Risotto in a rich Chorizo flavoured tomato broth! It’s 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 I’ve shared that has kale in it. Gasp, shock horror!!! It is not that I don’t like kale, I actually like it just fine. It’s just that it’s usually pretty darn expensive! Damn food trends. It’s 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 a Lidia’s Italy show (hands up if you love Lidia too!!!), she made something using kale, I went hunting for it but couldn’t find it anywhere. Nowhere!!! And now it’s EVERYWHERE!
So anyway, the reason I don’t share many recipes using kale is because it is more expensive than similar vegetables like silver beet, spinach etc. However on this occasion it was on sale at Harris Farms so I loaded up!
I’m happy to be sharing something that is quite straightforward to make today. I’ve had one of “those weeks” when so many things are not going to plan. Including some rather epic kitchen disasters. Such as this 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, isn’t it?? 😉
I have a theory that Chorizo is like bacon – it just makes everything better. When it’s sautéed, it releases all the beautiful flavours and the red oil left in the pan is 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 – with kale. Which I added for nutrition and colour, only because it was on sale. 😉 Feel free to substitute with spinach (fresh or frozen), silverbeet or baby spinach leaves! – 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:
Love the addition of chorizo and kale to risotto. Have you tried making risotto in the pressure cooker?
Actually I haven’t! Have you??
Absolutely – it’s so easy. I also have a pressure cooking site Pressure Cooking Today 🙂
Woah! I’m off to check right now!
Ooh – I love chorizo, and I’d never thought to put it in a risotto! Looks great!
Chorizo is great with everything! 😉
I and Kale met sometimes ago, I don’t think we liked each other much. Well, it didn’t say anything (obviously, or I’ll be crazy.) so I declared that we should meet again and see if we could change things. Looking at your risotto, I think it’s the perfect time to have a chat with Kale again.
I love risotto so much I mostly order it when in Italian restaurants. Your recipe sounds delicious 🙂
Ooh yes you need to meet Kale again!!! And this would be a WONDERFUL way to meet him! 😉
What a flavorful risotto! The chorizo was a great idea!
Hard to go wrong with chorizo!! 🙂
You’re so right about chorizo being a crowd pleaser Nagi. I had it last night for dinner 🙂 The cheapest way to eat kale is to grow it…it grows very well and is hardy.
My friend said that hers kept getting attacked by insects??? Hmm. I might have to give it a go myself!!!
I like chorizo even better than bacon I think (blasphemy, I know!). It adds so much flavor but I feel like it doesn’t overpower everything like bacon does. This sounds like the perfect comforting reward for kitchen disasters (it’s so tiring when recipes fail!)
I totally hear you!! The only reason I don’t use chorizo as much as bacon is because the good stuff is EXPENSIVE!!! 🙂
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 😉 This however, is not one of those – this is real comfort food! I totally agree with you, chorizo IS like bacon – it just makes everything better. We’re 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, ‘what’s chorizo?’ 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 😉
Fabulous dish Nagi! I just may need to make this for my in-laws while we’re visiting 🙂
BA HA HA! That is SO FUNNY!!! (OK but I have to ask – how do you get to that age without trying chorizo?? 😉 )
So delicious…. I can’t stay without trying it once & more… 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 on… thanks for sharing!!!
Gee, thanks for the tip! 🙂 I’m 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! 🙂 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 OMG…I may cry…for so many reasons! reason one! I LOVE THE TAHDIG on Iranian/Persian rice…and I too have had many disasters with it!!! I however had them before I ever joined Instagram…but how brave of you to share your experiences like that. It just shows that no matter how kick a$$ we all think you are…we know you too can have your bad days. As for this risotto…I have mentioned that risotto is like my favorite food in the world no? Well it is… and this is soo easily converted to being vegan!!! I love this idea… I can add plenty of paprika and serranos and make this taste like smoky chorizo can’t I 🙂 Oh Nagi! Thank you for the inspiration my love!!!! Miss you!
OMG! That Persian rice cake…..MASSIVE FAIL!!! I mean massive – 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 – ugh! :p
Actually it wasn’t that bad! Rice isn’t too hard to get off, I just popped it on the stove with water 🙂
You had me at chorizo risotto. Then broke my heart with the K word. Can’t wait to try it without kale. ;). Loooove yoooou Nagiiiii. 😀
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 wasn’t a SMALL fail. It was a giant giant fail. 8 cups of rice!!!!
Handfull of rice, handfull of meat, some veggies… The best things in life are the simplest. Simple, everyday, but delicious. Thank you, Nagi! Haha, God’s work you’re doing here, you fed so many of us uninspired! 🙂
I’m so glad you like the look of this Mari! And you’re absolutely right, food doesn’t 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 –WOW!! I am a fan of Lidia! She was born in the same town I was — I left Italy a few years before she did. Now, have you made rapini or broccoli rabe? It is delicious — it has the Italian bitter flavor but we love it. Great recipe!! Where’s Dozer?
NO! NO NO NO!! The same town?? SCREECH!!! I’m having a hero-worship moment here!!! 🙂 I haven’t 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!!! 😉
Hi Nagi, I laughed when you wrote “Gasp, shock horror!!!” about posting a recipe with kale in it, as I saw the post and thought, “She’s doing kale?!” 😀
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!!! It’s true, totally true that I’m not into trendy foods at all and I only got it because it was on sale!!! 🙂 Hmm. That’s not a bad idea, there are some local growers nearby….. N x
You might be able to make a deal with them in exchange for a little “air time” 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!!! 🙂 So excited!!
Oh, cool! I didn’t know they grow other fruits. Can’t wait for your post about it – love me some avocados!!
This is so my kinda eats, Nagi! And I do agree, “Chorizo is like bacon” indeed! And YAYYYYYY for kale! 🙂
I KNEW you would appreciate the KALE in this!!! Te he!! 😉
Hi Nagi! A big bowl of this would make my belly happy! I’ve 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 it’s 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 “junk” meat is at premium prices. It makes shopping and eating good food challenging! Okay, rant is over. 🙂
BA HA!!! If we were ever in a room together, can you imagine the RANTING that would go on??!!! 🙂 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 Mila’s blog by the way – you are seriously superhuman! x
Awww thanks Claudia, you’re so sweet! And superhuman I am definitely NOT!!! N x
I know I’d love this, Nagi. We’re 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. Don’t mean to be a whinging Pom (!!) but I just could not believe how much your tomatoes and bananas sometimes are – among other veggies! I had to keep biting my tongue and forcing myself not to tell people things like ‘you can get a single banana for about twenty-five cents over in the UK.’
There ends my 10-second whinge! Looking on the bright side, you have some great Farmer’s 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!!!