Beetroot Risotto with Goat Cheese

This beautiful risotto tastes as good as it looks, and it's is easy to put together for a weekday dinner. Making a risotto only takes a bit of patience to slowly cook the rice while stirring. Roasted beetroot gives this dish a sweet taste that fits perfectly with the tanginess of our Marinated Goat Cheese, and perfect to compliment meat or enjoyed by itself.

Serves 4 people

Photo of Beetroot Risotto with Goat Cheese

Ingredients

3 cloves of garlic
1 small onion
2 beetroots
250g arborio (or carnaroli) risotto rice
about 750ml of vegetable stock
2 tbsp of parsley chopped
leaves of watercress or rocket
4 cubes of Meredith Dairy Marinated Goat Cheese
salt and pepper

Preparation

Step 1 Preheat your oven to 220 C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Step 2 Peel and dice beetroot into cubes, spread evenly on baking paper and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for around 30 minutes or until soft.
Step 3 When cooked, either in a food processor or stick blender, blend beetroot into a smooth puree.
Step 4 Chop garlic and onion, and heat 2 tbsp of oil from the goat cheese jar in a frying pan.
Step 5 On low heat, cook garlic and onion until soft and translucent in color. Add the rice, and cook for one more minute.
Step 6 Slowly, maximum one cup at a time, start adding your vegetable stock while stirring regularly. Only add more stock once the rice dries up.
Step 7 When you've added two thirds of your stock, add the beetroot puree and stir.
Step 8 Try the rice to see when it's cooked, this will vary depending on your rice. It should be cooked like pasta, until "al dente", so that it doesn't become too soft.
Step 9 Once the rice is cooked, take off heat and season with salt and pepper.
Step 10 Top with watercress and crumbled cubes of Meredith Dairy Marinated Goat Cheese.