Almost No Stir Risotto Recipe

I love making this almost no stir risotto recipe because it is a warm, comforting and vegetarian recipe!  But, also, it requires almost no stirring, which is the very best.

I used to think risotto was this super complicated dish to make. I tried it a few times, and after making a few tweaks to make it easier, it is honestly one of my favorite things to make as a meal or as a vegetarian side dish. Whenever we have vegetarian friends over, this is definitely a dish I make.

I had read somewhere that if you use a heavy-bottomed pan for cooking (I LOVE my Le Creuset) you don’t need to stir it as much. So I started making this risotto, and then my mom called, and I distinctly remember being on the phone with her, and thank god for kitchen timers because I forgot about this risotto several times during our conversation. And it came out perfectly.

Ingredients in this no stir risotto

• Butter – butter makes everything better! You can use salted or unsalted, whatever your preference.
• EVOO – extra virgin olive oil, definitely use the good stuff if you have it for this recipe
• Mirepoix Mix – see a tip on my mirepoix below!
  • Celery stalks
  • large carrots
  • yellow onion
• Garlic cloves – adding the layers of flavors
• Baby Bella mushrooms – you can absolutely opt not to use these or add eggplant if you don’t like mushrooms, or use a different mushroom variety.
• Dry white wine – a staple in risotto. If you’re looking for a non alcoholic alternative I would suggest using good quality broth or stock in its place.
• Vegetable stock – swap chicken stock if you’re not making this vegetarian
• Arborio rice – the base rice for risotto is arborio rice. I’ve tried making this with regular brown or white rice, and it worked, but you have to reduce the stock quantity, which varies depending on kind of rice, so please note that this recipe for creamy risotto is made with arborio rice.
• Heavy cream – gives risotto it’s creaminess!
• Parmesan cheese – gives risotto its rich nutty flavor, you could use a parmesan-romano blend also.

I know, it seems like a lot of ingredients, but I promise you that this almost no stir risotto recipe is an easy one!

My favorite tip is to chop up your onion, celery and carrot ahead of time, put it in containers and freeze it!  It saves so much time and makes things much faster!

What equipment do you use to make no stir risotto?

1. Dutch oven – this is a splurge, but we were gifted this and absolutely love it and I use it ALL the time!
2. Wooden spoon – legit use this everyday when cooking
3. Cutting board – obviously a staple in the kitchen – you can never have enough
4. Knife – a good knife goes a long way in chopping those veggies
5. Garlic press – the best to use anytime you’re looking to add fresh garlic to a recipe
6. Measuring cups and spoons – two necessary items for making any kind of recipe

You can buy the items here:

How to make an almost no stir risotto

1. Heat butter and oil in a heavy bottomed pan.  I like to use this Dutch oven.

2. Add mirepoix mix, garlic and salt, and cook until onions are slightly translucent (about 5 minutes) only stirring occasionally, add mushrooms and rice until rice is starting to toast/turn translucent (about 2 minutes).

3. Add 1 cup wine and scrape the bottom of of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add 3 cups of the stock and bring the contents of the pot to a boil. Stir once, cover, reduce heat to lowest possible setting and cook for 10 minutes, undisturbed.

4. Stir once and continue cooking, lid on, until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.

5. Remove the lid and add final cup of stock.

6. Increase the temperature to high and cook, stirring until the risotto is thick.

7. Remove from heat, stir in cream and cheese and enjoy!

A few great tips to make no stir risotto

• I also like to add extra vegetables
• You will need to stir the recipe still, but it’s not a constant stir like traditional risotto
• This recipe freezes great, so be sure to make a big batch!
• You can buy the pre-mixed, already cut vegetables so you don’t need to chop up your own onions, celery and carrots.
• Some great swaps to make:
  • parsnips instead of carrots.
  • add in butternut squash.
  • could leave mushrooms out and add eggplant

So I’m hooked on this almost no stir risotto vs. one that takes constant attention over a long period of time. As you know from my Instant Pot lemon chicken risotto – I’m all about risotto, but reducing the time.  I hope you enjoy!

Almost No Stir Risotto

Instead of constant stirring to make a risotto, this recipe creates a delicious, fast meal!

5 from 1 vote

Print Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Equipment

• Cutting Board
• Knives
• Wooden spoon
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons

Ingredients

• 2 Tbs. butter
• 3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups mirepoix mix about 2 celery stalks - chopped, 3 large carrots - peeled and chopped, 1/2 yellow onion - finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves pressed or finely chopped
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 package baby bella mushrooms 8 oz.
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 quart vegetable stock or use chicken stock (4 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese or parmesan/romano cheese 4 oz.

Instructions

• Heat butter and oil in a heavy bottomed pan (dutch oven - link). 
• Add mirepoix mix, garlic and salt, and cook until onions are slightly translucent (about 5 minutes) only stirring occasionally, add mushrooms and rice until rice is starting to toast/turn translucent (about 2 minutes).
• Add 1 cup wine and scrape the bottom of of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add 3 cups of the stock and bring the contents of the pot to a boil. Stir once, cover, reduce heat to lowest possible setting and cook for 10 minutes, undisturbed. 
• Stir once and continue cooking, lid on, until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. 
• Remove the lid and add final cup of stock. 
• Increase the temperature to high and cook, stirring until the risotto is thick. 
• Remove from heat, stir in cream and cheese and enjoy!

Notes

If you like a drier risotto, add less stock in the final step!

The nutrition information presented on this site should be considered an estimate as the calculations will change based on the exact products you use in your own kitchen.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 483kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 1263mg | Potassium: 116mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 940IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 215mg | Iron: 2mg