Creamy Spinach Risotto is just a bit indulgent – just enough creaminess, but not too much cream. And so much flavor! Fresh spinach and a hint of nutmeg, with salty, nutty Parmesan and a touch of lemon. If you serve it with a platter of healthy turkey meatballs there’s no need for guilt – balance is everything, right?
Typically when I make risotto, I make it with short-grain brown rice in the oven, a less guilty pleasure. Try my Oven-Baked Brown Rice Risotto if you’re in the mood for an easy, hands-off dish with a bit less creaminess. But when you have the time to indulge yourself in tending to it, and you’re in the mood for a less restrained risotto, this Creamy Spinach Risotto is perfect.
You’re probably thinking – nope, I’m not standing over the stove for 45 minutes waiting for the brown rice to cook. But that’s the beauty of this recipe. You precook the rice so that the process of actually making the risotto is no different or more arduous than risotto made with arborio or carnaroli rice. It’s much heathier and dare I say more enjoyable once plated. The brown rice retains just a bit of a chew, so the texture is just right.
Creamy Spinach Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups short-grain brown rice
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 2 cups water
- 1 medium white or yellow onion
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 clove garlic
- 8 ounces baby spinach
- 2 T butter (or ghee)
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 t ground nutmeg
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 2 t lemon juice
Instructions
- Par-cook the rice – Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt it. Stir in brown rice, adjust heat so that water bubbles steadily, and cook without stirring, until rice is swollen and half-tender, about 20 minutes. Drain.
- Heat the stock; prep the veg – In a second smaller pot, add the stock and the water, and heat on medium low, so that it's warm but not quite at a simmer. Finely chop the onion and celery. Mince the garlic. Give the spinach a rough chop as well.
- Cook aromatics and celery – Melt the butter or ghee in the same pot you cooked the rice in. Add the onion, celery, and garlic, and cook until very soft but not yet developing any color.
- Toast the rice – Add the rice to the pot and stir to coat it with the butter and vegetables. Cook for 5 minutes or so, until the rice mixture is beginning to stick to the bottom of the pot, then deglaze with the wine. Continue cooking until the wine is nearly evaporated, another 2 minutes or so. Add the nutmeg.
- Slowly add the stock while stirring – Add the stock, one ladle at a time, stirring constantly. You'll see the rice begin to plump up and the sauce thicken. It will look like a thick soup. You should reserve a cup or so of the stock for stirring in at the end if the risotto becomes too tight.
- Finish – Off the heat, stir in the cream and the cheese, then stir in the lemon juice. Finally, add the spinach to the pot and stir until it has wilted into the risotto. Serve warm.
