Main dish

Beetroot and Goat's Cheese Risotto recipe

Name: Beetroot and Goat's Cheese Risotto
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1¼ litres vegetable stock; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion (chopped); 3 garlic cloves (chopped); 125ml white wine; 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or ¼ tsp dried); 400g risotto rice; 6 chestnut mushrooms (sliced); 150g goat's cheese with rind (sliced into discs); 150g beetroot (grated or blitzed in a food processor); 1 bag rocket (around 60g); 1 tbsp butter; salt and pepper; Small handful parsley (chopped, optional)

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Beetroot, rocket and thyme combine to make the cheeriest of risottos, topped with grilled goat's cheese rounds.

Prep15m
Cook20m
Total35m

cheese italian risotto vegetarian

Two bowls of beetroot risotto with goats' cheese garnish

This is my go-to beetroot risotto recipe. I’m sure it originated from BBC Good Food but it’s no longer on there so I can’t credit whoever came up with this brilliant and adaptable recipe.

Quite a few of the ingredients can be left out but the non-negotiables, aside from beetroot and goat's cheese, are thyme (dried is fine if you don’t have fresh) and rocket. Beetroot can be strong, especially if you use the kind that’s pickled in vinegar like I do. Thyme and rocket give the dish some balance.

The original recipe used soft goat's cheese stirred in at the end but I love goat's cheese with a rind, grilled until golden and added on top so the risotto stays vibrantly pink.

Feel free to use any odds and ends of veg as this is a forgiving recipe and there's little that will overpower the beetroot. In the version pictured I added a leek and some mushrooms.

A lazy shortcut, because I’m averse to making up vegetable stock, is to add Marigold bouillon stock powder to the pan (about 4 teaspoons) along with the white wine, then gradually add water to the risotto from a freshly boiled kettle.

Recipe

Beetroot and Goat's Cheese Risotto

Prep15m
Cook20m
Total35m

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1¼ litres vegetable stock
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion (chopped)
3 garlic cloves (chopped)
125ml white wine
2 sprigs fresh thyme (or ¼ tsp dried)
400g risotto rice
6 chestnut mushrooms (sliced)
150g goat's cheese with rind (sliced into discs)
150g beetroot (grated or blitzed in a food processor)
1 bag rocket (around 60g)
1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper
Small handful parsley (chopped, optional)

Method

Make up 1¼ litres of vegetable stock (see intro for an alternative) and put a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the saucepan.
Add 1 chopped onion to the saucepan and fry for around 5 minutes.
Add 3 cloves of chopped garlic to the pan, fry for a few minutes, then add 125ml white white and the leaves from 2 sprigs of fresh thyme.
When the wine starts bubbling add 400g of risotto rice to the pan. Fry the dry rice for 1 minute while stirring constantly to gently toast the rice then add around a cup of vegetable stock to the pan. Set a timer for 20 minutes and keep stirring the rice.
Once the rice has absorbed the stock, add some more, about half a cup at a time and keep stirring.
Once the rice has been cooking for around 10 minutes, add 6 sliced chestnut mushrooms to the pan, stirring and adding more stock whenever the risotto looks dry.
Place 150g of goat's cheese rounds onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and grill for 5-7 minutes until golden brown.
Start to taste the risotto once it’s been cooking for 16 minutes and if the rice isn’t quite cooked through, cook for a few more minutes.
Once the rice is cooked through, turn the heat down and add 150g of grated beetroot, 1 bag of rocket leaves and 1 tablespoon of butter.
Taste and season with salt and pepper then divide into bowls, top with the goat's cheese rounds and chopped parsley (if using).