This creamy, orange risotto gets its color from yellow beets and saffron. The recipe is also pleasingly light, for risotto — finishing the dish with pumpkin seed oil adds richness without adding heft. 
I never know what to do with beets. But risotto is always my go-to.
And when I had these GORGEOUS badger flame beets lying in the fridge from my braised burdock recipe, I knew their fate.
The best part of this recipe isn’t just the vibrant color, but it’s simplicity. It doesn’t have you roast the beets for hours in your oven like a traditional recipe would. Just grate them on a box grater, add it to the creamy risotto, and they cook in seconds.
And it goes without saying, but the pumpkin seed oil is what makes this recipe truly unique. A little drizzle on top transforms the dish. It adds a nutty richness that melds well with the sweet yellow beets.
T 🧡
Yellow Beet Risotto with Pumpkin Seed Oil
SERVES: 4⎪ DIFFICULTY: Intermediate⎪ FUNK: Moderate
Mise en Place
- 8 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced.
- 1 badger flame beet (or yellow beet), rinsed, peeled, and shredded
- A pinch of saffron
- 3 – 4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 shallot, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine
- 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Pumpkin seed oil, for garnish
- Fresh Basil, for garnish
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1. HEAT THE STOCK
Heat the chicken stock in a pot over medium-low heat. Add and soften the saffron in the warmed chicken stock. Keep it hot as you prepare the risotto.
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2. COOK THE MUSHROOMS
Bring a wide, high-sided sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and their liquid has released. Add 3 tablespoons of the butter and stir until melted. Add the shallots and garlic; sauté until softened. Season with salt and pepper.
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3. MAKE THE RISOTTO
Add the rice and cook, stirring, until the grains look slightly translucent. Add the white wine and when it’s absorbed, add a ladle-full of chicken stock, stirring constantly, until the rice has absorbed it. Continue adding ladles of chicken stock and stirring until the rice is cooked to your preference (al dente or soft).
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4. SERVE & STORE
Stir in the shredded beets. Add 1 tablespoon pumpkin seed oil and the Parmesan cheese and continue stirring. Add the remaining butter and season with salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve with a drizzle of pumpkin seed oil, grated Parm, and fresh basil.
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VARIATIONS
Shiso Variation: Use miso instead of Parm. Garnish the risotto with shiso instead of basil. And sesame oil instead of pumpkin seed oil.
Vegetarian Variation: Replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock.
Did you make Mushroom and Yellow Beet Risotto with Pumpkin Seed Oil? Let me know how it turned out and leave a comment below!