Sausage Asparagus and Mushroom Risotto
on Jun 05, 2012, Updated Jul 24, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This sausage asparagus and mushroom risotto is exceptionally creamy, full of rich flavors (and packed with veggies!), and super easy to make. It’s a two-pot wonder of a meal.
Risotto is so delicious and fancy. If you’ve never made it, I think you should try it. Truly, it’s not difficult; it just takes a bit of hands-on time to mix the ingredients together and stir the rice as it cooks. To make it, the rice is sauteed with olive oil, onion, and sausage, and then stock is added a bit at a time. As you add more and more stock, you continuously stir the rice mixture until the liquid absorbs.
The starch in the rice comes out of the grain and combines with the stock to make a thick and creamy sauce that is seriously divine (this creamy sauce process is what makes risotto, risotto!). You can add lots of varieties and things, so if you’re not into the sausage, asparagus, and mushroom variety, just mix in any meat or veggies you’d prefer instead!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Homemade mushroom, asparagus, and sausage risotto is a hearty, creamy, and savory dish that’s easier than you’d expect to make any night of the week!
- Risotto gets a bad rap because some think it’s difficult to make, but this recipe is totally doable for any kitchen skill level, and you’ll want to make it every week!
- Risotto is a creamy, sometimes cheesy-tasting, rice dish that tastes almost like a mild rice version of mac and cheese. This recipe has added flavor and texture from the sausage, asparagus, and mushroom.
Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken stock – Try your hand at this easy Chicken Stock
- Fresh herbs – basil, oregano, or thyme
- Olive oil
- Onion – medium-sized
- Sausage – I like Jimmy Deal
- Mushrooms – white button
- Risotto rice – medium-grain
- Apple juice
- Asparagus
- Parmesan cheese
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Sausage Asparagus and Mushroom Risotto
- Simmer the chicken stock and fresh herbs.
- In a separate pot, add the olive oil, then add the onion and sausage.
- Add the mushrooms and rice, and then add stock.
- Add the apple juice and asparagus to the rice pot, and continue adding stock
- Stir in the shredded parmesan.
- Serve right away with additional parmesan on top.
Recipe FAQs
Risotto is an Italian dish made of a starchy, short-grained rice variety called arborio rice. Some people also use carnaroli rice; either will work well! Making it involves adding small portions of stock and stirring constantly, which brings out the starch and creates the creamy sauce it’s known for.
Risotto is a type of rice made using a specific method to bring out the starches in the grain to create a creamy sauce. You can’t use any kind of rice to make risotto—arborio or carnaroli are high-starch rice varieties used in risotto. The main difference between rice and risotto is how they’re prepared. Risotto is constantly stirred as you add more liquid to the dish to cook it, while rice is generally steamed in a pot of liquid and not touched until it’s done cooking.
Yes, this can happen, so I recommend tasting it a few times as you go! It just becomes too soft and mushy when overcooked. It’ll be sticky, but you’ll be able to feel the individual pieces of rice while chewing.
Expert Tips
- Tasting it is the easiest way to tell when risotto is done cooking. You want the grains to have some bite and mild softness but not mushy or rock hard. Think of it like an al dente pasta texture.
- Reheat any leftover risotto on the stove over medium heat in a saucepan by adding a splash of water or stock to the rice dish and stirring constantly for 3 to 4 minutes until heated.
- The amount of liquid you use and the cooking time will vary depending on the weather and your rice.
More Delicious Rice Recipes to Consider
Soups, Stews & Chowders
Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Rice Recipes
Mango Sticky Rice
From Scratch Recipes
Mushroom Risotto
Chicken Recipes
Quick Stovetop Chicken and Rice
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
Sausage Asparagus and Mushroom Risotto
Ingredients
- 5 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 3 sprigs fresh herbs, (basil, oregano, or thyme, optional)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 pound Jimmy Dean sausage
- 1 pound white button mushrooms, washed and sliced
- 2 cups medium-grain risotto rice
- 1/2 cup apple juice
- 1/2 pound asparagus, stemmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- Shaved or shredded parmesan for garnish
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock and fresh herbs to a low simmer.
- While the stock is heating, add the olive oil to a medium stock pot and heat over medium to medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the sausage to the onion and cook until no longer pink, breaking the sausage into pieces with a spoon. When the sausage is cooked through, reduce the heat to medium and add the mushrooms and rice.
- Cook until the rice starts to get translucent on the edges, 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- When the rice is translucent on the edges, add a ladle full of hot stock (avoid adding the herbs that are swimming in the stock) to the rice (about 3/4 cup), and stir gently but constantly until all of the liquid is absorbed.
- Add another ladle full when liquid is absorbed and keep stirring. Keep repeating this process until you have about 1 1/2 cups of stock left (it took me around 18 minutes to get to this point).
- Add the apple juice and asparagus to the rice pot, and then continue adding stock and stirring until the rice is cooked through but not mushy.
- It took me just under 30 minutes of stirring and adding stock to cook my rice, and I had just over a 1/2 cup of stock left over.
- When the rice is cooked, remove it from the heat and stir in the shredded Parmesan.
- Serve right away with additional Parmesan on top.
Notes
- The stirring process takes some time, and you can’t walk away from the dish at this point. Plan accordingly. The amount of liquid you will use and the cooking time will vary depending on the weather and your rice. Just test the doneness of the rice along the way by tasting a small bit on a spoon. When it’s done, it should be like al dente pasta; it should not be mushy but not hard either.
- Risotto is a creamy, sometimes cheesy-tasting, rice rice dish that tastes almost like a mild, rice version of mac and cheese. This recipe has added flavor and texture from the sausage, asparagus, and mushroom.
- Reheat any leftover risotto on the stove over medium heat in a saucepan by adding a splash of water or stock to the rice dish and stirring constantly for 3 to 4 minutes until heated through.
- This recipe is wonderfully hearty and rich. I served it as a main dish because it’s filling and flavorful, but it would also be delicious as a side to Baked Salmon and a Fresh Corn Salad.
Where does the apple juice go in this dish? Did I miss it?
You add it when you add the asparagus! Hope that helps.
Hi Melissa! There is 1/2 cup apple juice listed in the ingredients. Is that an error?
Melissa- hey I’m Nanette’s sister and I also was in Thomas’ grade in school. I’m so excited for you and your new toy! I laughed when I read this because I too love cooking and hadn’t ever made risotto until watching Hell’s Kitchen. It’s now one of my fav indulgences. Thanks for reminding me I think I’ll make some tonight with the trout my daughter packed home from going fishing in Valley with her cousins. -Kate
Melissa- hey I’m Nanette’s sister and I also was in Thomas’ grade in school. I’m so excited for you and your new toy! I laughed when I read this because I too love cooking and hadn’t ever made risotto until watching Hell’s Kitchen. It’s now one of my fav indulgences. Thanks for reminding me I think I’ll make some tonight with the trout my daughter packed home from going fishing in Valley with her cousins. -Kate
I just FBed you 🙂 and tell that little woman to pack from trout home to me. Sounds delish.
Interesting…I’ve never tried it. Now I’m curious 🙂
I think you’d like it… it is really good. And all the stirring would be a great thing go have a kid or two help with!
Hi Melissa–I’m finally getting around to meet the other HBL contributors–I’m always curious about risotto when I watch Hells Kitchen too 🙂 Maybe you’ve given me courage to try it!
Steph- So glad you came by. I’ve yet to make it around, so good job making that happen. I’m gearing up to go to Girl’s Camp in 2 weeks so I plan on checking everyone out then, and your blog will be my first stop. And oh that Hell’s Kitchen, so funny! And I love your picture, you have the prettiest smile. You actually look like a beautiful girl I went to high school with 🙂