Creamy Low-Fat Mushroom Risotto Recipe

By
Fiona Haynes
Fiona Haynes
Freelance writer and copy editor Fiona Haynes has published more than 100 published recipes focused on low-fat and healthy eating.
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Updated on 01/19/23
Creamy Low-Fat Mushroom Risotto Recipe

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
151 Calories
3g Fat
23g Carbs
5g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 151
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 4%
Saturated Fat 0g 2%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 162mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 23g 8%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 11mg 56%
Calcium 50mg 4%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 557mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Originally from Northern Italy, risotto is a hearty and delicious dish in which rice is the star. Flavored and cooked with broth—beef, chicken, fish, or vegetable—risotto is sometimes finished with a generous pat of butter and a handful of Parmesan cheese, which makes it creamy and silky. However, butter, although delicious, isn't always necessary to make a succulent risotto. Our lighter recipe uses just 2 teaspoons of olive oil alongside herbs, wine, mushrooms, and chicken broth to provide this risotto with plenty of flavor and character. Ideal for a weeknight, and the perfect light main or side dish, this mushroom risotto is a great low-cal comfort food meal.

Our risotto is naturally gluten free as long as the broth you use is a gluten-free brand. Many store-bought broths use wheat-based ingredients as thickeners, so double-check the labels if cooking for someone with a wheat allergy. Make it a meal for vegan and vegetarian guests by swapping the chicken broth with vegetable broth.

Choose Arborio rice for our risotto, and all risottos, as its high-starch content adds to the creaminess of the dish. Cremini and shiitake mushrooms are our chosen types for this risotto but in a pinch use any mushrooms that are available to you. White mushrooms (champignons), portobello, porcini, or other less common mushrooms like morels or oysters are perfect. Remember to constantly stir as you slowly add portions of the broth to the rice until all of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is firm but creamy. Although there's a bit of work to be done, the finished rice is worth the effort.

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups reduced sodium fat-free chicken broth, or vegetable broth

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil

  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 cup Arborio rice

  • 1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs, or Italian seasoning

  • 6 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced

  • 6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, sliced

  • 1/2 cup dry white wine, room temperature

  • 2 cups fresh baby spinach

  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Creamy Low-Fat Mushroom Risotto Recipe ingredients

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Pour broth into a 2-quart saucepan and heat over medium heat until simmering, but not boiling. Cover to keep warm and leave on a very low simmer.

    Broth in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic until softened and fragrant, about 3 to 5 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn't brown.

    Onion and garlic in a skillet

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Add the rice and sauté for 1 minute, stirring to prevent sticking.

    Rice, onion, and garlic in a pan

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Sprinkle in the dried herbs and add the mushrooms. Sauté the rice-and-mushroom mixture until the mushrooms release their juices, 5 to 8 minutes.

    Mushrooms and herbs with the rice mixture in the pan

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Add the white wine and stir.

    White wine cooking with the mushroom and rice mixture in the pan

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Once the wine has been mostly absorbed, carefully add 2 cups of the hot broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring and waiting until each cup of broth has been completely absorbed before adding the next. Continuously stir during the process to avoid having the rice stick to the bottom or sides of the skillet.

    Risotto cooking in a pan with broth

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  8. Add the spinach before adding the remaining 1 1/2 cups of broth. Stir to combine.

    Spinach added to the risotto mixture in the pan

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  9. Add the remaining broth and keep stirring until all is absorbed.

    Risotto with mushrooms and spinach cooking in a pan

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  10. Once all the liquid is absorbed, sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve immediately.

    Creamy Low-Fat Mushroom Risotto in a pan

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  11. Enjoy!

How to Select and Clean Mushrooms

When buying mushrooms at the store, look for mushrooms that look smooth and plump. Skip limp, discolored, or soggy items. You want mushrooms to be dry in their package as moisture ruins them fairly fast. If you are using cultivated mushrooms, simply clean them as best as you can with a damp paper towel. Don't soak or run them under water as they will soak up a lot of it, which can dilute their flavor and change their texture.


Wild mushrooms, on the other hand, do need a lot of water to be cleaned as they might have more dirt and/or bugs. Simply soak the wild mushrooms in a bowl of cold water for a minute or two until most of the dirt has settled at the bottom of the bowl. Rinse each mushroom under water and remove dirt with the help of a paper towel. Place all of the mushrooms to dry on top of a clean kitchen towel or paper towel and pat each dry to remove excess moisture.

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