Beetroot Risotto
A vivid pink risotto of arborio rice, roasted beetroot and white wine, finished with parmesan and goat cheese.
Photograph credit: Beetroots risotto with gorgonzola cheese sauce 'Evolution' by yanayrosen · Public Domain Mark 1.0 · Flickr
Make Ahead and Storage
Best eaten straight away. Keeps in the fridge for 1 day.
Beetroot Risotto: The Method
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Purée half the beetroot with a ladle of the hot stock until smooth. Dice the rest.
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Soften the onion in the butter for 6 minutes, then stir in the rice for 2 minutes.
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Add the wine and let it bubble away, then add the hot stock a ladle at a time for about 18 minutes.
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Stir in the beetroot purée for the last 5 minutes, then fold in the diced beetroot and salt.
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Off the heat, stir in the parmesan and lemon juice and serve with the goat cheese and chives.
Tips for Success
- Use beetroot not in vinegar.
- Add the purée late.
- Add the stock slowly.
- Wear an apron.
Why the Method Is What It Is
It looks like a sweet, but it eats like a savoury, which is why the sharpness at the end matters. Beetroot is earthy and sweet, and it needs a counterpoint of acid and a tangy cheese.
Purée half the cooked beetroot with a ladle of hot stock until smooth, and dice the rest. Stir the purée in near the end, so that it colours the whole pan without turning muddy. Soften the onion in the butter, add the rice for 2 minutes, then the wine, and add the hot stock a ladle at a time. Add the beetroot purée in the last 5 minutes. Cooked for long, the colour dulls and the flavour turns flat.
Cook for about 18 minutes until the rice is tender with a slight bite, folding in the diced beetroot at the end.
Off the heat, stir in the parmesan and a squeeze of lemon, and serve with crumbled goat cheese and chives on top.
Serving Ideas
Rocket salad · Toasted walnuts · Crusty bread · Dry white wine
Ingredient Swaps
- A dry vermouth keeps for longer than an open bottle of white wine and is the closer swap than a random white left in the fridge; for an alcohol-free version, use the same amount of stock with a squeeze of lemon.
The Numbers per Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. The calories include 3 g of alcohol a serving, which is not part of the protein, carbohydrate or fat. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked.
First published ; last changed .
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