This easy recipe for Spanish rice with mushrooms and Manchego cheese is one of my favorite quick, mid-week dinners. The texture is soupy and creamy -- similar to a risotto with a bit more broth. Here in Spain, we'd call it an arroz caldoso (a soupy rice) and it's made using the same rice varieties we use for paella.
I love Spanish arroz caldoso recipes because they are so easy to make! You just need about half an hour and voila -- your meal in on the table.
I recently made this delicious soupy rice with mushrooms, Manchego cheese, and sherry wine. It was worth bookmarking to make again and again. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
This soupy rice with mushrooms is simple, but there are a few key ingredients:
- Spanish rice: Use the traditional Bomba rice for the most authentic arroz caldoso. If you can't find it, no worries -- any round, short-grain rice will do. I would substitute arborio rice myself.
- Mushrooms: This recipe calls for button mushrooms (also known as portobello) but any variety of mushrooms would most likely be delicious and have their own special flavor. Feel free to substitute here.
- Sherry wine: The addition of dry sherry gives this dish a very deep and unique flavor. I use amontillado sherry for it's rich and nutty notes, but you can substitute any other dry sherry or dry white wine if you prefer. And if you prefer no alcohol, just add more broth.
- Manchego cheese: Look for a cured Manchego, which will have a more intense flavor and drier texture. If you can't find it, you can substitute any cured sheep's milk cheese, including Parmesan cheese.
Recipe Tips & FAQs
- Be sure to sauté the rice for a full minute before adding the wine. This toasts it a bit and builds flavor.
- Add the broth slowly and stir frequently -- just like when making risotto! This allows the rice to absorb liquid little by little and release its starch to the delicious sauce.
- Enjoy immediately! Spanish rice dishes are always best when served right away. That way the rice is "a su punto" -- perfectly cooked!
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve this dish as a main course with a hearty baguette on the side. But it could also be a first course (and often is in Spain) before a roasted fish or meat dish.
And, of course, pair this delicious rice with sherry wine (a good amontillado or palo cortado would be perfect).
More Spanish Rice Dishes
If you like this hearty stew, bookmark these recipes for next time!
- Traditional Spanish Seafood Paella: Spain's most famous paella is popular for a reason -- it's absolutely delicious!
- Spanish Rice with Chicken and Chorizo: An easy weeknight meal that is a total crowd-pleaser.
- Baked Rice with Dates and Garbanzos: This unique baked rice dish is vegetarian friendly.
- Arroz Nego Recipe: A popular local paella recipe that uses squid ink for color and flavor!
- Spanish Seafood Rice: Another version of arroz caldoso, this time with lots of delicious seafood.
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Spanish Rice with Mushrooms and Manchego
Ingredients
- 2 cups Spanish rice Such as Bomba or Calasparra (Arborio works too)
- ½ cup dry Spanish sherry I used amontillado for its wonderful flavor. Oloroso or Palo Cortado would impart a similar flavor, and fino or manzanilla would be a bit different but work too. You can substitute any white wine if you prefer, or simply omit and add more broth.
- 4 cups broth I prefer beef or chicken broth, but vegetable broth works just as well.
- 1 cup grated Manchego cheese
- 4 cups sliced button mushrooms raw -- they will halve themselves once cooked
- 1 onion small dice
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 handful fresh parsley minced
- 4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Start by preparing the garlic mushrooms. Add 2 tablespoon of the olive oil to a frying pan on medium high heat, and sauté the minced garlic for one minute, until fragrant.
- Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté to coat in the oil and garlic. Cook for a few minutes, until soft. Season with a pinch of salt and the minced parsley. Reserve.
- While cooking the rice in the steps ahead, heat all of the broth you will use in a small saucepan and keep warm until needed.
- In a large pot, add the remaining 2 tablespoon of olive oil and the 2 tablespoon of butter over a medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the diced onion and sauté for about 7 minutes, until totally translucent and cooked through.
- Add the rice to the pot and turn up the heat to medium high. Sauté the rice for one minute to fully coat in the oil and butter and toast it a bit.
- Add the sherry wine and let it reduce for about one minute.
- Next, lower the heat to medium-low and add the broth about ½ cup at a time. Stir frequently and add more broth each time the rice is almost dry.
- Keep going until you've added â…” of the broth. Then add in the cooked mushrooms and any juices they've released.
- Keep adding broth until all is incorporated (though depending on the rice used it may need slightly more or slightly less). The total cook time should match the rice's instructions (usually 17-22 minutes).
- When in doubt, taste the rice to make sure it isn't too hard, or starting to overcook.
- As soon as it's finished cooking, stir in the grated Manchego cheese. Taste and adjust for salt. Serve immediately with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top if you'd like. Enjoy!
What do you think? Will you be trying my recipe for Spanish rice with mushrooms and Manchego any time soon?
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