Instant Pot Zucchini Mushroom Risotto
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Instant pot zucchini mushroom risotto is the perfect summer rice dish. No lengthy standing behind the stove, no constant stirring and no over-heating your kitchen!
This instant pot zucchini mushroom risotto is an easy-to-make side dish that can be also turned into a main if you like.
It takes about 20-25 minutes from start to finish, including the prep and the passive “cooking” time (when waiting for the pot to come to pressure)!
How to make zucchini mushroom risotto in instant pot
Start with prepping all the ingredients first. When I cook, I like to prep as I go (while waiting for something to be cooked/sautéed/braised …) as it saves time.
However, when making instant pot zucchini mushroom risotto, I recommend having all the ingredients ready before you start as the whole process is quite quick.
First, pour oil into the stainless-steel pot of your pressure cooker. Add finely diced onion and sauté this until translucent. Then, add mushrooms and garlic. It’s important to stir constantly at this stage to avoid burning the garlic.
After about a minute, pour in the wine and let it cook for a few minutes, so the alcohol has time to evaporate.
After this, the whole process of making instant pot zucchini mushroom risotto gets very simple – turn off the SAUTE function and add the rest of the ingredients and give everything a very good stir.
Cover with lid, lock it into its position and turn the steam release vent to SEALING.
Set a timer to 3 minutes and let the pressure cooker do its job. When done, turn off the pot and release the pressure manually by turning the vent to VENTING position. Be careful, as the pot is under a lot of pressure.
Then, just finish off this pressure cooker zucchini mushroom risotto with butter, Parmesan and chives and serve!
Can you make risotto without wine?
Yes, you can. If you don’t want to use wine to make this instant pot zucchini mushroom risotto, feel free to omit it.
What can I add to risotto?
If you like to experiment with flavors, here are some ideas for you: spinach, peas, asparagus, pancetta, ham, and sun-dried tomatoes .… If not sure about the cooking times or when to add them, cook them separately on a pan and add them to the risotto at the very end.
If you would like to make this a complete meal, add some chicken. I have a recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Risotto. It is one of the most popular instant pot recipes on my blog so if you are looking for a fool-proof recipe, this is it!
Zucchini
When making instant pot zucchini mushroom risotto, you need to cut the zucchini into large chunks. If you don’t, they might dissolve completely into risotto.
Note, that the chunks will still be very soft (almost mushy-like) after cooking so if that is a problem for you, I suggest you cook them separately. But, if you peel the skin off, and cut it into smaller pieces, the zucchini will dissolve and your picky diners will not even notice!
This vegetarian risotto can be turned into vegan risotto if you don’t stir in butter and Parmesan cheese at the very end. However, because Parmesan provides extra saltines and flavor to this dish, so you might need to add more seasoning if you want to omit it.
Looking for more Easy Instant Pot Recipes? Try some of these:
Instant Pot Zucchini Mushroom Risotto
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion , small, finely chopped
- 4 ounces button mushrooms , cleaned & quartered (220 grams)
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- ¼ cup red wine
- 1 cup arborio rice , rinsed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- black pepper , a generous pinch
- 2 cups zucchini chunks (220 grams)
- 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1.5 cup vegetable broth
- parmesan cheese , see note 4
- unsalted butter , see note 5
- fresh chives , finely chopped (optional)
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Instructions
- Gather and prep all the ingredients.
- Turn on the instant pot and press the SAUTE button. Pour the oil inside the stainless steel pot and add chopped onion. Saute until translucent. Add mushrooms and garlic and stir constantly for about a minute. Add red wine and mix. Let it cook for a few minutes (2-3) so that the alcohol has time to evaporate. Turn off the pot.
- Add rice, salt, pepper, zucchini, Worcestershire sauce, oregano and vegetable broth. Mix well and cover with the lid.
- Lock the lid into its position and turn the steam release valve to SEALING. Cook on high pressure: press either MANUAL or PRESSURE COOKING button and set timer for 3 minutes. When the time is up, turn it off and release the pressure manually by turning the steam release valve to VENTING (see note 7).
- Stir in butter, Parmesan and fresh chives (if using) and serve!
Notes
- This recipe was tested and developed for a 6-quart/6-liter instant pot.
- The overall time does not include the time that the pot needs to come to pressure. Count with an extra 8-10 minutes.
- Extra virgin olive oil can be substituted with regular olive oil (or cooking olive oil).
- Parmesan – You can substitute it with Grana Padano or Pecorino Cheese.
- Butter – use real butter, not butter substitutes. You can use either salted or unsalted.
- Arborio rice is round (short-grain) rice used specifically for risotto. If you can’t buy it, try using short-grain rice. Alternatively, you can use paella rice or sushi rice too.
- Be careful when releasing the pressure and use an oven glove or kitchen towel to turn the valve to avoid burning.
- For more information and tips please read through the full post.
- You need to cut the zucchini into large chunks otherwise they will dissolve completely when pressure-cooked. If you prefer that your zucchini pieces have some bite to them, I recommend cooking them separately.
If I double the recipe, will it fit in the instapot? Also does that change the cooking time?
This will depend on the size of your pot. You will be fine in a 6 or 8 quart/liter instant pot. The cooking time stays the same.
I am fairly new to Insta pot cooking and love risotto (but not the work) so I was happy to find this recipe. It was, hands down, the best risotto I have ever enjoyed. I didn’t have arborio rice so I used available basmati but otherwise made it true to the recipe. It was so incredibly easy, astonishingly delicious, and will be a frequent meal in the future. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks so much for your feedback, Lynn! Happy Instant Pot Cooking! :)
Great recipe!
I used orzo instead of rice and it was delish! Also, ran out of butter (who does that?) and used mild cheddar and jack blend just to give the dish a little creaminess. Worked like a charm. The hubby and I agreed that this will be added to the repertoire!
Thanks so much for your feedback, Jamie.
Absolutely love this recipe! I have made it weekly since I discovered it! How did I do before??
:) Thanks for your feedback, Samanta! Glad to hear you like it and make it regularly.
Can I use basmati rice instead of arborio rice?
Hi Pamela. I am afraid you can’t. Basmati rice cooks differently and also needs different amount of liquid. You can substitute arborio rice for other short-grain rice (like paella rice or sushi rice).
How much parmesan cheese and butter do you use? Thank you!
Hi Tina. I apologize for the late reply but just returned from travels. It is completely up to you – some people like to add a lot of parmesan (like me) some less. I always recommend starting with less, giving it a taste and then adding more, if needed or if you like. The reason why you should always taste it first is because you don’t want to over-season it (some stocks/broths contain more salt than others so for this reason you start with less rather than more). When it comes to butter, you can omit this completely or add a tablespoon. Hope this helps.
100% yes for this recipe. I had to come back and tell you how delicious it was. Perfect for my garden zucchini haul!
Yay! Glad to hear that!
I love the combo of zucchini and mushrooms! This Risotto looks so creamy and delicious!
Thank you!
It’s such a great idea to make risotto in the instant pot. So easy and just as delicious!
Absolutely!
Hello!
This was a great recipe! Coming from an old school Italian family —you know the drill as a kid I got stuck stirring until my arm broke off lol. Thank goodness for this recipe!
:) Yes, the stirring part is no fun at all!
Adding zucchini to rice is brilliant! Thank you for another wonderful zucchini recipe to add to my arsenal.
You are welcome!