Wild Mushroom and Tarragon Risotto
Vegetarian; includes gluten-free & dairy-free options
Servings
6
Servings
6
Ingredients
  • 3oz dried chanterelles, morels, or other wild mushrooms
  • 6cups broth, gluten and dairy free if desired
  • 1/4tsp ground black pepper
  • salt, to taste
  • 2tsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 shallot or small onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups risotto rice, such as arborio, carnaroli, or vialone nano
  • 1/4 cup white wine, dry vermouth, or additional broth
  • 2 tbsp minced fresh chives or 2 tsp drived chives
  • 1/4cup chopped fresh tarragon leaves or 1 tbsp dried
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or other aged, firm cheeseoptional
  • Sauteed fresh mushroomsoptional
Instructions
  1. In medium heatproof bowl, pour 4 cups boiling water over dried mushrooms. Cover and let stand at room temperature for at least 20 minutes.
  2. In medium pot, heat broth to just below a simmer. Into pot of broth, strain mushroom soaking liquid through sieve lined with cheesecloth. Reserve drained mushrooms. Add pepper to broth, then salt to taste. The broth should be fairly salty, since the rice will absorb much of the salinity, but if using commercial broth, check the amount of sodium it contains before adding more––you may not need any at all. Cover and keep warm.
  3. In heavy-bottomed skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced shallot or onion and cook for 4 minutes, until softened. Add rice and stir to coat for 1 minute. Add wine or vermouth and drained soaked mushrooms. Stir for 30 seconds to deglaze pot.
  4. Add 2 ladles of warm stock to rice and stir until absorbed. Add half the chives and tarragon (if using dried herbs, add all the chives and tarragon) and continue adding a ladleful of broth at a time until rice is al dente, about 20 minutes, stirring slowly but continuously after each addition until broth is almost absorbed before adding more. Taste and add salt, if necessary. If rice isn’t tender after 20 minutes, increase heat slightly. If you’re running out of broth, the heat is too high. But don’t worry; you can add a little extra water or wine to stretch the remaining broth if needed.
  5. Top with remaining fresh chives and tarragon (if using) and optional Parmigiano-Reggiano and sautéed fresh mushrooms.
Recipe Notes

Per serving (without cheese): 257 calories; 5 g protein; 2 g total fat (0 g sat. fat); 54 g total carbohydrates (2 g sugars, 3 g fiber); 145 mg sodium