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Bright pink beetroot risotto in a white bowl, with feta, lemon peel and walnuts on top with a silver spoon.

Easy Pink Beet Risotto


  • Author: Kate Alexandra
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

Get ready to fall in love with this vibrant, pretty in pink beet risotto. With creamy feta, zesty lemon, crunchy, toasty walnuts and a quick hack for cutting down prep time, this vegetarian dish is perfect for weeknights or special occasions.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 4 ready-cooked beets (not packed in vinegar)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
  • 2 teaspoons fish sauce (optional)
  • 1 1/4 cups arborio rice
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 4.5 cups vegetable stock, hot
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 1/2 cup parmesan, finely grated
  • 1/2 cup feta, crumbled
  • 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
  • A handful of fresh thyme leaves

Instructions

  1. Make the beet puree. Blitz your beets in a blender or food processor until a smooth puree forms. If it’s getting stuck, add a little water to help it get moving. You should end up with about 3/4 cup. Set it aside for later, then start the risotto.
  2. Cook the onion and garlic. Melt the butter in a large, high-sided pot or pan, and add the diced onion and 2 teaspoons of salt. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, until the onion is softening nicely and starting to change colour (it’ll look more transparent). At this point, add the garlic and fish sauce, then stir for another minute. Pour in 1/2 cup of wine and let it bubble up for a minute so the alcohol cooks off. Add the rice and stir until every grain is well coated.
  3. Stir the risotto. Add the hot vegetable stock, a ladleful at a time and stir as the stock absorbs into the rice. Once it’s absorbed, add another ladleful. Continue in this way until the rice is JUST about al dente (cooked but still with a bite to it). At that point, you should have roughly 1 ladleful of stock left. Turn the heat off, then add the beet puree, lemon zest and juice, then stir it through the risotto (and marvel at the glorious colour!). Turn the heat back on to low, then add the last ladleful of stock and the parmesan. Let the parmesan let it sit on top of the risotto for a minute to start melting, then stir it through.
  4. Garnish and serve. Divide the risotto between plates, then top with a good crumbling of feta, toasted walnuts, the remaining lemon zest and thyme leaves.

Notes

INGREDIENT NOTES: Don’t use ready-cooked beets sitting in vinegar – this will alter the flavour of the risotto. You can roast raw beets if you prefer (this is great when they’re in season!) Trim the stalks from 3 large beets, then wrap them individually in aluminium foil. Roast them at 400F/200C fan for about 1.5 hours, or until you can easily pierce them right through with a knife. Let them cool, then remove the skin (this should be easy and they should kind of slip off if they’re soft enough. Chop them up then blitz them into a puree, and continue with the recipe. Use goat’s cheese or ricotta instead of feta if you like, and use chicken stock if you’re not vegetarian. If you don’t want to use wine, use apple cider vinegar or more lemon juice. If you don’t use the fish sauce, add another teaspoon of salt.

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: The risotto will keep well in a covered container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The rice will keep absorbing liquid as it sits, so when you reheat it, add a little water to help loosen things up (start with 1 tablespoon). You can reheat it gently on the stovetop over low heat, or in the microwave at 1-minute intervals.

HAVE LEFTOVERS? Make mozzarella-stuffed arancini! These moreish fried risotto balls are an amazing snack or party bite, and they’re the perfect way to use up a little leftover risotto. I love to add feta to the gooey mozzarella centre for arancini using beetroot risotto.

  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 25
  • Category: rice
  • Method: stove top
  • Cuisine: italian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 bowl

Keywords: beet risotto, easy risotto, risotto recipe, date night risotto