Broccoli Risotto
Give risotto a healthy boost by adding broccoli! Creamy, cheesy, and easy to make (whether on the stove top or in a pressure cooker such as an Instant Pot), Broccoli Risotto is an ideal side dish for everything from roast chicken to seafood.
Give risotto a boost by making Broccoli Risotto! Creamy, cheesy, and easy to make (whether on the stove top or in a pressure cooker such as an Instant Pot).
“It’s 7 am, bud,” I said, coaxing my son out of bed. Except it wasn’t. Ten minutes to seven, and I all of a sudden had flashbacks of my dad telling me it was time to leave well before the actual time. I felt the stress of having to get ready and out the door creeping up inside my chest.
I’ve turned into my parents!
And this is just one example.
Hurrying my kids in the morning. Telling them parent-isms such as, “remember, when I’m gone, you will only have each other.” And in the food department, sneaking in all the veggies when I can. I have truly turned into my mom and dad.
It was bound to happen.
I don’t regret it, for the most part. If it weren’t for them, there wouldn’t be Broccoli Risotto.
We didn’t grow up eating this dish, but it was just the kind of thing my mom would make. Broccoli made it into nearly every meal, or at least it felt that way. She would stuff into lasagnas or simply steam them and serve it on the side. Luckily, my kids adore broccoli, and after they gave a hearty thumbs up to broccoli rice, I knew they would love this iteration of creamy risotto, with a healthy boost.
How to Make Risotto
Risotto, if you’ve never made it, may have a reputation for being needy at the stove, but it really isn’t as demanding as it seems. Risotto can easily be made in under half an hour on the stovetop, as long as you can give it a little love and lots of stirs with the wooden spoon. But if you have a pressure cooker such as the Instant Pot, then you may want to pull it out, because all it takes is six minutes, without stirring!
A basic risotto is really quite simple, starting by sweating some onions (and in this case, garlic) in some olive oil. The rice is then added to the pot, giving it time to coat in the oils and toast until the broth is ladled in, a little at a time, giving the rice a chance to soak in all the goodness between additions. Wine is also typically used, but when I’m in a pinch, I leave it out but feel free to add it here.
Now, if you’re using a multi-cooker, you can simply add the broth all in one addition, and all it takes is 6 minutes of pressure cooking, saving you time and stirring!
For this risotto, I take the concept of broccoli rice and fold it into a creamy risotto with a generous helping of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and some fresh herbs for an all-in-one side dish. It’s the kind of dish that will save time and get everyone to eat their veggies, concepts every parent would approve, plus kids, too!
More Risotto Recipes to Try
Bok Choy Risotto with Coconut Milk and Pan Seared Shrimp
Champagne & Mushroom Risotto
Jalapeño, Corn and Cheddar Arancini
Cauliflower Risotto from Foolproof Living
Lentil Risotto with Rainbow Chard and Crispy Carrots from Vanilla and Bean
Saffron Risotto with Spring Vegetables from Bojon Gourmet
Broccoli Risotto
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 cups short grain rice i.e. Arborio
- 4 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
Stovetop method:
- Heat olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic, and cooker about 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Stir in the rice and toast for about a minute or so, making sure the grains are coated.
- Stir in 2 cups of broth, and cook until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring frequently. Continue adding the remaining stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring often and adding each addition when the liquid is nearly all absorbed. This should take about 25 minutes.
Pressure cooker method:
- Heat olive oil in a pressure cooker insert with the multi cooker set on the sauté function. Add onion and garlic, and cooker about 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Stir in the rice and toast for about a minute or so, making sure the grains are coated.
- Stir in all the broth and cover with the valve set to "pressure" and cook on the “Risotto” setting for 6 minutes.
- Depressurize the pressure cooker.
While the risotto is cooking:
- Pulse the broccoli in a food processor until finely chopped. This can also be done with a knife. Transfer to a small pan with about 1 cup of water and season lightly with salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and let it steam for about 2 minutes. Drain.
To finish the risotto:
- Stir the broccoli into the risotto. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley, thyme, butter, and cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
Comments
COOKBOOK
Would this reheat well the next day? I’m thinking of making it the night before for a potluck and then using the warming setting on my Instant Pot the day off to keep it warm.
Thanks for your question, Saira, and apologies for the late reply. The risotto tends to thicken, so if you’re serving it the next day, I would considering adding a touch of broth if necessary!
Can i add cherry tomatoes in this risotto
I haven’t tested the recipe with cherry tomatoes, but I think that would be an exciting addition! Let me know if you try it!
How can I make this vegan
Hi Emma – if you want to make this recipe vegan, substitute the chicken broth with vegetable broth, the cheese with vegan Parmesan cheese or perhaps nutritional yeast, and the butter with olive oil. Enjoy!
Excellent risotto! Easy and delicious
Thank you, Evelyn! I’m so glad you loved it!
Excellent. Had lots of broccoli to use up and thought this might be ok. Everyone loved it, great flavour. I did garlic butter shrimp for on top. Thanks
I’m so glad you liked it! Garlic butter shrimp is a delicious pairing with this risotto!
This was amazing! I love risotto but its so rich, this makes it so much lighter! I will DEFINATELY make this again! Thanks so much!!!
Trish, I’m SO glad you loved it! I agree, it adds a nice lightness to the dish – thanks for coming back to let me know!
This sounds delicious! And the broccoli is small enough that my kids might actually eat it without questioning. Can’t wait to give it a try!
Yes! They don’t even notice – they just think it’s a cool color! Yay for sneaky dishes :)
Fantastic! Used a bag of Broccoli “Pearls” to save time instead of ricing my own. Pinned and will definitely make again. Thanks!!
What a fantastic time saver, Katy! I’ll be looking for broccoli pearls at my market for next time!
This is absoultely delicious! I didn’t pre-steam the broccoli and we liked the slight crunch. Served with golden fried tofu.
I love a little crunch to my broccoli too (though my kids prefer it mushy, haha)! Golden fried tofu sounds like a delicious pairing – I’ll have to try that next time!