Healthy Risotto Recipe
This creamy healthy risotto is packed with Italian flavors from mushrooms, garlic, roasted red peppers, carrots, and artichokes. I love that I can make it in about 40 minutes in the instant pot and have a hearty meal ready to serve as a side dish or main for my family.
Servings: 4
Calories: 398kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup risotto or farro for a healthier option
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 sweet onion peeled and chopped
- 3 carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 cup fresh chopped green beans
- ½ cup chopped mushrooms
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 jar roasted red peppers
- 1 jar marinated artichokes
- ¼ cup flat leaf parsley chopped
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- ½ tsp seasoned salt
- ½ tsp seasoned pepper
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ tbsp butter
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup fresh grated parmesan make sure your parmesan does not use animal rennet (or use a vegan parmesan)
Instructions
- Rinse the fresh green beans, and carrots. Peel and chop the carrots. Chop the green beans and onion, and set aside.
- Place the butter and olive oil in the Instant Pot, and press the sauté button. When the butter melts, add the onions, mushrooms, carrots and green beans, and sauté until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Turn off the Instant Pot, and add the broth, and deglaze the bottom of the pot, scraping the bottom with a spoon to loosen any bits of sautéed vegetables (this will give your broth a delicious flavor).
- Once all the little bits are off the bottom of the pot, add the risotto, minced garlic, parsley, garlic salt, seasoned salt, seasoned pepper, Italian seasoning, and brown sugar, and stir well to combine all the ingredients.
- Make sure all the risotto and vegetables are covered in the broth. If they are not covered, add a little more broth.
- The artichoke hearts go in the dish after it's cooked -- they do not go in the Instant Pot with the other ingredients. After you've stirred the Instant Pot ingredients, Place the lid on the Instant Pot, and turn it until it beeps and locks. Make sure the pressure valve is set to 'Sealing'.
- Press the Manual Button, and set the time to 6 minutes. When the Instant Pot is done cooking, allow it to set for 2 minutes, then do a quick release, releasing all the pressure.
- Once all the pressure is released, and the float valve is down, remove the lid. Stir the risotto. If all of the liquid has not been absorbed, continue to stir the risotto. It will begin to thicken.
- Leave the Risotto in the Instant Pot, and open the roasted red peppers, and artichoke hearts. Slice them and add them to the risotto, gently stirring them into the dish. You can save a few of the peppers and artichokes to top the Risotto when serving.
- Add the parmesan cheese, and stir.
- Plate or dish up the risotto into bowls, and serve with a few roasted red peppers, sliced artichokes, and parmesan cheese on top. Enjoy!
Notes
- My #1 Secret Tip for this recipe is to make sure the rice and vegetables are fully covered in broth before sealing the Instant Pot. If they aren’t completely submerged, I add a little more broth so everything is covered, which ensures the risotto cooks consistently and turns out creamy exactly like I want.
- Sauté the Vegetables: I use the sauté feature to cook the vegetables before adding the broth to bring out their flavor.
- Deglaze the Pot: I turn off the Instant Pot and scrape all the vegetable bits off the bottom. This adds a rich depth of flavor to the broth.
- Add Artichokes and Red Peppers Later: I don’t add all the artichokes or red peppers until the arborio rice has finished cooking. I stir them in after the risotto is done.
- Pre-Roasted vs. Raw Red Peppers: If I’m using pre-roasted red peppers, I add them with the artichokes after cooking. Raw red peppers go in with the onions to sauté and cook with the rice.
- Save Some for Garnish: I always save a few red peppers and artichokes to use as a garnish when serving.
- Stir Until Thickened: If all the liquid hasn’t been absorbed, I continue stirring. The risotto will thicken as I stir.
- Kid-Friendly: If my kids aren’t big fans of artichokes or red peppers, I scoop out a serving for them before adding these vegetables. Another option is chopping the veggies finely so they’re less visible or swapping them for vegetables my kids enjoy. A little extra Parmesan cheese on top always helps get them excited and finish their plates.
Nutrition
Calories: 398kcal | Carbohydrates: 60.4g | Protein: 12.8g | Fat: 11.8g | Saturated Fat: 2.9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2.5g | Cholesterol: 11.1mg | Sodium: 1307mg | Potassium: 292.4mg | Fiber: 11.1g | Sugar: 9.7g