Pressure Cooker Wild Mushroom Risotto Your Kids Can Make

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We have two kids, 16 and 15 years old and it was important that I teach them to use different techniques and tools in the kitchen. This pressure cooker mushroom risotto is perfect, it’s one of the first 20 things we taught them to cook. You can check out our Clam Chowder for the pressure cooker too.

Because my kiddos are a little older do not let that discourage you if you have younger ones, they started cooking in the pressure cooker in 2017 and they were 13 and 14 years old at the time. 

If I wasn’t so timid about using a pressure cooker, due to the horror stories I heard from my grandma, I would have started earlier. I am completely hooked and we own several and use them every week.

Let’s make the Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 tablespoon butter 
• 8 ounces thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 1 shallot, chopped 
• 1 cup arborio rice 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 
• ¼ cup dry white wine, optional 
• 2 cups chicken stock 
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan or Parmigiano
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice 

Instructions 

Heat the Instant Pot using the Sauté Normal function. Add the olive oil, butter, and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, for four to seven minutes, or until the mushrooms have turned golden brown. 

Next, add the shallot and cook for an additional two to three minutes, or until the shallot has softened and started to become translucent. 

Next, add arborio rice, garlic, and kosher salt. Cook for an additional one to two minutes. 

Add the white wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape any bits off the bottom of the instant pot. This is where all the yummy flavor will start to build. 

Lastly, add the chicken stock and stir to combine. Attach the lid and set the Instant Pot to the Pressure Cook-Normal-High Pressure setting for five minutes. Ensure the valve is in the “sealing” position. 

Note: A wooden spoon will scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan without scratching the surface of the Instant Pot. Additionally, the Instant pot will take 5-10 minutes to pressurize and will show “On” on the display. Once the Instant Pot has pressurized, it will begin counting down from 5. 

Once the Instant Pot has finished cooking, release the steam manually by switching the valve to the “venting” position. 

Safety Tips:

Please be careful. The pressure cooker will release steam and may splatter, I learned this the hard way. I recommend using a long spoon or tongs to move the valve to open. 

Recipe Notes 

This recipe can be made vegetarian by using vegetable stock and vegan by using a non-dairy butter and omitting the parmesan. 

If you don’t have a shallot, 1/4 small onion will as well. 

Serve warm, with a grating of fresh parmesan and a crack of black pepper, if desired. 

Store any leftover risotto in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. It can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Tips To Help:

When the Instant Pot has fully depressurized, remove the lid and stir in the parmesan and lemon juice. Stir vigorously for one to two minutes— this will help the risotto release its starch and will give that authentic, slow-cooked, taste and texture. 

I like shiitake mushrooms in this recipe because the earthiness and nuttiness will enhance the flavor of the risotto. But feel free to use white button mushrooms as well.

If you have a parmesan rind on hand to use, add it to the risotto before pressure cooking it. I like to chop mine up into four to five chunks depending on the size. I do not want it chunk to be larger than a strawberry in size. The rind will become soft and creamy.

Want to bump up the flavor a bit more. Try experimenting with some herbs, both dried and fresh versions. I like to have my kids smell and taste each herb prior to adding it to the dish. Just a s reminder. Just a very small pinch is more than enough. 

This way they have a say in what flavors they would like to add and they can see how it tastes prior to adding which gives them an example of what the flavor profile will be once the herbs are cooked. 

You can try just about anything, but here are some good examples: thyme, sage, and rosemary are a few of my favorites to add. They are not too overpowering to taste by themselves and pack in a lot of flavor with small amounts. 

If you have some on hand, a homemade chicken or vegetable stock will enhance the flavor of risotto and it is something that you can also teach the kids to make. Although if you don’t have any homemade, store-bought will still be delicious too. Try to get a low-sodium version of store-bought it possible. The cheese will also have a lot of salt and you do not want your risotto to get too salty. 

Now, traditionally risotto is only made with Arborio rice. However, I have used white rice to make it as well. I would wait to substitute the rice until you are comfortable with making it the traditional way.