Vegetable Risotto
This easy Vegetable Risotto is a delicious dinner or side dish to serve with chicken, pork chops or steak. The summer veggies add color and nutrients to creamy risotto and it comes together in just 30 minutes.
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Vegetable Risotto Recipe
One of my favorite impromptu meals to make is risotto. I know what you're thinking - risotto is fancy! And yes - at first, risotto may seem intimidating because of the steps involved. But I promise you, it's almost foolproof!
Learning how to cook risotto is totally worth it. This Vegetable Risotto is perfect because you can customize it to use the veggies you have around the kitchen. (Or add your favorite protein, as I did with this shrimp risotto.)
That's how I ended up with this recipe for vegetable risotto. It's creamy, it's packed with veggies and it's totally delicious. You can serve it as a side dish but you can easily make it a main dish too. Add chicken or shrimp to this dish as well if you'd like some protein added. I love to add these pan seared chicken thighs because I can make them while the risotto is cooking.
Ingredients
Here is what you need to make this easy recipe for tomato and zucchini risotto:
- extra-virgin olive oil
- zucchini
- grape tomatoes
- yellow onion
- fresh garlic cloves or minced garlic
- arborio rice
- dry white wine
- vegetable broth
Substitutions & variations
Don't be afraid to customize your recipes! Often I find two to three recipes that I combine to make my own version. That's how this recipe was born, I learned how to make a basic risotto and then started to add different ingredients that I liked. Are you a strict recipe follower (my husband is)? Or do you just wing it?
Add other veggies: You can also mix in other summer veggies and herbs as well, such as corn kernels, squash, basil or mushrooms. Or use any vegetables you have on hand!
Use other broth: If you don't have vegetable broth, chicken broth or beef broth are okay! But if you need to keep this vegetarian or vegan, then stick to vegetable broth.
Instead of using wine: Squeeze in lemon juice at some point during the cooking process or at the very end for a punch of lemon flavor.
How to make tomato zucchini risotto
This veggie risotto may seem tricky at first because there are a lot of steps. But I promise you that you can do it! If you get discouraged, I encourage you to try again.
First, get out a small sauce pan, pour in the vegetable broth and set to low heat.
Slice grape tomatoes in half vertically. Set tomatoes aside; these will be tossed into the warm risotto after cooking.
Cut off ends of zucchini and then quarter and slice about ½-inch thick. While the risotto is cooking, sauté zucchini in a frying pan in olive oil until zucchini is fork tender.
- Dice onion and mince garlic. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a sauce pan on medium heat, sauté onions and garlic until almost translucent, about 2 minutes.
- Add arborio rice to pan and stir with wooden spoon until the edges are translucent, another 2 minutes.
- Pour in wine and let the wine absorb almost fully, about 5 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Use a ladle to pour about ½ cup of broth into the risotto.
- Allow risotto to almost fully absorb broth before adding another ladle. Stir risotto occasionally, between ladling in broth.
- When there is about a ½ cup of broth left to add to the risotto, take a spoonful to test. If needed, add the rest of the broth or more to cook to the right consistency for your preference.
Risotto is typically served "al dente" but you can cook it to your preference. When resting, the risotto will continue to cook so be sure to not overcook it during this process.
- Add zucchini and tomatoes into risotto and stir together.
- Top with a little black pepper or grated parmesan if you like! Serve immediately.
Got leftovers? Here's how to reheat risotto perfectly every time.
Tips for making risotto
Keep these simple tricks in mind for a flawless vegetable risotto:
- Don't rush risotto. If you're in a pinch, you can cook the veggies and proteins while you make risotto in the instant pot. However, I promise that you can do it on the stove too.
- Cook toppings and mix-ins separately. Risotto needs to cook together without interruptions from other ingredients so that the grains stick together and become creamy. Cook any vegetables or proteins separately from the risotto and gently toss them in as the risotto is finished cooking or serve them on top.
- Always use warm stock for risotto. Adding cold stock can "shock" the rice and slow down the cooking process. Room temperature stock is fine in a pinch, but for the best texture and flavor, warm the stock and ladle it in gradually. This helps maintain a steady temperature in the pot, allowing the risotto to cook evenly and more efficiently.
FAQ
A dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay makes an ideal cooking wine.
Wine adds depth and acidity, but you can skip it or substitute with a splash of lemon juice or a bit of extra broth if needed.
The rice should be tender but still slightly firm in the center-al dente. The risotto should be creamy and loose, not dry or stiff.
What to serve with risotto
This veggie risotto is delicious on its own, but you can also add on lots of proteins. The best part of risotto is that it is so customizable, so make this recipe and tweak it to your liking! I hope you fall in love with risotto.
These cast iron skillet grilled steaks are one of my favorites to make with risotto for a fancier meal. But on a weeknight I might make these lemon pepper chicken thighs - they are so easy!
I also love to cook up these marinated Italian pork chops. Such a good Italian dinner! If you like seafood, you can try blackened shrimp or oven-baked scallops.
Tomato Zucchini Risotto
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 medium zucchini quartered and sliced ½ inch thick
- ½ cup grape tomatoes halved
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1½ cups arborio rice
- ¾ cup dry white wine
- 32 ounces vegetable broth
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, pour in vegetable broth and set to low heat.
- Cut off ends of zucchini and then quarter and slice about ½ inch thick. Set aside to cook in step 8.
- Slice grape tomatoes in half vertically and set aside, these will be tossed into the warm risotto after cooking.
- Dice onion and mince garlic. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a saucepan on medium heat, sauté onions and garlic until almost translucent, about 2 minutes.
- Add arborio rice to pan and stir with wooden spoon until the edges are translucent another 2 minutes.
- Pour in wine and let the wine absorb almost fully, about 5 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Use a ladle to pour about ½ cup of broth into the risotto. Allow risotto to almost fully absorb broth before adding another ladleful. Stir risotto occasionally, between ladling in broth.
- While the risotto is cooking, sauté zucchini in frying pan in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until zucchini is fork-tender.
- When there is about a ½ cup of broth left to add to the risotto, take a spoonful to test. Risotto typically is served "al dente" but you can cook it to your personal preference. When resting, the risotto will continue to cook so be sure to not overcook it during this process.
- If needed, add the rest of the broth or more to cook to the right consistency for your preference.
- Add zucchini and tomatoes into the risotto and stir together. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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Thanks for this share, girl. I've got a recipe to add to my list! 🙂
Thanks for this share, girl. I've got a recipe to add to my list! 🙂
Yummmmm! When I'm making something for the first time, I follow it precisely. When I get more comfortable making it, I wing it. 🙂
Yummmmm! When I'm making something for the first time, I follow it precisely. When I get more comfortable making it, I wing it. 🙂
that looks delicious. I mostly wing it
that looks delicious. I mostly wing it