30 mins
Not Too Tricky
serves 6
About the recipe
Oozy and delicate with amazing colour, this vivid green risotto is a thing of real joy – there’s a real harmony between the shape of the veg and the size of the rice. For me, this is comfort food at its best.
Ingredients
180g mixed seasonal greens, such as kale, cavolo nero, swiss chard, spinach, broccoli
1.8 litres organic vegetable stock
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
70g Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve
2 sticks of celery
1 onion
2 small knobs of unsalted butter
400g risotto rice
½ a bunch of fresh thyme or marjoram (15g)
125ml white wine
½ a lemon
Top Tip
If you're short on time, the bags of frozen sofrito base you can get in the supermarket can be super-handy.
Method
- Wash and prep 180g of mixed seasonal greens, removing any tough stalky bits, as necessary. Meanwhile, bring 1.8 litres of vegetable stock to a simmer over a medium heat.
- Add the prepped greens to the stock, pop the lid on and cook for 3 minutes, or until just tender.
- Carefully remove the greens to a blender using tongs, add 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.
- Finely grate in 40g of Parmesan cheese, add 1 ladleful of stock then whiz until super-smooth, loosening with a little more stock, if needed.
- Trim and finely chop 2 sticks of celery and peel and finely chop 1 onion, then place in a large, high-sided pan on a medium heat with 1 knob of unsalted butter. Cook for 10 minutes, or until softened but not coloured, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in 400g of risotto rice to toast for 2 minutes, then pour in 125ml of white wine and stir until absorbed.
- Tip the hot stock into a jug, then dunk and swirl in ½ a bunch of fresh thyme or marjoram (15g) for bonus flavour.
- Pour a decent splash of stock into the pan and wait until it’s been fully absorbed before adding another, stirring constantly and adding splashes of stock until the rice is tender but still holding its shape – it will take 16 to 18 minutes.
- When the rice has absorbed all the stock, start gradually adding up to half the blended greens (save the rest for another day), stirring until slightly thickened.
- Turn off the heat, add 1 knob of unsalted butter, grate in 30g of Parmesan and stir to combine.
- Taste and season to perfection with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice, then pop the lid on and leave to rest for a minute or two before serving. Finish with a fine grating of Parmesan, if you like.
Have fun with different cheeses here. If you don't have Parmesan, any hard cheese would work, or indeed some crumbly goats cheese would be great, too.
Freeze any leftover vivid greens sauce for another day – totally delicious tossed through pasta for a super-quick midweek meal.
Any leftover risotto can be turned into delicious bite-sized arancini. Simply fill with mozzarella, roll in breadcrumbs and deep-fry. What a treat!
Always use a wine that you're happy to drink – white wine or rosé work well here. And, if you don’t want to use wine, simply leave it out.
Choose arborio, baldo, carnaroli, vialone nano or roma varieties of rice – these all absorb stock well, giving you that lovely thick, velvety texture. Never wash your rice beforehand as this removes the starch, which is what helps give risotto its smooth texture.
Cook your risotto on a low, simmering heat and add the stock gradually, one ladle at a time – this gives the rice time to fully absorb the liquid and flavour. Rushing your risotto will only ruin its texture. It’s well worth the wait, rather than risking undercooked rice. Adding too much stock or leaving the pan on the heat for too long will overcook the risotto, causing the rice to become stodgy. It should be fat and tender on the outside, but still have a little bite in the centre.
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