Creamy Chicken & Leek Risotto
This deliciously Creamy Chicken and Leek Risotto is an easy one-pot meal that’s packed full of flavour and is the perfect comfort food that can be enjoyed by the whole family. My version is dairy-free and gluten-free too, making it ideal for people with food allergies.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 404kcal
Ingredients
- 350 g (12.5 oz) skinless chicken breasts approx 2 medium, chopped into bitesize chunks
- 750 ml (25 fl oz) Knorr chicken stock pot or any gluten free chicken or veg stock
- 300 g (1½ cups) arborio rice
- 65 g (2 oz) pancetta
- 250 g (9 oz) mushrooms thinly sliced
- 2 medium leeks thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme fresh can also be used (double the amount for fresh)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 20 g (¾ oz) Flora plant butter or any dairy free butter
- 3 teaspoon olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the butter & olive oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan or casserole dish on a medium heat.
- Once melted, add the chicken pieces and pancetta and cook on a medium heat for 4-5 minutes until the chicken has cooked on the outside. Keep stirring to ensure all sides have browned. Note: You don't need to make sure the chicken is fully cooked at this stage, as it will continue cooking once the rice is added.
- Slice the leek lengthways down the middle and then slice thinly. Chop the mushrooms into thin slices & mince the garlic with a garlic press.
- Add the garlic, chopped leeks and mushrooms to the pan and cook for another few minutes until they have softened.
- Next, add the arborio rice & dried or fresh thyme to the pan and stir until all of the grains have been coated and mixed into the meat and vegetables, around 1-2 minutes.
- Gradually pour the hot chicken stock into the pan, starting with a ladle full at a time. Stir the mixture continuously until each ladle full of stock has been fully absorbed by the rice, creating a creamy consistency. Repeat this process, adding another ladle full of stock each time, until all of the stock has been absorbed. The entire absorption process should take around 20-25 minutes, allowing the ingredients to meld together.
- Season to taste and serve!
Notes
Tips & Tricks
- Make sure the stock is nice and hot when adding to the risotto and only add a ladle full at a time, you don’t want to pour it in all in one go!
- To clean the leeks, slice down the middle lengthways and rinse under the tap to remove any dirt or grit, then pat dry with a paper towel.
- Batch cook by making double the recipe amount & freeze the chicken risotto into individual portions. This makes it easy for a quick kids’ dinner when you need it.
- Use a low sodium stock cube if cooking for young children as standard stock normally contains quite a high level of salt.
- Add a splash of white wine when adding the stock for extra depth of flavour.
- Chicken - I have used skinless chicken breasts but you can also use the same amount of skinless, boneless, chicken thighs. You can also use leftover chicken thats already cooked, just add it to the pan when you add the rice.
- Stock - I love the Knorr Chicken Stock Pots as they are free from the top 14 allergens. If you are cooking for small children you may wish to swap to a very low salt stock cube.
- Rice - Arborio rice is most widely used in risottos and is what I have used & tested this recipe with. Other alternatives are carnaroli or Vialone Nano.
- Pancetta - If you don’t have any pancetta this can be substituted for smoked bacon.
- Butter - I have used Flora Plant vegan butter to make this recipe dairy free, but you can use regular butter if you don’t have a milk allergy. Coconut oil can also be used in replacement of the butter.
- Make It Vegan/Vegan - Use soya meat or tofu instead of chicken and use vegetable stock.
Nutrition
Calories: 404kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 351mg | Potassium: 603mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 654IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 4mg