Fragrant beetroot risotto with herby feta cheese

The sweet, earthy flavours of this beetroot risotto are complimented brilliantly by the sharp, salty, herby feta cheese. Easy and impressive!

Sometimes necessity really is the mother of invention. But who cares when she invents delicious things like this gorgeous beetroot risotto!!

Beetroot – Vegan symbolism

On the first night of Passover (Pesach) we have a ceremonial meal called the Seder, at which we recount and commemorate the exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. There is, somewhat inevitably, a selection of symbolic foods involved. Some of these are eaten, and some are not. In the centre of the table is the Seder Plate, which contains several of these symbolic foods, traditionally including a roasted bone which represents the Passover sacrifice. 

Being largely vegetarian, and having a vegan guest at our seder, we decided to forego the bone, and use a roasted beetroot instead. For reasons which are unclear to me, a roasted beetroot seems to be the accepted vegetarian substitute for the bone. Certainly ours generated a small quantity of ‘bloody’ juice in the bottom of its dish. Very sacrificial.

Leftover beets

All of which preamble leads me to this recipe. In order to have a single beetroot to roast for the seder plate, I had to buy a whole bunch of beetroots, so there were 5 or 6 left over. And with Pesach now behind us I had to come up with some tasty way of using them up. 

Step forward Beetroot risotto!

Beetroot risotto is a fabulous dish because not only does it taste amazing, the colour is INCREDIBLE! Somewhere between scarlet and fuchsia, I’d say. Vibrant.

Delicious cheesy topping for beetroot risotto

This beetroot risotto is really delicious, but the herby feta topping is what really makes it stand out. For some reason, my daughter Kipper only wanted the risotto part and wouldn’t even try the cheese, despite DH urging her to try it because it was, “really amazing!”

I’m probably biased, but I agree with DH. The sharp, salty, herby cheese goes brilliantly with the sweet, earthy deep flavours of the beetroot risotto. 

Beetroot risotto – dinner and lunch

This quantity was enough beetroot risotto for two adults and a small person for dinner, with a portion left over for lunch next day. I’d say it was three adult portions, give or take.

There was plenty of the yummy feta cheese topping. Scoop any leftover cheese onto a cracker – it’s delish!

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📖 Recipe

Fragrant beetroot risotto with herby feta cheese

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The sweet, earthy flavours of this beetroot risotto are complimented brilliantly by the sharp, salty, herby feta cheese.

5 from 7 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine European

Servings 3

Calories 560 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

For the risotto

• 350-400 g beetroot
• 25 g butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• 150 g arborio rice
• 500 ml hot vegetable stock

For the herby feta

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
• 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of half a lemon
• Pinch of ground black pepper
• 150 g feta cheese

Instructions

 

To make the risotto

• 350-400 g (12 ⅓ oz) beetroot
  Peel and grate (or finely chop) the beetroot.
• 25 g (1 ⅘ tablespoon) butter, 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, crushed, ½ tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp ground coriander, 150 g (¾ cups) arborio rice
  Heat the butter and oil in a saute pan or skillet over a medium heat. Add the beetroot and cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes. Add the crushed garlic, cumin, coriander, and rice, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
• 500 ml (2 cups) hot vegetable stock
  Add around 300ml of the stock, stir well, cover and simmer for around 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the stock is absorbed.
• Add the remaining stock, stir again and simmer, covered for another 10 minutes until the stock is absorbed and the rice is cooked.
• (If the rice is still not quite done, add a splash of boiling water and cook for a few more minutes.)
• Allow to stand for a few moments before serving with the feta cheese.

To make the herby feta cheese

• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, Juice of half a lemon, Pinch of ground black pepper, 150 g (5 2/7 oz) feta cheese
  Combine the chopped herbs, oil, lemon juice and pepper in a bowl. Crumble in the feta cheese and turn gently to mix with the dressing.
• Serve on top of the beetroot risotto.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Fragrant beetroot risotto with herby feta cheese

Amount per Serving

Calories

560

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

32

g

49

%

Saturated Fat

 

13

g

81

%

Trans Fat

 

0.3

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

2

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

14

g

Cholesterol

 

62

mg

21

%

Sodium

 

1380

mg

60

%

Potassium

 

485

mg

14

%

Carbohydrates

 

56

g

19

%

Fiber

 

5

g

21

%

Sugar

 

9

g

10

%

Protein

 

13

g

26

%

Vitamin A

 

998

IU

20

%

Vitamin C

 

9

mg

11

%

Calcium

 

284

mg

28

%

Iron

 

4

mg

22

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keyword beetroot, cheese, feta, rice

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More delicious recipes

If you like risotto, why not try:

• baked wild mushroom risotto (no stirring!)
• spring vegetable risotto – dairy free!
• baked barley risotto with butternut squash

Or if beets are your thing, how about root vegetable stroganoff, or cumin roasted beetroot with chickpeas?

Love feta? Try this easy feta cheese dip, deliciously savoury caramelised onion and feta tart, or quick courgette & tomato pasta with feta.