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Easy caprese risotto is a great way to use the last of your fresh, late-summer tomatoes and basil! Tender arborio rice, fresh garden tomatoes and basil, soft mozzarella cheese, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze on top.
It goes without saying that risotto recipes are the ultimate comfort food fare. Do you know that rice pudding is actually just a sweet risotto?!
Whether it is sweet or savory, with meat or without, you can definitely make a meal out of risotto. This time of year just screams COMFORT and WARMTH, and to me, a nice dish of well crafted risotto fits the bill perfectly!
I don’t know how or when the idea came to me to post 5 of my favorite risotto recipes this week. Maybe I was a little chilly, possibly a little hungry…who knows. What I do know is that I occasionally get emails from readers, asking me if I have a standard recipe that I use.
My answer is always the same: there isn’t one.
I see risotto, like many rice dishes, to be a blank canvas in which you can add your own personal flair. Use ingredients that sound good to you, just make sure to follow these basic steps every time:
- Cook it low and slow.
- Pay attention to your pot. Walking away can lead to disaster.
- Stir constantly. Non-stop is not necessary, but at least once every minute or two.
- Use warm stock/broth, not cold or room temperature.
Those are the little tenets I follow, and I have never messed this dish up. Ever.
I’m debuting my favorite risotto recipe first. This easy caprese risotto recipe is inspired by a similar recipe I saw in Gourmet Magazine, back in the late 90’s. I made it back then, but I have since shifted the ingredients and proportions to suit my tastes. Best of all, this recipe uses no butter, and just a bit of half and half. So it is lighter in calories than a heavier, cheese-laden pasta or rice dish.
So without further fanfare, I bring to you this delicious risotto recipe, number 1:
Easy Caprese Risotto with Balsamic Glaze. Enjoy this recipe!
Total Servings 6
10 minPrep (inc. refrigeration & rest time)
25 minCook Time
35 minTotal Time
Ingredients
- 5 Tb balsamic vinegar
- 4 1/2 C of low-fat/sodium chicken broth or stock
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 chopped leeks, rinsed/cleaned very well
- 1 1/2 C arborio rice
- 1/3 C dry white wine (I used Chardonnay)
- 1/3 C half and half
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 C halved grape sized tomatoes (any variety)
- 1/3 C chopped basil
- 5 oz fresh mozzarella, diced into small pieces
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place the vinegar in a small saucepan, bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until slightly syrupy and reduced. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, bring broth to a simmer; cover and keep warm on a low setting.
- Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and saute for 3 minutes, or until tender. Add the rice and stir to combine.
- Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the wine and cook for about a minute, or until fully absorbed.
- Reduce heat to medium and stir in 1 C of the warm broth. Cook 5 minutes, or until absorbed. Continue to do this 1 C at a time until it is gone, about 15 minutes total.
- Stir in the half and half, add salt and pepper and cook 2 more minutes.
- Remove from heat, stir in the tomatoes, basil and cheese. Place into a serving dish and drizzle with the balsamic reduction and a tiny bit of extra virgin olive oil.
This easy caprese risotto is creamy and packed full of flavor, yet it is subtle and not at all overwhelming. I have served this as a side dish many times, and it also makes a nice late afternoon lunch.
If you want to try another delicious caprese dish, check out my post for tossed caprese salad.
