This cranberry risotto combines creamy Arborio rice with sweet-tart dried cranberries, chopped pecans, and fresh parsley. Onion and garlic form the savory base, while vegetable broth is added gradually as the rice cooks. The cranberries bring chewy texture and sweetness, and the pecans add a contrasting crunch.
This is an Italian-inspired risotto variation, served here as a side dish. Keep the broth warm and stir the rice frequently, checking its texture rather than relying only on the clock. Finish with the cranberries, pecans, and parsley, then serve immediately while the risotto is creamy and loose.
Start with the Vegetable Cooking Guide:
https://www.letsveg.com/vegetable-cooking-guide
Video
Cranberry risotto with pecans and parsley
Creamy Arborio rice cooked in vegetable broth and finished with dried cranberries, chopped pecans, and fresh parsley. An Italian-inspired risotto side dish.
Ingredients
Equipment
small soup pot
soup pot with lid
Cooking Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Add onion and cook until softened.
- Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the rice
- Warm the vegetable broth in a small saucepan and keep it warm over low heat.
- Pour in 1 cup warm broth and stir until mostly absorbed.
- Continue adding warm broth a little at a time, stirring frequently and allowing most of each addition to absorb before adding more. Cook until the rice is tender with a slight bite and the risotto is creamy. Use the remaining broth as needed.
- Stir in dried cranberries, pecans, salt, and black pepper.
- Remove from heat and sprinkle parsley before serving.
Nutrition
Notes
• Do not rinse the Arborio rice before cooking; its surface starch helps create the creamy texture.
• Keep the vegetable broth warm and add it gradually, stirring frequently as the rice cooks.
• Check the rice for doneness before using all the broth. It should be tender with a slight bite, surrounded by a creamy coating.
• Dried cranberries vary in sweetness. Use the type you prefer and account for the chosen product when calculating nutrition.
• Taste before adding salt, especially when using regular salted vegetable broth.
• Serve immediately. Risotto thickens as it stands; loosen it with a little remaining warm broth if needed.