Risotto with escarole (the smooth kind, to be precise) is a very tasty and, at the same time, very light recipe. It is very easy to prepare, completely vegetarian, does not contain gluten or lactose. This idea came to me thinking about the rice soup with escarole that my mother-in-law often makes; a rustic recipe worth tasting. I decided to cook it like a risotto, to give it that final creaminess that not only further enhances a “poor” (in the sense of simple) and nutritious dish, but is also more appreciated by those who usually do not like soups. We can add other ingredients to the risotto with escarole if we want it even richer.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 10 oz escarole (endive)
- 5 oz Roma rice (or Carnaroli)
- 1/2 clove garlic
- to taste fine salt
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch curry (or cumin)
- 1 qt water (for vegetable broth)
- 1 carrot
- to taste onion
- 1 stalk celery
Steps
Remove any waste from the escarole, detach the leaves, and wash them thoroughly under running water. Let them drain, then chop them quite finely.
Meanwhile, prepare the vegetable broth with a chopped carrot, a tiny bit of onion, and celery. Once it reaches a boil, let it cook for 10 minutes, so it is nice and flavorful.
In a large pot, sauté half a clove of garlic in its skin and a generous tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil over low heat.
When the garlic begins to sizzle, remove it and add the chopped escarole leaves.
Add two generous pinches of fine salt, cover, and let simmer over low heat for ten to fifteen minutes at most, stirring a couple of times.
In this regard, I would like to specify that the desired consistency of the escarole before adding the rice is a matter of taste. I like the leaves not to be completely mushy because they will continue to cook with the rice and vegetable broth, becoming very tender by the end of cooking, almost imperceptible to the palate.
When the leaves have stewed, raise the heat and add the rice, mixing it well with the vegetables. Finally, start adding a ladle of boiling broth at a time (it won’t be necessary to use all the broth; any leftover can be used for other recipes).
Stir often, and before the broth is completely absorbed by the rice, add the next ladle, reducing the quantity as the rice cooks; taste to adjust the salt.
When the rice is cooked, turn off the heat, add the curry or cumin, stir, cover, and let rest for 2 minutes, then we can serve our risotto with escarole, adding, if you like, a pinch of dried chili pepper, which, I assure you, goes very well.
