle of truffle oil.

Notes

Don't have an instant pot? You can certainly do this on the stove. Plan on about 30 minutes standing there stirring, though. You'll need about 6 cups of stock or stock mixed with water, and you'll ladle it slowly into the rice while you stir. When each addition of stock has been absorbed, add another until the rice is creamy and just tender.
Make this vegetarian or vegan with mushroom or vegetable stock and vegan cheese.
If you don't want to use alcohol, just use broth in that step. But I highly recommend using the sherry (or other white wine) because it really adds to the flavor of the risotto.
If you like your risotto extra rich and creamy, stir in some mascarpone cheese at the end. You can even make your own, I'll show you how ~ How to Make Homemade Mascarpone Cheese.
If you like a very loose or brothy risotto, you might want to have some extra broth on hand to add at the end. Make sure it's hot.

I use this Instant Pot and love it!

Nutrition