Vivid pink, creamy risotto with tangy cheese on top.
Serves 4 | Preparation: 20 minutes | Cooking: 30 minutes | Total: 50 minutes
Times include any chilling, resting or cooling stated below. Oven temperatures are conventional; reduce by 20°C for a fan oven.
Ingredients
400 g cooked beetroot, grated or diced
320 g risotto rice (arborio or carnaroli)
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
30 g butter
100 ml dry white wine (or extra stock)
1.2 l hot vegetable stock
120 g goat’s cheese made with vegetarian rennet
30 g chopped walnuts
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
Method
Blend half the beetroot with a ladle of the hot stock until smooth. Keep the rest diced for folding in at the end.
Soften the onion in the oil and half the butter, add the garlic and the rice and stir for a couple of minutes until glossy.
Pour in the wine and let it bubble away. Then add the hot stock a ladle at a time, stirring often and waiting until each is absorbed before adding the next, about 18 minutes.
When the rice is nearly tender, stir in the beetroot purée, diced beetroot, salt and thyme. Cook a couple of minutes more.
Take off the heat, beat in the remaining butter, cover for 2 minutes, then serve topped with goat’s cheese and walnuts.
Variations and substitutions
Wear gloves when handling beetroot to avoid stained hands. Leave out the butter and cheese for a vegan version.
For a vegetarian dish, choose cheese labelled suitable for vegetarians and check any other packaged ingredients.
Replace wine with extra vegetable stock. For a vegan version use olive oil instead of butter and a suitable plant-based topping.
Homegrown and seasonal produce
Roast or boil homegrown beetroot until tender before weighing 400 g. Avoid vinegar-pickled beetroot, which changes the flavour and acidity.
Storage and freezing
Cool rice dishes as quickly as possible, ideally within 1 hour, then refrigerate at 5°C or below and eat within 24 hours. Freeze promptly in small portions for up to 1 month. Defrost in the fridge and reheat once until steaming hot throughout; eat immediately.
Explore our growing guides and From Garden to Kitchen guide. Plan your next harvest with Your Growing Companion.
Stock photograph illustrating the ingredients or a serving idea.
