Baked Risotto with Kale, Spinach, and Peas – Gluten Free

Baked Risotto with Kale, Spinach, and Peas – Gluten Free

Baked Risotto with Kale, Spinach, and Peas – Gluten Free doesn’t require the laborious stirring that’s usually called for in many risotto recipes. The beauty of this risotto recipe is it’s BAKED and therefore VERY easy and stress-free to make. It’s a fabulous risotto chock-full of green veggies…kale, spinach, and peas. The veggies help to offset the typical rich and creamy nature of risotto recipes. I may be going out on a limb here but I would even call Baked Risotto with Kale, Spinach, and Peas “Healthy-ish!”

Jump to Recipe

Organizing & Making the Risotto Base

torn kale, chopped onion and garlic, with Arborio rice

The base ingredients for this recipe are Arborio rice, kale, onions, garlic, and broth (chicken or vegetable).

In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Then add garlic and stir until fragrant, 1 minute. Lastly, add rice, season with salt and pepper, and stir until combined and lightly toasted, 2 minutes.

Then add kale, season with more salt and pepper, and stir until wilted, 30 seconds. Add broth and bring to a boil over high heat.

Bake Risotto – 20 Minutes

Once liquid is boiling, cover, place in 375-degree pre-heated oven, and bake until most of the liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes (remaining liquid will continue to absorb as risotto sits). If there’s too much liquid left in the pot, continue baking for another 5 minutes.

Add Spinach and Peas

Place Dutch oven on the stovetop and mix in spinach and peas until spinach is wilted.

Add Flavor Boosters: Parmesan, Butter & Lemon

add butter and parmesan to the risotto

Next, add Parmesan, butter, and lemon juice and mix until well blended and saucy. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.

Baked Risotto with Kale, Spinach, and Peas – Gluten Free

Serve in a large bowl or ladle into individual bowls and top with more Parmesan, if desired.

Baked Risotto with Kale, Spinach, and Peas – Gluten Free

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Side, Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: gluten free, kale, parmesan, peas, risotto, spinach, vegetarian
Servings: 8 people
Author: GFchow @ gfchow.com

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup yellow or white onion chopped
  • 1 small garlic clove minced
  • 1 cup Arborio rice about 7 ounces
  • Kosher salt and black pepper for seasoning throughout the process
  • 4 cups kale (any variety) wash, dried, ribs and stems removed, and thinly sliced or 1/2 bag pre-washed torn kale leaves
  • 3 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 4 ounces baby spinach about 4 packed cups
  • 1 cup frozen peas thawed
  • ¾ cup grated Parmesan plus more for garnish (shaved Parmesan would also be perfect as the garnish)
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter room temp, if possible
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 375 degrees.
  • In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Then add garlic and stir until fragrant, 1 minute. Next add rice, season with salt and pepper, and stir until combined and lightly toasted, 2 minutes.
  • Add kale, season with more salt and pepper, and stir until wilted, 30 seconds. Add broth and bring to a boil over high heat.
  • Once liquid is boiling, cover, place in 375-degree pre-heated oven, and bake with lid on until most of the liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes (remaining liquid will continue to absorb as risotto sits). If there's too much liquid left in the pot, continue baking for another 5 minutes.
  • Place Dutch oven on the stovetop (or counter) and mix in spinach and peas until spinach is wilted. Next, add Parmesan, butter, and lemon juice and mix until well blended and saucy. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.
  • Serve in a large bowl or ladle into individual bowls and top with more Parmesan.

Notes

Long-grain white rice can be substituted for the Arborio rice.
This risotto can easily be made into a Vegetarian main course by adding tofu, fried eggs, mushrooms, etc.
Don’t omit the butter, lemon juice, and Parmesan because they really enhance the overall flavor of the dish.
 

Recipe from NYTimes Cooking. Slight modifications made by me.

If you like this recipe, you may also like these other GFchow recipes. Turmeric Coconut Crunch Rice with Wilted Spinach, Winter-Crunch Kale and Apple Salad, and Crispy Trout with Lemon and Capers.

Gluten Free Disclaimer

The recipes you find here are considered by me to be gluten free.   However, it is up to you to make sure the ingredients you use are gluten free.  Whenever possible,  I will list specific brands of ingredients that I use, but always be sure to check the labels yourself to verify the item is gluten free.    



3 thoughts on “Baked Risotto with Kale, Spinach, and Peas – Gluten Free”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating