Roasted Leek and Brie Risotto is a delicious creamy vegetarian Italian dinner idea! This rice recipe is full of creamy cheese and roasted vegetables to use as a side dish or main course.
Slice leek into 3/4" rings. Place the leeks into a medium bowl filled with water. Gently swish the leeks around in the water to dislodge any dirt or sand that is stuck in the leek layers.
1 leek
Remove leeks from the water and spread out on a baking sheet lined with a silicone pad or tin foil. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
olive oil, salt, black pepper
Place the leeks on the middle rack of the oven to roast while the risotto is cooking.
Place the stock in a pot and heat over medium low. You want the stock to be warm when adding it to the risotto so that the temperature change does not affect the rice.
6 cups vegetable stock
In a large pot over medium heat, melt 3 Tablespoons of the butter.
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
When melted, add the red onion. Cook until the onion is translucent but not yet browning, approximately 3-5 minutes.
2 Tablespoons red onion
Add the rice and stir. Continue cooking to slightly toast the rice until it is just starting to show a little brown color, approximately 3-4 minutes.
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
Add the white wine to the pot. Cook until the rice is almost dry, where most of the wine has been absorbed.
1 cup white wine
Add approximately one cup of stock to the rice. Stir continuously until most of the stock has been absorbed. Repeat this process one cup of stock at a time until the rice is cooked thoroughly. You want the rice to have just a little bit of bite left so that it is not completely mushy. Depending on your rice, you may need more or less stock for the right consistency so start tasting the rice after 4 cups have been added.
When your rice is cooked through, remove the pot from the heat.
Add the rest of the butter, the Parmesan cheese, roasted leeks, and brie. It is important to do this before adding salt and pepper because the cheese is salty and the leeks have salt and pepper on it. Stir to combine.
1 cup Parmesan cheese, 4 ounces brie cheese
Taste the risotto and season with salt and pepper as desired.Garnish with some of the leeks and brie if desired.
Notes
You can leave the rind on the brie cheese. It is edible and it does melt into the risotto very well.Arborio rice is available at most grocery stores in the rice section, but you can also use this affiliate link to find arborio rice online!