This creamy herb risotto recipe is delicious, simple, and easily adaptable to your taste in flavors! It’s a family favorite in our home and one of my go to sides!
One of the first thing my “seasoned sampler”, Mary, wanted to learn to cook was creamy herb risotto! She loves risotto…it’s one of her comfort foods. I could be starting another recipe and if it has sautéed garlic and onions / shallots, then she follows the smell to the kitchen and asks if I’m making risotto!
One of the steps I like to do to enhance the flavor, is to “toast” the arborio rice after sautéing the garlic and shallots, and before adding the liquid. Another flavor enhancer is to deglaze the pan with a little white wine after toasting the rice and cooking it off prior to adding the stock. It just adds a little pizzaz to the creamy herb risotto. If you prefer to not cook with alcohol, simply omit.
This recipe is super easy and adaptable. You can take it in many directions based on the cooking liquid you choose: chicken stock, beef stock, vegetable stock…you get the idea. In the summertime, we add some of our fresh herbs. Rosemary is our favorite! Today we were snowed in from snowmageddon that dropped 15 inches of snow in our area and, although my rosemary is still hanging in there it was clearly covered in snow, so I used dried herbs. You can use any flavors you like…today I used a little crushed rosemary, basil leaves and parsley. Delish!
Mike and I like to add fresh grated Parmesan cheese to ours…Mary does not. It’s all a matter of personal taste and this side dish is a wonderfully blank canvas that you can customize to your taste, your meal and/or ingredients you have on hand. Enjoy!
Mary's Creamy Herb Risotto
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 shallot minced
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 cup risotto rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine optional
- 4 cups chicken stock / broth warmed on stove top *
- 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary or any herb of your choice (optional)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese optional
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil and butter in pan over medium high heat.
- Add garlic and shallots to pan and saute for 1-2 minutes.
- Add rice to pan and toast for 2-3 minutes.
- Add white wine to pan and cook, stirring frequently, until all the wine has evaporated.
- Add chicken stock / broth / water a cup at a time, stirring frequently, until liquid has been absorbed by the rice.
- If the rice is too al dente, add additional stock / broth / or water, and cook until rice is done and almost all liquid absorbed.Add salt and pepper, to taste.
- Stir in herbs and Parmesan cheese.
- Garnish with herbs and / or Parmesan cheese, if desired.
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