Vegetable Risotto

In celebration of the 700th hit on my page, I am making a risotto post. I do not make risotto very much, because, although it is delicious, it is time consuming and takes a bit of effort. Risotto is rice that is cooked slowly with broth until it reaches a creamy consistency. Risotto is one of the go-to dishes for special events in my family. It's very versatile, and can be made with many different ingredients, but to start out, I'm just going to show you a basic recipe.
First, choose your vegetables. I used asparagus and carrots, but you can use anything you'd like. Artichokes would be good, as well as peas. Chop up the vegetables into bite-sized pieces, and then parboil them in salted water for 1-2 minutes, or until tender. Set aside.

Next, bring your vegetable stock to a simmer in a large saucepan. I used my own homemade veggie broth for this, so it was extra special :).

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until soft, about 4 minutes.

Next, add the rice and stir until each grain is coated with oil, and is translucent with a white dot in the center.

Add the wine and stir until completely absorbed.

Next, add the simmering broth, one ladleful at a time, to the rice, and stir until absorbed. Repeat, stirring constantly, until all the broth has been used (reserve 1/4 cup to add at the end) and the rice is al dente. This will take about 20 minutes.

Stir in the butter, extra stock, cheese, and vegetables. Season with salt and pepper, and top with more cheese.

Now, serve! It's great on its own, or as a side dish. It also makes really good leftovers. I'll be having a good lunch tomorrow :).

Here's the recipe:

Vegetable Risotto

Ingredients:

1 lb. vegetables (chopped into bite-sized pieces)

7-8 cups vegetable stock

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup yellow onion (finely chopped)

3 cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice

1 cup dry white wine (room temperature)

1 T butter

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)

Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Parboil the vegetables in salted boiling water until just tender, about 1-2 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the stock to a simmer and maintain over low heat.
3. In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the rice and stir until each grain is coated in oil, and is translucent with a white dot in the center. Add the wine and stir until completely absorbed.
4. Add the simmering stock, one ladleful at a time, stirring frequently after each addition. Wait until the stock is almost completely absorbed, but the rice is never dry on top, before adding the next ladleful. Reserve 1/4 cup of stock to add at the end.
5. When the rice is al dente, remove from heat and stir in the extra stock, vegetables, butter, and cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Eat.

Source: Williams Sonoma