Prepare broccoli: Trim florets off main stem and quarter. Cut stem into ½-inch knobs and dice.
Pour stock, wine, water and half the quantity of lemon juice into a medium-sized pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Add broccoli florets and cook for 4 minutes until just tender. Remove florets from broth and reserve. Leave broth simmering on stovetop.
Prepare the risotto: Place a large skillet on stovetop over medium-high heat. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter then add leeks, stirring to cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring often, until grains are translucent around the edges, about 3 minutes.
Stir in diced broccoli stems and garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add ½ cup of hot broth and cook, stirring often, until broth is almost completely absorbed, about 1 minute. Continue to add broth in this way, stirring each time to incorporate, and waiting until liquid is almost completely absorbed before adding more. Cook, stirring often, until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle the risotto with the lemon zest followed by the broccoli florets stirring to combine. Do a taste test then add more lemon juice to taste along with a sprinkle of both salt and pepper. Add Parmesan.
To serve: Portion risotto into pasta bowls or on luncheon plates. Garnish with more Parmesan, chopped parsley and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Broccoli Risotto
Ingredients
4 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup water
1 pound broccoli
zest from 1 lemon
juice from 1 lemon
1 leek, white part thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ½ cups carnaroli or Arborio rice
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
For garnish:
grated Parmesan cheese
chopped fresh parsley
sprinkle kosher salt
sprinkle black pepper
Directions
Prepare broccoli: Trim florets off main stem and quarter. Cut stem into ½-inch knobs and dice.
Pour stock, wine, water and half the quantity of lemon juice into a medium-sized pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Add broccoli florets and cook for 4 minutes until just tender. Remove florets from broth and reserve. Leave broth simmering on stovetop.
Prepare the risotto: Place a large skillet on stovetop over medium-high heat. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter then add leeks, stirring to cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring often, until grains are translucent around the edges, about 3 minutes.
Stir in diced broccoli stems and garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add ½ cup of hot broth and cook, stirring often, until broth is almost completely absorbed, about 1 minute. Continue to add broth in this way, stirring each time to incorporate, and waiting until liquid is almost completely absorbed before adding more. Cook, stirring often, until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle the risotto with the lemon zest followed by the broccoli florets stirring to combine. Do a taste test then add more lemon juice to taste along with a sprinkle of both salt and pepper. Add Parmesan.
To serve: Portion risotto into pasta bowls or on luncheon plates. Garnish with more Parmesan, chopped parsley and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Broccoli Risotto
5 / 5. 1
The classic creamy rice dish flavoured with broccoli, lemon, leeks, butter and Parmesan cheese…
This dreamy BROCCOLI RISOTTO recipe proves that rice is nice any day of the week.
We’ve all been there, taking the first bite of something and thinking, “Wow! Is this ever delicious!” Such is the case with this creamy BROCCOLI RISOTTO. Similar in process to our WILD MUSHROOM RISOTTO, this tasty recipe features fresh broccoli paired with leeks, garlic, lemon and Parmesan cheese. It has a pleasing flavour profile we know you’re going to love.
Before listing some of the key tips to making this rice dish, here are a few answers to the questions we’re often asked about making risotto from scratch:
Is risotto a pasta or a rice? Risotto is always made with starchy rice, which, unlike most pastas, is naturally gluten-free.
Is risotto difficult to make? No, but be prepared for more active time in this recipe as opposed to others. Making risotto involves a lot of stirring.
What makes risotto so creamy? Risotto is made by slowly cooking rice. Adding liquid to the starchy rice, little by little, brings out the creaminess without the use of dairy.
More to reveal as we continue, but now here are some tips on making BROCCOLI RISOTTO:
INGREDIENTS
All of the ingredients needed to make this vegetable risotto are available at your local grocery store. The one ingredient that may pose a problem is the rice – fingers crossed you will be able to find Arborio rice at your local grocer. If you’d like a bit of an upgrade, head to a speciality food store and buy some carnaroli rice, which is what we used. It has a slightly more nutty flavour and we found the rice plumped up perfectly when cooked slowly.
BROCCOLI
You know how health and nutrition experts are always suggesting we eat more vegetables? Well, this recipe actually makes you want to do just that. BROCCOLI is so healthy for us here are some nutrition facts. Broccoli is loaded with essential vitamins and minerals like iron, potassium and vitamins C and K. Like other members of the cabbage family, broccoli is also good for heart health and contains fiber. We suggest fresh broccoli for this recipe, and make sure to read the instructions on how to prepare it. Even the stems get diced and added to the recipe, so there’s zero broccoli waste. Hurray!
SAUTÉ
We all agreed that sautéing the ingredients at the beginning of this risotto recipe is what makes it extra flavourful. Although we could have made this dish using onions, we opted for leeks. Instead of olive oil, we use butter. Long ago we discovered the kind of magic that happens when leeks get sautéed in butter. Slowly cooking the rice and garlic in that flavourful broth, brightened with lemon juice, is brilliant. Wait until you taste this!
RICE
Rice has a significant amount of protein, which we love, but for risotto, we’re looking at starch. Ideally, you want a high-starch (amylopectin), low-amylose round or medium-to-short grain rice. You’ll get different results using some of the favourite varieties like Arborio, baldo, maratelli, Padano and vialone nano, but we found CARNAROLI rice to be the best. Not only is it more flavourful, but it’s also more even in its absorption of liquids and release of starch. This prevents the risotto from getting mushy or overcooked.
COOK THE RICE
We suggest you watch this VIDEO of us making the recipe beforehand to give yourself a sense of timing and process. One important note: don’t rush cooking the rice. After adding it to the skillet or saucepan with the softened leeks and garlic, simmer the rice on medium heat or low heat until you see the edge of the grains go translucent, then add the stock or broth and wine liquid. This is a key step to toasting the grains and releasing their nutty flavour. Cooking the rice slowly also ensures a silky, creamy risotto. That’s the goal.
BLANCHE
As mentioned, we use every bit of the broccoli in this recipe. The trick though is to cook the broccoli in two parts, the first being the large broccoli florets or flowers. These get cooked in the lemon and wine-flavoured chicken stock, tenderizing the broccoli slightly and adding flavour to the florets. The second step is to cook the diced flesh from the stems in the pan while the rice cooks. Trust us, lots of flavour coming your way!
Feel free to substitute the chicken stock with chicken broth or a flavourful vegetable broth too. We suggest using a dry white wine for this recipe.
SERVE
Serving a homemade broccoli cheese risotto could not be easier. Stir the creamy, broccoli-enhanced rice, then add a dollop or two into a pasta bowl or luncheon plate. Garnish with more Parmesan cheese, some chopped parsley, a pinch of salt and black pepper and you’re ready to enjoy!
This wonderful, homemade rice dish is so tasty, we suggest you PIN it to a favourite lunch, dinner or weeknight meal idea board on PINTEREST or BOOKMARK this tab for easy access. SHARE it with friends so they can make it too. We’d also appreciate seeing pics of all the delicious dishes you’re making these days. Use #weekendatthecottage when you post those pics on Facebook and Instagram. Thanks!
This is undoubtedly the best BROCCOLI RISOTTO recipe you’ll ever make. Enjoy!
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Ingredients
4 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup water
1 pound broccoli
zest from 1 lemon
juice from 1 lemon
1 leek, white part thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ½ cups carnaroli or Arborio rice
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
For garnish:
grated Parmesan cheese
chopped fresh parsley
sprinkle kosher salt
sprinkle black pepper
Directions
Prepare broccoli: Trim florets off main stem and quarter. Cut stem into ½-inch knobs and dice.
Pour stock, wine, water and half the quantity of lemon juice into a medium-sized pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Add broccoli florets and cook for 4 minutes until just tender. Remove florets from broth and reserve. Leave broth simmering on stovetop.
Prepare the risotto: Place a large skillet on stovetop over medium-high heat. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter then add leeks, stirring to cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring often, until grains are translucent around the edges, about 3 minutes.
Stir in diced broccoli stems and garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add ½ cup of hot broth and cook, stirring often, until broth is almost completely absorbed, about 1 minute. Continue to add broth in this way, stirring each time to incorporate, and waiting until liquid is almost completely absorbed before adding more. Cook, stirring often, until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle the risotto with the lemon zest followed by the broccoli florets stirring to combine. Do a taste test then add more lemon juice to taste along with a sprinkle of both salt and pepper. Add Parmesan.
To serve: Portion risotto into pasta bowls or on luncheon plates. Garnish with more Parmesan, chopped parsley and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
