Risotto in a rich Chorizo flavoured tomato broth! Itβs creamy, packs plenty of flavour and is definitely a step up from the basic risotto!
I have a feeling that this is the very first recipe Iβve shared that has kale in it. Gasp, shock horror!!! It is not that I donβt like kale, I actually like it just fine. Itβs just thatΒ itβs usually pretty darn expensive! Damn food trends. Itβs ruining so many undiscovered fabulous budget foods. Like beef cheeks. Mussels. Lamb ribs. All these things that were crazy cheap 10 years ago and now not so cheap!
I honestly remember over 10 years ago when I was watching aΒ Lidiaβs ItalyΒ show (hands up if youΒ love Lidia too!!!), she made something using kale, I went hunting for it butΒ couldnβt find itΒ anywhere. Nowhere!!! And now itβs EVERYWHERE!
So anyway, the reason I donβt share many recipes using kale is because it is more expensive than similar vegetablesΒ like silver beet, spinach etc. However on this occasion it was on sale at Harris Farms so I loaded up!
Iβm happy to be sharing something that is quiteΒ straightforward to make today. IβveΒ had one of βthose weeksβ when so many things are not going to plan. Including some rather epic kitchen disasters. Such asΒ thisΒ Iranian Rice Cake fail which I shared on Instagram.
I really love experimenting, creating and trying new recipes. But on days like today, I need to share something straightforward, a real crowd pleaser.
And chorizo is always a crowd pleaser, isnβt it?? π
I have a theory that Chorizo is like bacon β it just makes everything better. When itβs sautΓ©ed, it releases all the beautiful flavours and the red oil left in the pan isΒ perfect for using as a base for the stock of a risotto.
I give the red colours more oomph by making the stock a tomato based stock. Because I just feel like chorizo and tomato is a perfect match, both in flavour and colour. But you could skip the tomato and make this a traditional cream coloured risotto if you want!
So without further ado, I present to you my Chorizo Risotto. Oh β withΒ kale.Β Which I added for nutrition and colour, only because it was on sale. πΒ Feel free to substitute with spinach (fresh or frozen), silverbeet or baby spinach leaves! β Nagi x
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Chorizo & Kale Risotto
Ingredients
Stock
- 3 cups chicken broth/stock , salt reduced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups tomato passata (Note 1)
Risotto
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 350g (12oz) chorizo , some sliced and the remainder finely chopped (Note 7)
- 1 onion , finely chopped (brown, white or yellow)
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice (risotto rice), uncooked (Note 2)
- 1/2 cup white wine (sub with chicken broth or water)
To Finish
- 5 cups kale leaves , removed from stalk, torn into bite size pieces (packed) (Note 3)
- 2 - 4 + tbsp butter
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Whisk together Stock ingredients in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Once heated, turn down to low and keep warm. (Note 4)
- Heat oil in a pot or large skillet over high heat. Add chorizo and cook until golden brown. Remove into a bowl and set aside.
- There should be some red oil in the skillet from the chorizo. If not, add a bit of oil.
- Turn heat down to medium. Cook onion and garlic for 5 minutes until translucent.
- Add rice and stir to coat grains in oil until translucent.
- Add wine, turn up the heat to medium high and simmer, stirring, until most of the wine has evaporated.
- Turn heat down to medium low and add 1 cup of stock. Stir leisurely until mostly absorbed into the rice, then add another cup of stock. Continue 1 cup at a time until the risotto is just cooked - squeeze a grain, it should still be firm but cooked through - about 15 minutes. Make the risotto as saucy (or not) as you want - liquid will absorb in the next step so lean towards saucier than what you want.
- When the risotto is done (Note 5), remove it from the stove.
- Add butter (the more the better!) and stir energetically - this will activate the starch and make it creamy. Stir chorizo in then partially stir kale through the risotto. Plonk the lid on and let it rest for 3 minutes (kale will wilt in this step).
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately! (Note 6)
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Β
Lol! I had to smile when I saw kale in the title. I thought I remembered you saying something about trendy kale recipes at some point π This however, is not one of those β this is real comfort food! I totally agree with you, chorizo IS like bacon β it just makes everything better. Weβre down in FL visiting my husbands parents and we went out to a Spanish restaurant last night. Craig order the paella with chorizo and his father asked, βwhatβs chorizo?β Omg, I thought! Without even asking Craig, I started pulling out pieces of chorizo and putting them on my father-in-laws plate! Thankfully, he was a chorizo convert π
Fabulous dish Nagi! I just may need to make this for my in-laws while weβre visiting π
BA HA HA! That is SO FUNNY!!! (OK but I have to ask β how do you get to that age without trying chorizo?? π )
So deliciousβ¦. I canβt stay without trying it once & moreβ¦ and apart from that I would like to advise you to promote your nice recipes with the help of roll up banners, pull up banners, & so onβ¦ thanks for sharing!!!
Gee, thanks for the tip! π Iβm not sure that will work for my site, but I appreciate the suggestion! N x
Wow; this is such a flavourful risotto dish.
Thank you Dhanya! π Hard to go wrong with ANYTHING with chorizo in it!!
Nagi, Thanks for receipt with kale, am having Tin Of roadster kale and comes handy as IT can be put on any dish, Or as snack. Have nice day, Vera.
OMG OMG OMGβ¦I may cryβ¦for so many reasons! reason one! I LOVE THE TAHDIG on Iranian/Persian riceβ¦and I too have had many disasters with it!!! I however had them before I ever joined Instagramβ¦but how brave of you to share your experiences like that. It just shows that no matter how kick a$$ we all think you areβ¦we know you too can have your bad days. As for this risottoβ¦I have mentioned that risotto is like my favorite food in the world no? Well it isβ¦ and this is soo easily converted to being vegan!!! I love this ideaβ¦ I can add plenty of paprika and serranos and make this taste like smoky chorizo canβt I π Oh Nagi! Thank you for the inspiration my love!!!! Miss you!
OMG! That Persian rice cakeβ¦..MASSIVE FAIL!!! I mean massive β did you see the size of that pot??? So. Much. Rice. ?
I was pained at thinking how long it might have taken you to scrub out your pot β ugh! :p
Actually it wasnβt that bad! Rice isnβt too hard to get off, I just popped it on the stove with water π
You had me at chorizo risotto. Then broke my heart with the K word. Canβt wait to try it without kale. ;). Loooove yoooou Nagiiiii. π
BA HA HA!!! Brenda, I actually burst out into laughter than I read this!!! Totally skip the kale. Skip it skip it! Skip the greens altogether, keep this PURE with just chorizo!!! N x
Definitely looks amazing and I will make this soon. Kale is priced OK where I live but to me it feels like a new food, like 3 years max lol. Yeah that Persian rice, so good but I have yet to get it anywhere near right too.
OMG. That Persian rice. You know, the thing is, it wasnβt a SMALL fail. It was a giant giant fail. 8 cups of rice!!!!
Handfull of rice, handfull of meat, some veggiesβ¦ The best things in life are the simplest. Simple, everyday, but delicious. Thank you, Nagi! Haha, Godβs work youβre doing here, you fed so many of us uninspired! π
Iβm so glad you like the look of this Mari! And youβre absolutely right, food doesnβt need to be complicated to be absolutely delicious! N x
I love kale!! Thank goodness it is fairly inexpensive here and making it with risotto and chorizo βWOW!! I am a fan of Lidia! She was born in the same town I was β I left Italy a few years before she did. Now, have you made rapini or broccoli rabe? It is delicious β it has the Italian bitter flavor but we love it. Great recipe!! Whereβs Dozer?
NO! NO NO NO!! The same town?? SCREECH!!! Iβm having a hero-worship moment here!!! π I havenβt made rapini or broccoli rabe here in Sydney but I tried it when I was in the US actually!!! As for Dozer, of course he was under the table! I just forgot to photograph him!!! π
Hi Nagi, I laughed when you wrote βGasp, shock horror!!!β about posting a recipe with kale in it, as I saw the post and thought, βSheβs doing kale?!β π
Your photos are terrific as always, making this dish look so flavorful with wonderful textures. Real comfort food!
Sorry kale is so expensive there. Maybe you can bargain with a friend who has a vegetable garden to grow some for you!
BA HA HA!!! Itβs true, totally true that Iβm not into trendy foods at all and I only got it because it was on sale!!! π Hmm. Thatβs not a bad idea, there are some local growers nearbyβ¦.. N x
You might be able to make a deal with them in exchange for a little βair timeβ like you did with that mango farm? As a suburbanite, I loved your story about their farm and family, the different kinds of mangos, etc.
That was my absolute favourite job to date! I am hoping to get up there to do avocados soon!!! π So excited!!
Oh, cool! I didnβt know they grow other fruits. Canβt wait for your post about it β love me some avocados!!
This is so my kinda eats, Nagi! And I do agree, βChorizo is like baconβ indeed! And YAYYYYYY for kale! π
I KNEW you would appreciate the KALE in this!!! Te he!! π
Hi Nagi! A big bowl of this would make my belly happy! Iβve mentioned before that I make chorizo and keep it in the freezer so I always have some on hand. It does amaze me how much all food has gone up in price! I buy almost all of the meat we eat when itβs on sale and our garden gives us lots of fresh produce. We can and freeze the excess so we can enjoy it all winter long. For years kale was used as just a garnish. And what used to be considered βjunkβ meat is at premium prices. It makes shopping and eating good food challenging! Okay, rant is over. π
BA HA!!! If we were ever in a room together, can you imagine the RANTING that would go on??!!! π I wish I lived a few thousand miles closer Dorothy, I would order your chorizo!!! N x
Ooh this sounds like a great easy dinner, and I can imagine the amazing smoky spiciness the chorizo would give. Loved reading your interview over on Milaβs blog by the way β you are seriously superhuman! x
Awww thanks Claudia, youβre so sweet! And superhuman I am definitely NOT!!! N x
I know Iβd love this, Nagi. Weβre huge fans of tomato and chorizo at our house!
As for the price of kale, you know, I really think you guys get a raw deal (pun intended!) on vegetables over there. Donβt mean to be a whinging Pom (!!) but I just could not believe how much your tomatoes and bananas sometimes are β among other veggies! I had to keep biting my tongue and forcing myself not to tell people things like βyou can get a single banana for about twenty-five cents over in the UK.β
There ends my 10-second whinge! Looking on the bright side, you have some great Farmerβs markets over there and there definitely are ways of getting great produce at cheaper prices. Just not in Woolies or Coles!
I know I know!!! Some produce is really expensive over here! But then again, tropical fruits are darn expensive over there!!!