I’ve always taken shortcuts when making risotto. My favorite trick (which I still like) is to start with leftover, cooked brown rice and add enough simmering broth to make it creamy. I’ve also made oven risotto with good results. But I decided that it was time to see if making it in the traditional way – adding one ladleful of liquid at a time – is really worth the effort.
It is.
I made this risotto on a lazy Sunday afternoon, excited to dress up spring’s first asparagus spears and tender leeks in creamy rice and lots of melty Gruyère cheese. While it bubbled away on the stove I took stock of life, breathed a little deeper, and made some Banana Oatmeal Cookies (recipe coming soon) for the coming week. It almost felt like a meditation.
Even if you’ve resisted the traditional risotto process like me, I hope you’ll give this a try. And when leeks are at their peak, don’t forget about this incredible Potato Leek Soup. And with peak asparagus, everyone loves this appetizer Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus.
Cheesy Brown Rice Risotto with Leeks and Asparagus
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 pound asparagus trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 large leeks trimmed and cut in half lengthwise and then into thin half circles
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups short grain brown rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 5 to 6 cups chicken stock heated to a simmer
- 3 ounces grated Gruyere cheese
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- finely chopped flat leaf parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Melt one tablespoon of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add asparagus; cook and stir until bright green and crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from pan.
- To the same saucepan add remaining tablespoon of butter, leeks and salt; cook and stir until leeks are tender, 5-6 minutes.
- Add rice to leeks; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes, until rice is very shiny. Raise heat to medium-high and add wine. Bring to boil, stirring until wine is nearly absorbed.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and begin to add simmering stock, one ladleful at a time, stirring often until liquid is nearly absorbed before adding the next. Stir risotto often during this process to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan.
- Continue to cook the risotto, adding a ladleful or two at a time for 30 to 35 minutes, until the rice is nearly tender but still a bit firm in the middle.
- Stir in asparagus and a bit more stock. When stock has absorbed, stir in cheese and a little more stock so that the risotto is creamy (neither runny nor stiff). Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle with parsley and a bit more cheese if you like; serve.
Your risotto looks sooo heavenly, Marissa! I love that you took pleasure in making this dish and used it as an opportunity to slow down and relax. So many people regard risotto-making with misery. I’m sure the love and peace you put into the risotto came through each bite – it certainly looks like it did! The combination with the gruyere, and the fact that you used brown rice is superb! Makes a girl feel a little more wholesome eating brown rice risotto… 😉
A girl’s gotta feel wholesome once in a while, right? 😉 xoxo
Whenever we have Chinese take-out, there’s always so much brown rice left over. I have been making risottos with cooked rice for ages – so much quicker and just as delicious as the old way (I wouldn’t even consider it now). The idea of using asparagus & leeks is fantastic, two of my favorites! I always have sliced leeks in the freezer, to grab a handful whenever needed. This risotto was delicious; I made it vegan, substituting for the cheese and chicken stock, and added some roasted walnuts!
Hi Natalie. 🙂 Love the addition of roasted walnuts for crunch…yum!
Oh my, just look at all the goodness here. Spring is here, and so are peas, asparagus and leeks! This looks like one creamy and tasty risotto. I’ve never tried it with brown rice, and while I realize risotto is more of a technique than a dish, I have always used arborio. This sounds delish Marissa!
Thanks, Kevin! Isn’t spring the best…you’ve mentioned some of my favorites and I’ll add artichokes too! Keith teases me that I’d eat one every. single. day. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how nicely short grain brown rice stands in for the traditional arborio – gives a nice, nutty bite!
I love risotto and usually make it in the Spring, loaded with veggies! This looks creamy and delicious! Pinned!
Thank you, Mira!
I agree that making risotto the traditional way is totally worth it! I love the part where you tip in the wine and it sizzles and smells incredible. And what a lovely touch to add Gruyere – I can almost taste the deliciously creamy, nutty result.
Beautiful first photo too, Marissa 😉
Thank you, Helen! And, oooh I love that part too, Helen, the sizzle of the wine and watching the grains of rice get so shiny!
Wow, what a gorgeous spring dish! I love making risotto and agree that it’s worth the effort. Using short grain brown rice definitely helps it get a creamy consistency, similar to white arborio rice. Looking forward to seeing those oatmeal banana breakfast cookies 🙂
You’re right, the short grain is a must for that creamy consistency. And I like the little bit of extra body and nuttiness that comes from brown rice. Cookies on the way, promise. 🙂
This risotto sounds gorgeous! I love love love the use of gruyere here- and I feel you on the tranquility of risotto making, it’s so relaxing 🙂 Pinning!
Thanks, Megha. Yes, it really can be relaxing, I just have to get in the right frame of mind to enjoy it. 🙂
This risotto looks amazing! Asparagus and gruyere sound like the perfect combination 🙂
Thanks, Sabrina!
I love risotto but do not have enough patience to cook it! This leek and asparagus risotto looks seriously incredible and so cheesy too. YUM.
Thanks so much, Thalia! I struggle so much with patience, which is why this is the first time I’ve made it the traditional way. I’ll still fall back on my quick-methods sometimes, but I’m glad to know that once in a while it’s worth the effort to prepare it in the traditional way.
So here’s the thing…risotto…is literally MY FAVORITE food in the world… LITERALLY 🙂 I want to try your laze method too 🙂 But seriously this is heaven Marissa!!! LOVE….and it is like a meditation…I personally love making creamy risotto and listening to the quite hum in the kitchen it’s quite therapeutic…
I want to make you a big bowl of it, Mila. Come on over! I like that phrase, “the quiet hum of the kitchen” – it really is therapeutic. I’m always amazed when people say they hate to cook, but then someone starts talking about sewing or knitting and my eyes glaze over. So, to each his own, right?
We love risotto and for some reason, it gets a bad rap for being labor intensive. I’ve never understood this argument, unless is made for folks who prefer instant foods to whole versions. Your recipe looks perfectly delicious and even at 8:00 on a Saturday morning, I wish I had a bowl of it in front of me. (Please, don’t judge me). Great job with this post, it looks terrific!
Thank you so much, Dan! Why would I judge you? I’d be first in line to have risotto for breakfast. 🙂
It’s funny but I’ve never tried brown rice risotto but it makes so much sense since I love brown rice. Thank you for the great idea Marissa! 😀
I think you’ll love it, Lorraine. 🙂
Hi Marrisa! This looks lovely! Our asparagus is just now coming up, we grow mostly big fat purple asparagus which is so sweet! I like it steamed, lightly battered with tempura or in a stir fry. I could never be a vegetarian but in the summer I almost am!
I know just what you mean, Dorothy! I have zero self control at the farmer’s market and we eat WAY more vegetables in the summer than anything else. As always, so jealous of your garden…