Whether it’s around Valentine’s Day or not – this bright, beautiful, love inspired dish is sure to bring you so much joy and nourishment!
The flavours of this dish balance each other so well, leaving you with a wildly delicious dish with such unique flavours!
It’s made creamy from coconut milk, tangy from light undertones of lemon, sweet yet a tinge of bitter/ earthiness from the beets, and the perfect touch salty with fresh sea salt.
What is Risotto?
A lot of people don’t know this but risotto is an Italian dish actually made of rice (not pasta!). However, we aren’t talking regular white rice. It’s a specific type of Italian rice, typically Arborio (however there are other types you can use too).
With this being said, please do not try to substitue this dish with white rice or another type of pasta as Arborio can absorb lots of liquid making it the perfect creamy consistency for this recipe.
How to Enjoy this Dish?
I’ve paired this dish with a lemon coconut salmon which I feel goes absolutely perfect with it. However, you could also pair with another protein (chicken breast could go well too) or simply eat on it’s own as it’s such a nice hearty dish.
Ingredients:
Serving size: 4 servings
For the Risotto
- 4x medium sized beets, cut into bite sized wedges
- 3 cups veggie broth
- 1 can coconut milk (400mL)
- Olive oil (a few Tbsp. for cooking)
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1.5 cups Arborio Rice (do not sub for other rice or pasta)
- 2 tsp. red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. quality sea salt (plus more to taste)
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- Juice of 1/2 a fresh lemon (approx. 1 Tbsp.)
- Optional (but recommended): 2+ Tbsp. pecorino, parmesan, or nutritional yeast (for a vegan option)
- Garnish: fresh chopped parsley
For the Lemon Crusted Salmon
- Salmon Filets *See Note*
- Fresh lemon slices, sliced very thin (just enough to cover the top of your fish)
- Lemon juice (a small squeeze on each fillet)
- Olive oil
- Sea salt & pepper
NOTE: I typically do small fillets at around 100g each as I want the risotto to be the star of the show and it’s quite a filling. You can cook as many filets as people you are serving. The risotto will make enough to feed around 4 people.
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400 F
- Chop your beets into bite sized wedges (I find this is a nice shape for the dish but you could do any shape)
- Place beets on a baking sheet, generously drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of sea salt
- Bake until fork tender and crisp. Approx. 30ish mins, flipping at the 15 minute mark). Some ovens will cook them at a different rate so be sure to check on them and adjust timing as needed.
- As your beets are baking, heat a dutch oven or large pot with a lid on medium high heat with a generous glug of olive oil
- Once hot, add diced onions and allow to saute for 5 minutes. Then add minced garlic, 1 tsp. of sea salt, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, and 1/2 tsp. dried thyme. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until the onions look translucent and slightly golden
- Next add the red wine vinegar, followed by the Arborio Rice. Allow to saute for 2-3 more minutes
- After this, add the 3 cups of veggie broth and allow the mixture to come to a boil with the lid off. Stir occasionally. Once boiling, place the lid on and allow to simmer on low for 15 minutes
- Once your beets have cooked fully, remove from oven. Measure out 1 cup and place them into a high speed blender. Keep the remaining for the risotto.
- Add the can of coconut milk to the blender with the beets and blend on high until super smooth and creamy.
- Now it’s time to prep your salmon. Lightly pat dry with a towel. Then coat with a drizzle of olive oil and a few pinches of sea salt and a pinch of black pepper.
- Place salmon on a baking sheet skin side down (you can use parchment to prevent sticking). Top each fillet with a few very thinly sliced lemon rounds
- Bake for approx. 8-12 minutes or until salmon is cooked through and flakes with a fork. If you have a meat thermometer, I typically like to bake mine until the thickest part reaches 125 F.
- Now, back to the risotto! Once simmered for 15 minutes, remove the lid and pour the beet/ coconut mixture into the pot along with the squeeze of 1/2 a lemon. Stir well and allow to simmer on low for 5+ minutes with the lid off. If adding cheese or nutritional yeast, add it now. Be sure to stir often to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Taste test and adjust to your liking. I typically add an extra pinch or 2 of salt and some fresh cracked black pepper.
- Now it’s time to plate your dish. Scoop the risotto into each bowl, garnish with some cooked beets. Then place the fillet of salmon on top, followed by a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley and some more cheese if desired.
