Carrot Risotto: A Spring Inspired Dish

This carrot risotto goes out to anyone who had to be the Easter Bunny last week! I hope you survived the egg hunts and aftermath of sugar-filled kids.

We had a lovely Easter weekend. We spent the weekend with family. My mother and grandmother traveled to town. We grilled out, per my grandmothers request, and spent lots of timing reminiscing. I’m incredibly grateful for the memories created, as they helped my youngest son practice walking and my mom presented a very festive cake to my 4-year-old who was amazed.

Seasonal Inspo

Inspired by spring, bunnies and the need for something “adult”, I made this carrot risotto. I used the techniques of traditional risotto, but instead incorporated freshly shredded carrots, gruyere cheese, fresh sage and heavy cream. I think it’s a lovely meatless dish with earthy flavors and creamy rice. I will definitely be making it again and again. Luckily I planted carrots again this year to save a few trips to the market!

If needed, here’s a helpful link to learn the basics on making risotto.

Here’s how to make my Carrot Risotto…

Mise En Place

• 2 Tablespoons of Unsalted butter
• 2 Tablespoons of Olive oil
• Around 9 oz of Carrots–  peeled and shredded (about 4 medium sized carrots will do)
• 1 small onion – chopped
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry White Wine
• 4 1/2 cups Vegetable Broth or water (I sometimes use a combo of both if low on broth)
• 5-6 fresh Sage leaves finely chopped plus more for garnish
• 2/3 cup Heavy Cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup Gruyere cheese – shredded

Cooking the carrot risotto has 4 major steps:

Cook vegetables

First, you’ll start by bringing a a large pot of broth to a simmer.

In a separate heavy bottom pan, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. When butter is melted, you’ll add in the shredded carrots and onions. For 8-10 minutes, cook until the carrots begin to tenderize and the onions are translucent. It is important to stir occasionally (and lower heat if needed) to avoid onions browning the onions. *Overall, the trick here is to get the vegetables tender enough to balance well with the infamous softness of the rice in risotto. May take more than 10 minutes depending on your heat.

Add rice and liquids

Next, stir in the uncooked Arborio rice until coated well with oil. Cook for about 1 minute. You will notice the edges of each rice grain becoming translucent. At this point, you’ll want to add your dry white wine to the carrot and rice mixture. Stir until the liquid is absorbed.

Now, you’ll begin ladling in the warmed through vegetable broth- Add about a 1/2 cup of broth to the pan and stir in gently. Once the rice absorbs the liquid, stir in another 1/2 cup of warm broth. Repeat this process until your rice is al dente.

Stir in aromatics and remaining ingredients

Once your rice is al dente, stir in the heavy cream and chopped sage. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Lastly, you’ll fold in the shredded Gruyere cheese.

Garnish and serve

Spoon your finished carrot risotto into serving dishes. If desired, you can use the green carrot tops and any additional sage leaves as a garnish. Be sure to serve the risotto warm. Enjoy!

All in All

I absolutely enjoyed the balance between the earthy, tender carrots and the soft rice. I am one of those foodies that loves making risotto, so doing a variation on “traditional” risotto was fun, appetizing and worth the effort. Also, the use of Gruyere was a nice change up from the typical Parmesan. I highly recommend using seasonal vegetables in your favorite dishes.

If you enjoy this dish, check these flavorful Springtime dishes:

• Whipped Ricotta with Peas and Asparagus
• Lemony Whipped Feta Spread
• Grilled Zucchini and Corn Salad with Pea Shoots