A creamy and fresh Italian favourite, risotto. This dish has the heartiness of a winter meal yet fresh enough for warmer spring days. This Mushroom & Leek Risotto (Without Parmesan Cheese) is full of earthy and fresh flavours and is a perfect dinner for mid week meals or weekend entertaining.
We haven’t had risotto in a while, so last night I decided it was time! This particular risotto is quite a basic one and it doesn’t even have parmesan cheese. Unheard of right? But I was looking for something a little lighter and just left it out to see what the results would be. And it was delish! We served it alongside the Roasted Cherry Tomato and Cannellini Bean Salad and Fresh Tomato Bruschetta.
Notes About The Mushroom & Leek Risotto (Without Parmesan)
First of all, yes, I cooked this Risotto without parmesan cheese. I was looking for a lighter version and decided that omitting the parmesan cheese would do it the trick. If you think, it’s going to lack flavour, it really doesn’t. It honest to goodness still creamy and delicious.
Here’s a few Risotto Tips To Help You Along The Way
- Make sure to use the correct rice like Arborio. This is a short grain rice that releases a lot of starch when cooked. It’s what leads to a creamy Risotto.
- Stirring is what results in a creamy risotto, as starch is released into the liquid when you stir. So make sure to keep stirring as you cook.
- You can use any kind of mushrooms for this recipe. I used fresh button mushrooms.
- Don’t skip the white wine as it adds so much flavout to to the dish.
Here’s Some More Risotto Dishes that You Will Love To Try Out
Well dear friends, that’s about it for this tasty Risotto dish. If you love risotto, give this lighter version a try sometime. And if you make it, let me know in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you and what you think. Happy cooking and I’ll see you all real soon.
Get the recipe!
Mushroom & Leek Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 1 Leek thinly sliced
- 8 mushrooms sliced
- 1/2 onion roughly chopped
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil divided
- Fresh chopped basil
- Sea salt
Instructions
- In a large stainless steel pot set over a high heat, add the olive oil and garlic. Heat for about a minute and add the onions, leeks and mushrooms. Cook over a high heat for about 10 minutes. Stirring occasionally until the onions & leeks are soft and the mushrooms browned.
- Next, add the extra tablespoon of olive oil and the rice. Stir until all the rice is coated in the oil and a little translucent on the ends. This will only take about a minute. Pour in all of the white wine and stir well. Stir occasionally until the wine has absorbed. This should only take 3-5 minutes. Next, add 1/2 cup/60 ml of the chicken stock. Again, stir well for a minute. Once the liquid has absorbed, add another 1/2 cup/60 ml of stock. Repeat this process until you have used all your stock and your risotto is a nice creamy texture and the rice is no longer hard.
- Serve immediately with fresh chopped basil on the top.
*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
Notes
- Arborio rice is an Italian rice specially used for Risottos. It’s short grain and tends to be a little sticky.
- Just a note, as it is important. Sometimes you will not need all the stock, and sometimes you may need a touch more. Taste your risotto towards the end and see if you think you have added all the stock it needs or if you need to add a bit more. Sometimes, while making the exact same risotto dishes, I do need to change the amount of stock added by just a touch. If you are familiar with making risottos, you will know what I mean. If, you are a first timer, you will get the hang of it pretty quick.
