Vegetable Risotto Recipe

This is an Easy Vegetable Risotto and a classic dish made with Arborio rice and loaded with a mixture of chopped vegetables. Only this time I’ve made a few tweaks to this vegetable risotto recipe and made it even easier, and it was still amazing!

 

I haven’t made risotto in a while and was actually craving for it.  Vegetable risotto happens to be an amazing dish!  It’s a dish that contains protein, carbs and veggies, and it’s takes about 20 minutes to make.  Best of all, it’s an ideal meal for those busy weeknights!

Besides, my version for an easy vegetable risotto is made without any fancy equipment, and I still made it easier and in less time than it usually takes.  A win-win for me!

This Easy Vegetable Risotto

So in the past, I’ve always made my vegetable risotto with fresh vegetables. But that requires more time in prep work. So I decided to make it easier.

This recipe for easy vegetable risotto is adapted from our Spring Risotto with Vegetables (aka Risotto Primavera).  …Only this one is even BETTER!!

These days, no one has a lot of time to make dinner, and so I came up with a short cut!  An easier way to make my lovely risotto and in less time!  Can you guess?

Tell Me About This Vegetable Risotto Recipe

• The Arborio Rice: Arborio rice is a short-grain, pearly white rice with a high starch content, known for its creamy texture when cooked, especially in Italian recipes. It is a rice that is cooked slowly in liquid, such as broth or wine, until it becomes creamy.
• The Vegetables: For this recipe, you will some garlic and an onion. Plus, use a medley of frozen mixed vegetables, about 3 to 4 cups. It made it so much easier to get this dish ready in time for dinner, and it cut the time for prepping the veggies. The only thing you will need to do with frozen vegetables, is rinse and drain… and that’s easy. Plus, no need to sauté them beforehand, just toss them in towards the end of cooking.
• White Wine: To give a delicious flavor to the rice, we prefer to simmer it with some white wine before we add the broth. If you cannot have any wine, you can easily leave it out.
• The Broth: When cooking risotto, there is a considerable amount of broth you will need for the recipe. For this recipe, I used a combination of vegetable broth and water. Plus, no need to heat up any liquid prior to making the risotto, making it fast and easier when cooking and for clean up.

How To Make This Easy Vegetable Risotto?

Our full printable recipe card is located at the bottom.

For this recipe, there are a few steps you need to do when making this vegetable risotto. Keep in mind, it is not a recipe you can walk away from the stove for a long period of time. Risotto needs about 15 minutes to fully cook, and a stir every so often.

1. In a medium-sized saucepan, always start this recipe with a chopped onion and some garlic and sauté in olive oil for a few minutes.  It will give flavor to the rice and to these vegetables.
2. Then add the Arborio rice and the wine. Simmer until the wine is absorbed.
3. Add two cups of the liquid, and cook the rice until it absorbs the liquid each time. Continue adding the liquid each time.
4. Before the rice is finished cooking, toss in the frozen vegetables (that have been rinsed and drained) into the rice mixture. Continue to simmer until both the rice and vegetables are tender.
5. Finally, taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking. Toss in some butter and grated parmesan cheese to give it that luxurious creamy texture. Then serve immediately.

 

Recipe Tips

• Arborio Rice: There are 2 brands of Arborio Rice, one is the regular brand and the other is arborio superfino rice.  Superfino arborio rice cooks a little faster than the regular arborio rice and it has a creamier texture. Using either one for this recipe is fine.
• Don’t Forget The Wine: You can pour white wine or Prosecco with this recipe. If you don’t have any wine, no worries. Just leave it out.
• Frozen Vegetables: Any medley of pre-chopped frozen vegetables will work with this recipe.  Be sure they are chopped small, to ensure the cooking will be evenly.  Also, rinse them well under cold water, and drain in colander.  When risotto is almost tender to the bite, then add the frozen vegetables into the rice mixture (at least within the last 5 minutes) before it finishes cooking.
• Equipment: No need for any fancy equipment to make this easy vegetable risotto.  My method allows the rice to cook up faster – making it ready to serve in 15 minutes.
• Taste the Rice: Always taste the risotto before it finishes cooking!  Rice should to be tender to the bite, and then season it with salt and pepper to your preference.
• The Grated Cheese: Best to stir the Parmesan cheese and additional butter at the very end.  This will give the risotto a more creamier consistency. 
• Optional: For creamier texture, you may add in 1/4 cup of half and half in the last 2 minutes of cooking.
  

Storing and Freezing

Like most risottos, this vegetable risotto freezes easily.  So you can take any leftovers, transfer to an air-tight container and store it in the freezer for another day.

An Easy Meal

An easy meal to put dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes… is ideal for us. Pair this vegetable risotto with a chilled Sauvignon Blanc wine.  It’s light, smooth and fruity flavors will enhance this dish, making it a sensational meal! Your family will love it.

Enjoy!

 

More Creamy, Delicious Risotto Recipes: 

• Butternut Squash Risotto with Cheese and Sage
• Risotto con Funghi ( Mushrooms)
• Creamy Asparagus Risotto
• Easy Risotto with Marinara Sauce
• Best Creamy Lemon Risotto with Baby Peas
• Spring Risotto with Vegetables (Risotto Primavera)

 

Hello friends!  If you make this delicious recipe?  Snap a photo and hashtag it on Instagram @2sistersrecipes, and on Pinterest.  We’d love to see what you cook!

Happy Cooking! 🙂

Thanks for stopping by… xo anna and liz