Sous Vide Risotto with Mushroom Pesto

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This ultra creamy Sous Vide Risotto is rich and comforting with parmesan cheese and a homemade mushroom pesto. If you think making risotto is time consuming, you’ll love using the sous vide method. It’s the easiest way to make risotto!

We have a serious love for risotto in our house! For a full meal, we often make this jambalaya risotto, and for a gourmet tasting side dish, this black truffle risotto never disappoints. 

While risotto isn’t difficult to make (contrary to popular opinion!), it is a bit time consuming as you have to stir the risotto frequently and gradually add the broth.

With the sous vide method, it’s completely hands off and the controlled temperature of the water bath does all the work for you.

So, you have plenty of time to make the most amazing mushroom pesto to serve with the risotto! You can also serve it with these amazing sautéed mushrooms.

While you can definitely serve the risotto on its own, this pesto is so flavorful and easy to make. Wild mushrooms pair nicely with the rich and creamy texture of risotto. You’ll want to give it a try!

Check out the sous vide risotto story!

Why this recipe works

1. It’s the easiest way to make risotto. You just combine the rice, broth and other ingredients in a sealable bag and drop it in the water bath. There’s no stirring and you don’t need to gradually add the broth!
2. Risotto is a versatile dish. It’s creamy comfort food that you can enjoy in your pyjamas on the couch, or it can be served as an elegant side dish at a dinner party.
3. The mushroom pesto is super flavorful. If you love the flavor of earthy mushrooms, you’ll love them paired with brandy, truffle seasoning and anchovies. It’s the perfect way to top this creamy risotto!

What is Sous Vide?

Sous vide is basically a method of cooking using what is called an immersion circulator. This immersion circulator circulates water in a temperature controlled water bath at a certain temperature to perfectly cook your food every time.

Because the temperature doesn't change, and it keeps your meat (or dessert, veggies, etc.) at the same temperature, your risk of overcooking becomes very minimal.

To learn even more about sous vide cooking, head over and read "what is sous vide cooking."

What is the Water Displacement Method?

The displacement method is where you slowly submerge a ziplock bag in water pushing the air out of the top of the bag (the bag should be slightly open at the top to allow air to escape).

Use a clip (I use binder clips) to clip the bag to the side to keep it from floating and getting air and/or water inside.

Tools Used

• Anova Precision Sous Vide Cooker
• 12 quart container
• Vacuum sealer
• Vacuum seal bags

Other sous vide recipes

• Sous Vide Filet Mignon
• Sous Vide Asparagus
• Sous Vide Scallops with Lemon Butter
• Sous Vide Sweet Potatoes

What is risotto?

Risotto is an Italian rice dish made with arborio rice, broth and a few other ingredients. The key to achieving risotto’s thick and creamy consistency without adding cream is arborio rice, which is a high-starch, short-grain rice. The rice releases starch into the broth as it cooks, which creates the creamy texture.

Ingredients

For the full list of ingredients and quantities, please see the recipe card below.

You’ll need 1 cup of arborio rice for this recipe. It’s important to use arborio rice for it’s high starch content. Long-grain rice, like basmati or jasmine, will not work in this recipe. Even other short-grain rice will not work the same as arborio.

The rice will cook in 3 cups of chicken stock. You can use store-bought or homemade like this crockpot chicken broth or Instant Pot chicken bone broth.

I suggest using low sodium chicken broth or no salt added so you can adjust the saltiness of the risotto by adding salt yourself.

For extra creaminess and flavor, a ½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese is stirred into the risotto before serving.

For the mushroom pesto topping, you’ll need 20 ounces of wild mushrooms such as porcini, shiitake or portobella mushrooms.

Some of the flavor in the pesto comes from 1 tablespoon of brandy, 2 anchovies and 1 teaspoon of truffle seasoning. 

If you’d like to omit the alcohol, you can substitute white grape juice for the brandy.

While I love anchovies in this pesto, you can substitute 1 teaspoon of fish sauce if you prefer.

As for the truffle seasoning, I recommend Sabatino Tartufi. It adds a real truffle flavor to this pesto and pairs well with the earthy mushrooms.

Step by step instructions

Heat a sous vide water bath to 179F degrees.

Combine all the risotto ingredients (except the Parmesan cheese) in a vacuum seal bag (or ziplock bag if using the water displacement method, which I recommend for this recipe).

Cook for 40 minutes in the sous vide.

Pour the contents from the bag into a bowl and mix in the Parmesan cheese. 

Serve topped with mushroom pesto (see below).

How to make mushroom pesto

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the mushrooms and salt. Let the mushrooms cook for 4-5 minutes, until they have browned and released much of their liquid.

Add the brandy and garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, until the brandy has cooked off.

Remove from heat and let the mushrooms cool slightly.

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, but not pureed.

Add additional salt to taste and serve over the risotto.

Expert tips

1. Be sure to remove air from the bag as this keeps bacteria out.
2. Keep the bag completely submerged in the water. If the bag floats, weigh it down with something heavy or open the bag and release the air.
3. I prefer the water displacement method for this recipe (see above), which uses a ziplock bag. With all the broth in the bag, I find it easier to remove air from the bag using this method instead of vacuum sealing.  
4. The risotto will be slightly mushy using this cooking method. Sous vide makes cooking risotto ultra easy, but the final product is slightly mushier. It still tastes amazing!
5. You can substitute any hard cheese for the Parmesan cheese such as gruyere, romano or asiago.
6. Risotto is best served immediately. While it can be stored in the fridge and reheated, it's not nearly as good leftover. If you have leftovers, I recommend using it to make these crispy fried risotto cakes.

Common questions

Storage and reheating

As mentioned, risotto is best enjoyed immediately after cooking. If you have leftovers, you can store it covered in the fridge for 2-3 days. 

To reheat it, you can use the microwave, but I prefer to reheat it on the stove over medium heat. Just add the risotto to a sauce pan and add a little bit of broth to keep the risotto creamy. Stir until it has warmed through. 

Other risotto recipes

• Pumpkin Risotto
• Bacon and Pea Risotto
• Asparagus Risotto
• Coconut Milk Shrimp Risotto

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out!