Beetroot Risotto is the perfect romantic dinner for Valentine’s day but so tasty you’ll want to enjoy it all year long. The Italian classic but with roasted beets for a beautiful pink hue.
Vegan beetroot risotto is an Italian inspired vibrant dinner that’s actually quite simple to make. Get your beets roasting and prepare the risotto on the stovetop in under 30 minutes.
When you mix in the beets, the rice turns a vibrant pink!
You may also enjoy my Creamy Vegan Risotto with Roasted Vegetables or this Mushroom Risotto.
What does creamy beetroot risotto taste like?
Creamy, garlicky and a tiny bit sweet from the roasted beets. It tastes best when served with some vegan feta or ricotta cheese. The creaminess provides the perfect balance to beets!
If you are a fan of beets, you will adore this recipe and crave it all year long.
How to roast beets in the oven
Clean your beets, cut off the stems, tops and bottoms and cut off the skin (or peel).
Dice into small cubes and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with a little salt and roast for 20-30 minutes, until tender.
For a more detailed tutorial, check out this Perfect Roasted Beets Recipe.
What goes with beetroot risotto?
You can enjoy this risotto all by itself, but if you are looking for something to serve on the side, here are some tasty ideas:
More romantic dinners to make at home
Any of the following recipes would be perfect for date night or Valentine’s Day. Enjoy!
Beetroot Risotto
Ingredients
Roasted Beets
- 3 medium beets
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Risotto
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter or olive oil
- 1 shallot, chopped small
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 3/4 cup vegan feta cheese or ricotta*
Instructions
Roast the beets
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Clean the beets, peel and cut off the tops and bottoms. Dice into small cubes and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Drizzle the beets with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat.
- Roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until tender. Set aside.
Make the risotto
- Warm the broth in a medium pot until warm, but not boiling. The broth needs to be warm when you slowly add it to the risotto.
- Warm the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the rice and stir, sautéing for about 2 more minutes.
- Now add the white wine and thyme. Stir constantly until the wine is fully absorbed.
- Add 1/2 cup of warm broth and stir until it's absorbed. Continue adding 1/2 cup of broth at a time, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender, yet slightly chewy. This usually takes about 20-30 minutes. The heat should be high enough that the rice and broth are bubbling soon after you add it, but not boiling too much or the liquid will absorb too quickly.
- Stir in the balsamic vinegar and most of the beets (save some for serving on top) and taste. Add additional salt + black pepper, as desired. For a deeper red hue, process some of the beets in a food processor, then stir them in.
- Serve with crumbled vegan feta or ricotta, additional diced roasted beets and chopped fresh parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
- Storage – Store leftovers in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave until warm. While risotto can be frozen, the texture will change slightly.
- No wine? If you don’t want to use wine, no worries you can leave it out.
- I used store bought vegan feta here (Follow Your Heart brand). This beet risotto tastes best served with something creamy/cheesy on top to balance the flavors. Vegan ricotta is also a good choice.
I loved this, hubby did like it, though not as much.. Extra beets next time! I tried with and without the ricotta, didn’t think it was really necessary.. Will try with feta next time see if that’s better… Thanks for the recipe! Will definitely be a keeper
Hi Terri. How fun that you are experimenting to find the taste combinations you love! Thank for sharing your ideas, and your wonderful review! Wishing you so much happy cooking!
Don’t let this recipe intimidate you. It’s really easy to make. Just requires a lot of stirring and patience. If you like beets or are kinda so-so about beets, TRY THIS! Seriously, when have you made a recipe of Nora’s that you didn’t like? Nora knocks it out of the park again with this recipe. It’s super delicious. I could seriously see this being at a high end vegan restaurant. Totally delicious! (I didn’t have a shallot and used a regular brown onion and it was great.)
I’m blushing, Tricia! Thank you so much for your amazing feedback! I’m so happy you loved the risotto 🙂
Wondering if White Quinoa can replace rice?
I haven’t tried making risotto without arborio rice but it’s worth a try! Let me know how the quinoa works out for you.