Creamy Chicken and Root Vegetable Risotto

One of my favorite trios is in this dish: parmesan, kale, and lemon. Put those three on just about anything and I’m happy as a clam! If you enjoy risotto as much as I do (well, even if it’s not quite as much), I have a strong feeling this will be going on rotation for dinner!

This risotto has become a go-to for me since I went gluten-free because it’s just as satisfying as a solid pasta dish.

It’s my take on one of Giada De Laurentiis’ risotto recipes. I had never met a parsnip before trying her recipe and it sparked a new found joy for incorporating them into dishes.

As I peeled the parsnips and carrots, the distinct smell of fresh earth hit my nose. I was taken back to when I would tend to our family garden with my dad. It was always my job to pull up the carrots. I learned that it was about time to harvest when the sunflowers we had planted towered over the wooden picket fence surrounding the garden.

Some of the carrots would slip out of the ground as if they were waiting, and others required some coaxing and dirt under my nails to come free. To this day, whenever I smell good soil, I think of the hot, simple days of summer in the garden with my dad.

All that being said, preparing the root vegetables is one of my favorite parts of this recipe. Not only are they nostalgic, but they add irreplaceable character and depth to the dish. Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken and Root Vegetable Risotto

Recipe by Elizabeth SwetsCourse: Dinner, LunchCuisine: Italian

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

40

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

An enticingly creamy risotto with satisfying earthy notes from root vegetables.

Ingredients

• 2 carrots, chopped

• 2 parsnips, chopped

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, split

• 1 onion, chopped

• 1 cup Arborio rice

• 3 cups chicken broth, plus up to 1/2 cup more

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1/2 tsp lemon zest

• 1 chicken breast, cooked and cubed (about 1 cup)

• 2 large leaves of kale, stemmed and chopped

• 1 cup grated parmesan minus a few tablespoons reserved for garnish*

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Place chopped carrots and parsnips on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle over 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until vegetables are soft and have some color.
• While vegetables are baking, drizzle remaining olive oil in the bottom of a small dutch oven. Add onions and cook over medium heat for a few minutes or until translucent. Add the rice and cook for another few minutes.
• Add 3 cups of chicken broth, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover for 15-20 minutes or until rice is tender. There should still be quite a bit of liquid left.
• Remove from heat and slowly add parmesan while stirring. Add additional chicken broth as needed and taste for salt and pepper.
  
• Add chicken, kale, and cooked vegetables. Stir until kale has wilted.
• Garnish with more parmesan and serve warm.

Notes

• If you want to make this dish dairy free you can leave out the parmesan. It will still be great, just be sure to add enough salt.
• I sometimes omit the chicken from this recipe and use it as our meatless dinner of the week.