IMBB 11: White Bean Risotto

It's time for this month's edition of "Is My Blog Burning?," kindly hosted by Cathy of My Little Kitchen. For this eleventh installment of IMBB, Cathy selected beans as her theme. When thinking about what I could make with beans, I remembered that I had some arborio rice in my pantry that was just begging to be used. So I decided to make a White Bean Risotto. This dish is quite simple and relatively fast to prepare, yet the end result tastes rich and sophisticated.

White Bean Risotto
Adapted from white bean risotto recipe seen on Cooking Couple.com
Serves 4-6

1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large tomato, chopped
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
28 ounces chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) can white beans (I used Great Northern but other kinds would work well too)
1/3 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese (Parmesan would also work well here)
Fresh or dried mixed herbs to taste (I used a bit of dried oregano, dried basil, and fresh thyme)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Coat a large skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Saute onion until translucent. This should take about 5 minutes at most. Add garlic and tomato and cook for another 2-3 minutes.



2. Stir in arborio rice and cook for another minute. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.



3. Reduce heat to simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until broth is absorbed and rice is tender. This will take between 25 and 35 minutes. Stir in white beans, cheese, herbs, salt and pepper. Cook until all ingredients are hot, probably an extra one or two minutes.



4. Taste the risotto. How's the flavor? I haven't given exact herb measurements here because I think it's very important for you to add whatever herbs you would like and in whatever amounts you find pleasing. Start with small quantities and add more as needed and you'll be fine.

I have only made risotto a few times and this was my first try with a white bean risotto. It came out quite well and is rich with flavor. If you haven't made risotto before, give a risotto recipe a try. It's actually quite a bit easier than you'd think and the end result is a delicious, flavorful, and comforting meal for a winter night.

Thanks to Cathy at My Little Kitchen for hosting this month's IMBB event and choosing a theme that let me explore something new.

Related Entry on Beans: If you like beans, check out the recipe I made a few weeks ago for Mock Deep-Fried Chick Peas. This recipe, from Shape magazine, makes a relatively healthy, nutritious and definitely delicious snack. Feedback on this dish has been great, so I wanted to be sure to highlight it in my archives for bean lovers or anyone looking for a new, healthy snack.