Creamy Leek Risotto – Recipe!

Warm and velvety — delightfully easy — Creamy Leek Risotto is the perfect weeknight dinner.

Mealtime never needs to be complicated, but it does need to be delicious and this risotto recipe has only a handful of ingredients, and tastes like you’re dining out instead of in.  Arborio or Carnaroli rice are the best choices when it comes to making a good risotto.  They retain the right chew and release a natural creaminess, creating a masterful saucy dish.

Freshly sliced leeks that have been washed and dried make the best flavorful pot of risotto.  They sweetened when cooked and become buttery to the tongue.  A dollop of cream cheese at the end provides a note of tang and unctuousness that brings it all together into one spectacular meal.  A sprinkling of arugula overtop adds a bitter bite to contrast the rich risotto.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter

1 shallot, minced

2 large leeks, washed and sliced

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

4 cups chicken broth, warmed in microwave

1/4 cup cream cheese

1 cup baby arugula

salt and pepper

olive oil for drizzling

(Serves 4)

To Prepare:

1. In a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat, add butter and shallot.  Stir until butter is melted and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Add leeks and stir.  Continue to cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add rice and stir.  Cook for 1 minute.  Add 1 cup warm broth and stir.
4. Continue to add broth in 1 cup increments every 8 minutes or until rice almost completely absorbs liquid.
5. Add cream cheese and stir.  Cook 1 minute and turn off heat.
6. Ladle into bowls and top with a sprinkling of arugula and drizzle with olive oil.  Enjoy!