This beetroot and goat’s cheese risotto is a simple, well-balanced dish that lets the ingredients do the work. Roasting the beetroot first brings out its sweetness and gives the risotto both colour and flavour, while the goat’s cheese melts through the rice, adding creaminess without overwhelming it. It is the kind of risotto that rewards a little time at the stove and delivers a result that feels satisfying without being heavy.
The fennel and orange salad is crisp, fresh and a little sharp, which is exactly what you want against the richness of the rice and goat’s cheese. A few bites in, you appreciate how well they work together. The salad keeps things lively, while the risotto remains the main event.
Thanks to Callum Hann and Themis Chryssidis for sharing this recipe from their cookbook, Quick. Easy. Healthy, published by Murdoch Books.
Beetroot & Goat’s Cheese Risotto with Fennel & Orange Salad
Ingredients
- 4 beetroots
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 1 litre gluten-free chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 brown onion finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 3 handfuls basil leaves picked, stems finely chopped
- 1 cup arborio rice
- ⅓ cup dry white wine
- 60 g goat’s cheese crumbled
- 1 tablespoon warm water
Fennel and Orange Salad
- 1 small fennel bulb
- 2 oranges
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C. Individually wrap the beetroot in foil, place on a tray and roast for 1 hour or until tender when pierced with a knife. Add the pine nuts to the tray for the final 5 minutes of cooking, to toast. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Put the stock in a saucepan and bring almost to the boil, then remove from the heat.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over medium–low heat. Add the onion, garlic and basil stems, and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 1–2 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the rice, increase the heat to high, then add the wine. Once the wine bubbles away add the stock, a splash at a time, waiting for each addition of stock to be absorbed before adding the next. This process will take about 16–18 minutes. Stir occasionally. If you run out of stock and the rice needs a little more cooking, then add a little hot water. Meanwhile, put on some disposable gloves and peel the beetroot—the skin should slip off. Dice the beetroot and reserve.
- To make the salad, thinly slice the fennel, segment (or peel and slice) the oranges and combine in a bowl. Dress with the apple cider vinegar and olive oil and set aside to serve. Stir the beetroot into the rice to stain the rice pink. Transfer the risotto into four serving bowls, top with the goat’s cheese, toasted pine nuts and the basil leaves, and serve with the fennel and orange salad.
