Roasted beet risotto with goat cheese and beet greens, pressure cooker or stovetop {vegetarian, gluten-free}

In high school chemistry class, my lab partner, Bill, did all of the experiments, and I handled the write-ups. This division of labor served us well, as it had the previous year in biology lab, except that I had the hardest time describing the colors of whatever concoction was reacting in the test tube. Orangish-yellow? Reddish-purple? Bill and I struggled over what to name our colors. (Obviously, neither of us grew up to work for Benjamin Moore paints or J. Crew, where we could have gotten a whole lot more creative with color names.) I don't know how to describe the color of this roasted beet risotto, either. Red? Pink? Salmon? Reddish-pinkish-salmon? It's gorgeous, I'll say that, and the photos really do show its beauty. However, for the taste, which is also glorious and and creamy and a bit sweet from the roasted beets, you'll have to make it yourself. If goat cheese isn't your thing, you can substitute feta, but feta doesn't melt, so your risotto will be more red. Reddish-purple. Oh, you know.

Roasted beet risotto with goat cheese and beet greens

From the pantry, you'll need: olive oil, onion, Arborio rice, dry white wine, thyme leaf, vegetable stock, butter, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, fresh black pepper.

Serves 6.

Ingredients

3 cups peeled and diced red beets (3-4 large beets)
2 tsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1-1/2 cups arborio rice
1 tsp fresh thyme leaf (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
1/2 cup dry white wine
3-1/4 cups vegetable broth (I like Pacific Organic), or chicken broth
2 Tbsp butter
4 oz thinly sliced beet greens
2 oz soft goat cheese (I like garlic and herb cheese)
2-4 oz grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, to taste
1/2 tsp fresh black pepper, or more to taste

Directions (pressure cooker)

Note: I use a 6-quart electric pressure cooker, so if you have another type, you'll have to make some adjustment in the recipe.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, and when the oven is hot, roast the diced beets for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Set the pressure cooker to Browning, and heat the oil. Stir in the onion, and cook for 2 or 3 minutes, until the onion is translucent.

Next, add the rice, and cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes, until the rice is coated with the oil and very lightly starting to brown. Add the beets and thyme. Pour in the wine, which will bubble immediately. Stir for 1 minute, until most of the wine has been absorbed. Pour in 3 cups of the broth, and turn the cooker off.

Lock the top in place. Set on High Pressure for 6 minutes. It helps to set your own timer when the pot comes to full pressure, so you'll know when the cook time ends.

When the cooker switches to Keep Warm, immediately Quick Release the pressure. After the pressure indicator drops, carefully remove the top.

Switch the cooker to Browning. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of broth and the beet greens. Then, stir in the butter and cheeses. Cook for 1 minute, stirring vigorously, until the greens wilt and the cheeses have melted. Stir in the black pepper. Taste, and add salt, if needed.

Turn off the pot, and serve the risotto immediately. Any risotto that sits in the pot will begin to thicken as it cools.

Directions (stovetop)

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, and when the oven is hot, roast the diced beets for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

For 1-1/2 cups of rice, increase broth to 5 cups.

Bring the broth to a steady simmer in a saucepan on top of the stove, or in the microwave.

In a heavy 4-quart pot, heat the oil. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the rice, and stir to coat the grains. Stir in the beets and thyme.

Remove pan from the heat; add wine, and stir (be careful, the liquid might splatter when it goes into the pan). Return the pan to the burner. When the liquid is mostly absorbed, begin adding broth, 1 cup at a time, waiting for each to absorb almost entirely before adding more. Stir almost constantly.

When you add the final cup of broth, add the beet greens and butter.  When the liquid is almost absorbed, remove the pan from heat and stir in the cheeses. Use a wooden spoon to stir vigorously, until all of the cheese is melted.

Serve hot.

[Printer-friendly recipe.]

More beet recipes for beet lovers:
Raw beet, butternut and pecan slaw
Red rice salad with roasted beets, sun-dried tomatoes, cherries and nuts
Honey-roasted beets with orange and thyme
Spinach salad with glazed beets and blue cheese
Red quinoa, beet and pecan salad with pomegranate-orange vinaigrette

Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
One-pot beet, rosemary and kale arborio rice pilaf, from Cookin' Canuck
Simple vegetable paella, from A Couple Cooks
Butternut squash risotto, from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Roasted red pepper risotto cakes, from A Cozy Kitchen
Asparagus and parmesan risotto, from Worth the Whisk

Roasted beet risotto with goat cheese and beet greens

From the pantry, you'll need: olive oil, onion, Arborio rice, dry white wine, thyme leaf, vegetable stock, butter, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, fresh black pepper.

Serves 6.

Ingredients

3 cups peeled and diced red beets (3-4 large beets)
2 tsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1-1/2 cups arborio rice
1 tsp fresh thyme leaf (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
1/2 cup dry white wine
3-1/4 cups vegetable broth (I like Pacific Organic), or chicken broth
2 Tbsp butter
4 oz thinly sliced beet greens
2 oz soft goat cheese (I like garlic and herb cheese)
2-4 oz grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, to taste
1/2 tsp fresh black pepper, or more to taste

Directions (pressure cooker)

Note: I use a 6-quart electric pressure cooker, so if you have another type, you'll have to make some adjustment in the recipe.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, and when the oven is hot, roast the diced beets for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Set the pressure cooker to Browning, and heat the oil. Stir in the onion, and cook for 2 or 3 minutes, until the onion is translucent.

Next, add the rice, and cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes, until the rice is coated with the oil and very lightly starting to brown. Add the beets and thyme. Pour in the wine, which will bubble immediately. Stir for 1 minute, until most of the wine has been absorbed. Pour in 3 cups of the broth, and turn the cooker off.

Lock the top in place. Set on High Pressure for 6 minutes. It helps to set your own timer when the pot comes to full pressure, so you'll know when the cook time ends.

When the cooker switches to Keep Warm, immediately Quick Release the pressure. After the pressure indicator drops, carefully remove the top.

Switch the cooker to Browning. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of broth and the beet greens. Then, stir in the butter and cheeses. Cook for 1 minute, stirring vigorously, until the greens wilt and the cheeses have melted. Stir in the black pepper. Taste, and add salt, if needed.

Turn off the pot, and serve the risotto immediately. Any risotto that sits in the pot will begin to thicken as it cools.

Directions (stovetop)

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, and when the oven is hot, roast the diced beets for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

For 1-1/2 cups of rice, increase broth to 5 cups.

Bring the broth to a steady simmer in a saucepan on top of the stove, or in the microwave.

In a heavy 4-quart pot, heat the oil. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the rice, and stir to coat the grains. Stir in the beets and thyme.

Remove pan from the heat; add wine, and stir (be careful, the liquid might splatter when it goes into the pan). Return the pan to the burner. When the liquid is mostly absorbed, begin adding broth, 1 cup at a time, waiting for each to absorb almost entirely before adding more. Stir almost constantly.

When you add the final cup of broth, add the beet greens and butter.  When the liquid is almost absorbed, remove the pan from heat and stir in the cheeses. Use a wooden spoon to stir vigorously, until all of the cheese is melted.

Serve hot.

[Printer-friendly recipe.]

More beet recipes for beet lovers:
Raw beet, butternut and pecan slaw
Red rice salad with roasted beets, sun-dried tomatoes, cherries and nuts
Honey-roasted beets with orange and thyme
Spinach salad with glazed beets and blue cheese
Red quinoa, beet and pecan salad with pomegranate-orange vinaigrette

Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
One-pot beet, rosemary and kale arborio rice pilaf, from Cookin' Canuck
Simple vegetable paella, from A Couple Cooks
Butternut squash risotto, from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Roasted red pepper risotto cakes, from A Cozy Kitchen
Asparagus and parmesan risotto, from Worth the Whisk

Comments

I love beets, but sadly they are too high in sugar for me to eat as a regular vegetable. But I would love this for a treat! I need to try rice in the pressure cooker; sounds easy and delicious.

i am sooooo making this! thanks!

Kalyn, my husband the beet lover adored this risotto. And the pressure cooker makes risotto so very easy!

Janis, yay, another beet lover!

Thanks for the recipe! I love making risotto in the pressure cooker. I thought the rice was cooked perfectly in this. I didn't measure out the beets though, so I have about the same beet to rice ratio. Next time I will adhere to the 3 cup measurement. Lastly, I don't care for goat cheese, so I subbed in cream cheese. Glad I found this recipe when I got beets in my CSA box.