Carrot Risotto
This easy carrot Parmesan risotto combines tender shredded carrots, creamy Arborio rice and savory Parmesan cheese for a cozy side dish or light supper!
Some days just call for a warm bowl of something creamy and comforting—but that doesn’t mean supper has to be boring. Those, my friends, are the days that call for risotto!
This cheery version combines tender shredded carrots with creamy Arborio rice, a little butter and a swirl of Parmesan cheese. The carrots soften right into the rice as it cooks, giving the whole delicious situation a hint of sweetness and the prettiest golden color.
Serve it as a cozy light supper all on its own, or pair it with chicken, steak or seafood for a side dish that is definitely going to steal some of the spotlight.
Jump to:
- 🔎 A quick look at this recipe
- 🌟 Why this recipe works
- 🤔 What is risotto?
- 🥕 Ingredients you need
- 📝 Ingredient notes
- 💡 Ingredient substitution ideas
- 👩🏻🍳 How to make this recipe
- 🤔 Recipe FAQs
- 🥣 Equipment we used for this recipe
- 🍽️ What to serve with this recipe
- Carrot Risotto
- 💫 Variations on this recipe
- Other risotto recipes we love!
- We want to know what you think! 🤔
- 🥣 Come on into our kitchen!
🔎 A quick look at this recipe
- What It Is: A creamy, cozy risotto made with tender shredded carrots, Arborio rice, white wine and Parmesan cheese.
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 35 minutes T
- otal time: 45 minutes Serves: 6
- Method: Stovetop
- Best for: A cozy light supper or a colorful side dish
🌟 Why this recipe works
- 🥕 Naturally sweet carrots melt into the rice, adding gorgeous color and flavor.
- 🧀 Parmesan and butter give the risotto its rich, savory finish.
- 🍚 Arborio rice releases starch as it cooks, creating that signature creamy texture without any cream.
- 🥄 No constant stirring required! A good stir every few minutes is all it takes.
- 🍽️ It’s wonderfully versatile as either a cozy light supper or a colorful side dish.
🤔 What is risotto?
Risotto is a classic Italian dish made from short-grain rice…Arborio rice is the type that is used most often. Broth is slowly added to the rice, and as the rice absorbs the liquid it releases its starches. This creates a lovely creamy texture…with no cream!
Don’t be intimidated by all those recipes that tell you that you MUST stir risotto constantly for 30 minutes or until your stirring arm falls off, whichever comes first, because I am here to tell you that is NOT true.
Not.
True.
You can make perfectly heavenly risotto by only stirring it here and there, I promise you.
🥕 Ingredients you need
📝 Ingredient notes
- 🥕 Carrots: Grate them with a box grater or the grating attachment on your food processor. Store-bought shredded carrots will also work, although freshly grated carrots soften more easily into the risotto.
- 🍚 Arborio rice: This short-grain rice releases plenty of starch as it cooks, giving risotto its signature creamy texture. You’ll usually find it alongside the other rice varieties in your supermarket.
- 🍷 White wine: Use a dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. To make the recipe without wine, replace it with an equal amount of chicken broth.
- 🍲 Chicken broth: Boxed broth works beautifully here. We recommend low-sodium broth so you can control the seasoning as the risotto cooks.
- 🧀 Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated Parmesan melts most smoothly and gives the risotto the best flavor. In a pinch, use finely grated Parmesan from the refrigerated cheese section.
💡 Ingredient substitution ideas
Missing something or want to swap in something different? Check out the links below to find more ingredient substitution ideas. 👇🏻
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.
👩🏻🍳 How to make this recipe
STEP 1: Melt one tablespoon of butter in a medium pot. Add the shredded carrots, season with a little salt and pepper and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 to 7 minutes.
STEP 2: Stir in the Arborio rice, followed by the white wine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the wine is almost completely absorbed, about 1 to 2 minutes.
STEP 3: Add 2 cups of chicken broth and 1 cup of water. Bring everything to a simmer and cook over medium-low heat until most of the liquid has been absorbed, stirring every few minutes.
STEP 4: Continue adding the remaining broth and water about ½ cup at a time, waiting until each addition is almost absorbed before adding more. Keep cooking and stirring every few minutes until the rice is creamy and just tender, about 20 minutes. You may not need all the liquid.
(Here’s my trick: I put in my AirPods and give the risotto a stir at the end of every song. That’s about every 3 to 5 minutes, depending on your playlist. Yes, this risotto owes it all to my James Taylor songs, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.)
STEP 5: Stir in the Parmesan cheese and remaining tablespoon of butter. Taste, season with salt and pepper and serve immediately—maybe with a little extra Parmesan and chopped parsley on top!
🤔 Recipe FAQs
You don’t, I promise! Stir it every few minutes to help the rice release its starch and keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Arborio is a short-grain Italian rice with lots of starch, which creates risotto’s signature creamy texture. For the best results, stick with Arborio or another risotto rice such as Carnaroli.
You can – simply swap in an equal amount of chicken broth and you are all set.
Pop your question in the comments section below and I will get right back to you!
The rice should be creamy but not mushy, with grains that are tender but still have a very slight firmness in the center. If it seems too thick, stir in another splash of broth before serving.
Risotto is at its creamiest when served right away. If you do have leftovers, warm them gently on the stove with a splash of broth or water to loosen everything up.
Pop your question in the Comments section below and I will answer pronto!
🥣 Equipment we used for this recipe
These are some of my favorite kitchen tools! These are Amazon affiliate links, which means I get a little something if you buy through my links at no extra cost to you. (Which helps pay for all that bacon I keep buying! 😄) And I only share things I use and love. I’m so grateful for your support!
- Measuring Cup: We love these angled cups that show the measurements on both the inside and outside of the cup.
- Measuring Spoons: These handy magnetic spoons are not on a ring, so you can just pick the one you need.
- Cutting Board: These sturdy, dishwasher-safe cutting boards come in all different sizes.
- Cheese Grater: My dad found this one after testing millions of them, and it is the best grater we’ve ever used.
- Food Processor: This all-star kitchen appliance is one of the very few that gets to live on our countertop 24/7.
- Vegetable Peeler: This is our go-to peeler for carrots, potatoes, sweet and otherwise and anything else that needs peeling.
🍽️ What to serve with this recipe
This risotto is a lovely light main dish, but it’s also an excellent side dish with grilled steak or chicken and roasted seafood!
Carrot Risotto
Love risotto? Then you have to try this lovely carrot risotto ~ it’s the ultimate springtime comfort food, and a perfect side dish!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 6 carrots, grated
- Sea salt and pepper
- 1 1/4 cups arborio rice
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups of water
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium pot over medium high heat. Add carrots and season with a little salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Stir in rice. Add wine and stir it around until the wine is almost gone, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add 2 cups of broth and 1 cup of water and cook over medium-low heat until the liquid is almost gone, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring every few minutes or so. Continue to add broth and water about 1/2 cup at a time, waiting until the liquid is almost gone before adding more and stirring about once a minute.
- Repeat until rice is creamy and just tender, about 20 minutes (you may not need all the broth).
- Stir in Parmesan and 1 tablespoon butter, and season with salt and pepper. Serve at once.
Notes
Rice: Arborio rice is the very best rice for risotto, and is pretty easy to find with the other rice varieties in your grocery store. But I have also used basmati rice in a pinch and it works just fine!
Protein: Want to add a little protein to this dish? Add some cooked shredded chicken or some cooked little shrimp at the end to round out this comfort food supper.
Parmesan Cheese: If you can grate it fresh for this recipe that is the best! If not, go for the pre-grated cheese in the fancy cheese section of your supermarket.
💫 Variations on this recipe
🌱 Add some peas: Stir a cup of thawed peas into the risotto during the last few minutes of cooking for extra color and sweetness.
🍋 Brighten it with lemon: Add a little lemon zest along with the Parmesan for a fresh, sunny flavor.
🌿 Bring on the herbs: Stir in chopped parsley, thyme or chives just before serving.
🧀 Switch up the cheese: Swap the Parmesan for Pecorino Romano for a sharper, saltier flavor.
🍗 Add some protein: Stir in cooked shredded chicken or sautéed shrimp at the end to turn this side dish into a hearty main course.
🥬 Make it vegetarian: Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth for an easy meat-free version.
Other risotto recipes we love!
We want to know what you think! 🤔
If you try this recipe we would love to know how it turned out! You can tell us what you think in the Comments section below…thank you!
Hi, Kate!
I see you answered my question in your recipe FAQs, but I can’t get the drop-down menu to open to see the answer. Can you omit the wine? Thanks!
Hi Mindy and oh no on the dropdown – I’m so sorry about that. And the answer is Yes! you can – simply swap in an equal amount of chicken broth and you are all set. Happy almost weekend!
Used Butternut squash instead of carrots. Awesome!! Thank you:)
Terri! Love that variation – I’m going to try that!
I had never tasted this Carrot Parmesan Risotto, it is so delicious I prepared it at home last week and all my relatives were so delighted with this recipe, I gave them some tips to prepare it.
I love making risotto. There is something very theraputic about all that stirring.
Looks great, I am on a risotto kick myself.
Looks yummy!
Great idea – its STILL cold here; this is a perfect way to bridge nasty weather with the ache for spring.
This looks delicious! I think I may make this tomorrow night but with sweet potato instead. What a beautiful dish!
I think you're just looking for an excuse to listen to Bob Seger!!…Although the recipe does sound like it would be good…to music! ^_^
I am a super huge fan of risotto…and really it's my main form of strength training for my arms. Gotta build those biceps somehow!
Although sometimes i just don't have the time to stir constantly. Thanks for letting me know it's okay not to! Love the carrot addition to this! Makes it feel like spring.