Last Updated on March 19, 2024 by Share My Kitchen
I have always been really tempted to try beetroot risotto. Well, I didn’t manage in the beetroot season, although we still had lots of beetroots: in soups (as the Russian vegetarian borscht and the dense beet soup with thyme bread croutons), as an ingredient in various salads and I even baked my favorite chocolate beetroot cake. But somehow I didn’t attempt a simple risotto with beetroot.
This bright and shiny dish tastes just the way it looks – vivid but also silky soft, simple but somehow festive. The sharp taste of Pecorino is a perfect match, but you can also use Parmesan or other mature cheese of your choice.
How To Make Beetroot Risotto
Serves: 4
Cooking time: 30-35 minutes
Ingredients:
- 300-400g beetroot, cooked* and peeled
- 2 medium or 3 small onions, finely chopped
- 300 g of short-grained rice
- 50 g (2 tbsp) butter
- 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
- 100 ml table white wine
- 500 ml vegetable stock
- 50 – 100 g Pecorino cheese
*We use a lazy and very economic method to cook the beetroot – just wrap it, well washed, in aluminum foil, and place it in the bottom of the oven, when cooking something else.
Depending on the size, it needs between 30 minutes to an hour. Leave it to cool without unwrapping and peel the skin off once it’s cooled. This way all the goodness remains in the beet, and nothing is loost.
Method:
In a heavy-based pan, melt the butter and add the onions and garlic. Cook on low heat until the onion is soft but not brown – 8-10 minutes. Add the washed and drained rice. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the rice becomes translucent and then start adding the white wine, while constantly stirring.
Cook like this (on low heat) for 5 -8 minutes or until the wine has evaporated completely. At this stage is important to be careful you don’t stop the cooking process by adding too much wine, too quickly.
How To Stir Risotto Correctly
Once you’ve done with the wine, start adding the hot vegetable stock, again in small portions. Continue cooking, stirring and adding broth as the rice absorbs it. Meanwhile, grate the beetroot on a medium grater. Add it to the risotto just before the last ladle or two of broth and stir. Once absorbed, taste the risotto – season with salt to your taste and add some more liquid, if the rice is still undercooked.
Finish it off by adding a tablespoon of butter and Pecorino, covering the pan with a lid, and leaving it to rest for 5 minutes. While resting the cooking process continues, so be careful not to overcook it.
Finally, mix in the melted Pecorino and the butter, season with freshly ground black pepper, and shed more Pecorino on top of each portion, if you like.