This Mushroom Rice recipe is full of tender rice, caramelized mushrooms, and fresh herbs. Made with vegan butter for extra creaminess, it makes a delicious side dish or light meal.
This Mushroom Rice is so flavorful and simple to make. With pantry and fridge basics making up the ingredient list, it's easy to make and only takes about 30 minutes. I love serving this with some of our favorite soups and salads, as well as with a main course. It's filling enough to be a meal on its own, too.
The mushrooms in this dish have been caramelized for optimum flavor, and the rice is cooked with garlic, onion, and veggie broth so it can absorb all the goodness. Earthy, creamy, and full of great flavor, this is one rice recipe that deserves a place at your table. Make it ahead, freeze it for later, or whip it up fresh for a quick lunch or delicious dinner. It's versatile enough to please everyone.
Video Tutorial
What you'll need
- Mushrooms. Cremini or white button mushrooms.
- Olive oil. Or any other oil of choice.
- Vegan Butter. Use your favorite brand.
- Rice. I used Basmati rice, but other long-grain rice can be used instead.
- Onion + Garlic. For extra flavor.
- Veggie Broth.
- Parsley. Dill or scallions can be used instead.
How to make this Mushroom Rice
1. Heat up the olive oil in a large pot and add half of the mushrooms. Cook until nicely browned, remove from the pot, and set aside.
2. To the same pot, add 2 tablespoons of butter, onion, garlic, and the remaining sliced mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the rice to the mushrooms and cook, stirring continuously, for about 2-3 minutes.
4. At this point, add the broth, stir, and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. After the 15 minutes have passed, turn off the heat and remove the lid. Add about 1 tablespoon of vegan butter (optional), the reserved browned mushrooms, and the parsley. Put the lid back on and let the Mushroom Rice rest for 10 minutes.
6. Lastly, remove the lid, stir everything together, and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Tips for the best Mushroom Rice
- Choose good quality mushrooms. When you choose your mushrooms, look for ones with a dry, plump head that is firm and smooth. Avoid any with bruises or blemishes.
- Use long grained rice. Whichever variety you choose, use long grained rice because it has a lower starch content and tends to be drier with separated grains. Short grain tend to be soft and sticky.
- Divide the mushrooms. In the beginning, the mushrooms that are cooked on their own develop a delicious caramelization. While the rice takes some of it, this ensures plenty of yummy bits in the end.
- Let it simmer. Cooking with the lid on will allow the broth to cook into the rice with the help of the steam that accumulates. This will give it enough time to become tender before serving.
Add-ins and Substitutes
- Substitute other grains. This recipe will also work with grains like quinoa and brown rice. The cook time may vary slightly.
- Add another vegetable. You could also make this rice dish with spinach, kale, green onions, bell peppers, or tomatoes.
- Substitute other herbs. Parsley can be used, or you could use dill. Other options might be chives, cilantro, or tarragon. Fresh is always best, whichever herb you choose.
- Add soy sauce. You can tweak the flavors of this dish by adding soy sauce and sesame oil. Just a little goes a long way, giving your Mushroom Rice a saltier umami taste.
How to Store
You can store this Mushroom Rice in an airtight container once it has cooled. Refrigerate it for up to 3-4 days. You can also freeze it in a freezer ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Defrost it in the fridge before reheating in the microwave, or on the stovetop. Add a splash of veggie broth if it seems a little dry.
How to Serve it
- On its own. This flavorful dish can easily be enjoyed all by itself for a light meal.
- As a side dish. Serve it with Cabbage Steaks, Quick Maple Sriracha Tofu, or Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Steaks.
- With soup or stew. Pair this Mushroom Rice with Hearty Red Lentil Stew, Three Bean Chili (Vegan), Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup, or Mushroom Stew.
- With a salad. Try is alongside Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad, Iceberg Lettuce Salad, Quick and Tasty Bulgur Salad, or Easy Chickpea Salad.
This Mushroom Rice recipe makes a great addition to your meals and pairs well with pretty much everything. I hope you love it as much as we do.
More tasty vegan mushroom recipes:
- Mushroom Stew
- Mushroom Bourguignon
- Mushroom Bolognese Pasta
- Vegan Mushroom Sauce
- Grilled Portobello Mushrooms
Mushroom Rice
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs. mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 3 tbsp. vegan butter, divided
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 ½ cup Basmati rice or other long grain rice
- 2 ¼ cup fully seasoned vegetable broth
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Heat up the olive oil in a large pot and add half of the mushrooms. Cook until nicely browned, remove from the pot, and set aside.
- To the same pot, add 2 tablespoons of butter, onion, garlic, and the remaining sliced mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add the rice to the mushrooms and cook, stirring continuously, for about 2-3 minutes.
- At this point, add the broth, stir, and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- After the 15 minutes have passed, turn off the heat and remove the lid. Add about 1 tablespoon of vegan butter (optional), the reserved browned mushrooms, and the parsley. Put the lid back on and let the Mushroom Rice rest for 10 minutes.
- Lastly, remove the lid, stir everything together, and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
Tips for the best Mushroom Rice
- Choose good quality mushrooms. When you choose your mushrooms, look for ones with a dry, plump head that is firm and smooth. Avoid any with bruises or blemishes.
- Use long grained rice. Whichever variety you choose, use long grained rice because it has a lower starch content and tends to be drier with separated grains. Short grain tend to be soft and sticky.
- Divide the mushrooms. In the beginning, the mushrooms that are cooked on their own develop a delicious caramelization. While the rice takes some of it, this ensures plenty of yummy bits in the end.
- Let it simmer. Cooking with the lid on will allow the broth to cook into the rice with the help of the steam that accumulates. This will give it enough time to become tender before serving.
Can you do this in an InstaPot?
Hi Cindi! I am assuming that this could be done, however, I don't know how to modify this recipe for an InstaPot because I don't own one. Let me know if you try it!
This recipe doesn't say anywhere if the rice is to be cooked or uncooked when it is added. If it's supposed to be uncooked when added, then the amount of liquid in the recipe seems off. Usually the water/liquid to rice ratio is 2 cups water to 1 cup rice, but this recipe doesn't have enough water for the amount of rice. So I'm wondering if the rice is supposed to already be cooked when added? Please advise. Thank you!
Hi Brenda! I use uncooked Basmati rice in this recipe. Usually a water to rice ratio for Basmati rice is 1 cup of rice to 1 ½ cups of liquid. Please, refer to the package instructions on your rice when making this recipe. Let me know if you try it. Thanks for stopping by!
I used beef broth and added an extra half cup. I also used sticky rice which was amazing and instead of parsley, I used green onions about 5 of them. It was spectacular! I will make this again!
Awesome! Thanks, Misty!
This is great comfort food. Delicious. I used brown rice and everything turned out great for eating in front of the TV. Easy to do. Thanks again.
Thank you so much, Judy!
This dish is easy and delicious. Thank you for posting.
Thank you, Renee!