Spectacularly beautiful beetroot and leek risotto

The garden is just so pretty this time of year when everything is “Spring”-ing into life. Even my leeks, which spent most of winter looking like sad chives, are now strong, tall architectural works of art.

This leek survived a cockatoo attack!

I find leeks easy to grow – they prefer a nice sunny spot but will take some shade, and like nice rich soil. I start them off in a shallow tray, by sowing them thick on the surface and covering them very lightly with seed raising mix. Keep them moist and they’ll sprout in a week or so. Let them grow up to 15-20 cm tall then either plant them in a 15 cm trench that you gradually fill in as they grow, or plant normally then hill the soil up around them when they're tall enough. Either method will ensure you get a long white section of stem – this is the part you eat.

I planted my leeks in Autumn using the trench method.

They’ll reach full size in several months but can be picked at any time before then. They’re also pretty forgiving – a cockatoo snapped one of mine down to the ground only six weeks ago and it has fully recovered!

Leeks are from the onion family, and they can be used in just about anything you’d use normally onions for. They caramelise beautifully when cooked low and slow. Before cooking a leek, cut off the tough green part of the leaves, cut the leek in half length-ways and rinse upside down under running water to remove any dirt and grit. The discarded greens can be used with other vegie scraps to make a great stock.

For this risotto, I’ve chosen to pair leeks with beetroots, which have fantastic health benefits as mentioned in my pear and beetroot salad blog article. This is truly the most beautiful, visually spectacular risotto you will ever make – it’s the most vibrant scarlet colour with lush greenery peeking through. It’s also absolutely delicious, slightly sweet while still being rich and satisfying. If you love this beetroot and leek risotto, you might also like to try my mushroom risotto,or if you’re grain-free, try substituting cauliflower for the rice, like my cauliflower risotto recipe here.

Beetroot and leek risotto

1 leek, white part of the stalks only, finely sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 medium beetroot

Juice of ½ lemon

1 cup Arborio rice

3 cups hot vegetable stock

A small bunch of leafy greens – kale, silverbeet, spinach etc – finely sliced

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Place a medium saucepan on the stove over a low heat. Add a good slosh of olive oil, the leek and garlic. Stir then put the lid on for a few minutes to leave them to soften and caramelise. The leek will become translucent – don’t let it brown as that can create a bitter flavour.

Grate the beetroot or pulse it for a few seconds in a food processor until it’s finely chopped. Add to the leek mixture and stir through. Let it cook for a few minutes, stirring regularly, until it has a beautiful shine.

Turn the heat up to medium, add the rice and keep stirring for a couple of minutes so that the grains are all coated in oil and have started to heat up. Add the lemon juice, which should sizzle as it hits the pan, and stir through. After 30 seconds, pour in all of the stock and stir. Turn the heat back down to low, put the lid on and walk away!

Taste test the risotto after 20-25 minutes, when the rice should be starting to soften. When it’s nearly ready to serve, stir in the greens – you want to do this now so they have time to wilt but don’t lose their colour. Season with plenty of salt and pepper, serve immediately. 

Spectacularly beautiful beetroot and leek risotto