Homemade Broccoli Risotto-a healthy side dish the whole family will love!
Awesome tasting side dish!
Cook Time
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Ready in: 45 min
Yields: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 bunch Broccoli Crowns-no stems, Cooked
- 6 cups Chicken broth
- 1 Tbs. Butter
- 2 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive oil
- 1 tsp. Saffron or Saffron Flower
- 1/4 cup Onion, Chopped
- 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, Grated
- 1 cup Arborio Rice
- 1/4 tsp. Salt
- 1/4 tsp. Pepper
Instructions
- Steam or boil the broccoli if you have not done so already. It should be as soft as if you were serving it. Drain and set aside.
- In a large frying pan/skillet melt the butter and olive oil together. Once they are melted, add the chopped onion and cook on medium heat for a couple of minutes to soften and add the broccoli.
- Continue to stir the broccoli and onions together, breaking up any remaining large broccoli pieces.
- Add the full cup of rice and stir for about a minute. While the rice is cooking in that minute, prepare about 1 cup of broth to be poured in the pan. After the minute is up, add the broth and stir. You may have to increase the temp. to med-high to maintain a bubbling broth during cooking. This rice needs its time to cook, so the temperature cannot be too high because, if it is, you will use all of your broth before your rice has had its chance to cook thoroughly.
- Add the saffron or saffron flower. Once you start to notice the broth has almost entirely evaporated, add another cup. You will continue this process until the rice is fully cooked and has a creamy texture to the sauce.
- After about the 4th or 5th cup of broth being added, you will see that thicker texture develop. This is when I add my ground pepper, half of the Parmesan cheese and a dash of salt. The broth contains a fair share of saltiness, so I go light on the sprinkled salt. As with all recipes, you are going to taste test it, so you may want to add more salt, but I would wait until you are completely done with adding the broth.
- You know it is ready when the rice looks a bit puffy and there is still some liquid, but it is thicker. When you taste it, the rice should have lost all of its crunch, but still be a tad bit firm, not soggy. If you are out of broth, but need to add more liquid, you can add some water, but you may need to add more salt in the end to compensate.
- When you are ready to serve, transfer to your serving dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. It is best served immediately, but it will still be delicious if it sits on the table for a bit.
- On the off chance you have leftovers, I will soon be sharing a great recipe for day old cooked risotto-Rice balls, also known as arancini in Italian. Buon Appetito!
Broccoli Risotto
This side dish needs some TLC during cook time
During the duration of cook time for risotto, be prepared to be in the vicinity of the pan so you may check on it, stir and add the broth when needed. It is well worth the effort, but you cannot leave it for extended periods of time. It is a delicate dish which will impress your family and friends when they see and taste it. What a great feeling!
