Roasted cauliflower is divine, so why not add it to risotto? Turns out lightly charred roasted cauliflower is the perfect addition to this creamy traditional Italian rice dish. Alex and I are big fans of risotto, but always looking to add more nutrients and protein to it to make it a filling main dish. (No way am I making risotto and another main dish!) Adding roasted cauliflower and chickpeas to this dish works like a charm. Here’s how to make it! Love roasted cauliflower? Try our Roasted Cauliflower Pasta!
Why make cauliflower risotto?
Roasting the cauliflower while the risotto cooks brings out its beautiful flavor. If you’ve never made a risotto and are daunted, never fear: it’s actually quite a simple technique. It takes about 30 minutes of active time at the stove, but it’s absolutely worth it. Shallots + butter + white wine = a bit of heaven! The basic technique for making homemade risotto? Saute minced shallot in butter, add the rice, and cook it down with a bit of white wine. Then add the warm broth a scoop at a time until the rice soaks up all of the brothy-goodness and becomes creamy and smooth. Add to this the roasted cauliflower, spinach, a bit of chickpeas and some Parmesan cheese, and you’ve got a meal bursting with flavor. PS It’s worth opening a bottle of wine for this one. Don’t worry, the alcohol cooks down so all that is left is a beautiful flavor, so it’s kid-approved too!
Tips on how to make cauliflower risotto
Making risotto is incredibly easy, but it does require a lot of active cooking time. A few key things to keep in mind are:
Prep all the ingredients first—before you start sautéing or simmering anything, do yourself a favor and prep all of the ingredients ahead of time. Risotto requires constant attention, so once it begins cooking you won’t be able to step away from the stove to measure anything.Warm the broth—in this roasted cauliflower risotto recipe, you’ll warm the broth in a separate pan while you’re prepping the other ingredients. Adding warm broth to the risotto rice helps everything cook better and ensures that you’ll end up with a perfectly creamy risotto every time.Soften the shallot first—you’ll need to sauté the shallot in a good amount of butter for a few minutes until it’s softened. Although you’ll be adding broth to the risotto, the shallot won’t soften properly if you don’t sauté it first.Don’t overcook the risotto—you can tell when the risotto is done when it’s gone nice and creamy and is softened. The risotto should have a slight bite to it and shouldn’t be completely mushy!
How to serve it
Looking for how to serve this roasted cauliflower risotto to make it a meal? Here are a few ideas:
Big salad. We like serving with a salad like our Spinach Apple Salad, Arugula Salad, or Best Kale Salad. Garlic bread. As long as you promise to serve it with a salad, add our crunchy Easy Garlic Bread as a tasty treat.Want more ideas? Head to Best Sides to Serve with Risotto.
This cauliflower risotto recipe is…
Vegetarian and gluten free.
Looking for more easy Italian recipes?
Easy Calzone RecipePenne with Pumpkin Pasta SauceSpicy Vegetarian Diavola Pizza5-Minute Romesco Sauce with Gnocchi Parmesan Black Truffle Risotto
Last updated: January 2020 3 from 1 review