Risotto with Artichokes, Tomatoes, Spinach and Thyme

Risotto with Artichokes, Tomatoes, Spinach and Thyme

I have had several requests for vegetarian recipes. Being a real meat eater I am not real versed in vegetarian meals. So I have been researching and have come up with a few. Here is one I tried tonight. If you are a gardener I am sure you have a few of these ingredients in your backyard. I have lemon thyme and that is the thyme I used.

The flavors of this risotto are full and smooth.

Tomato-Mushroom Stock or 6 cups or your favorite tomato soup

2 packed cups of spinach leaves, sliced in 1-inch ribbons

2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp olive oil

½ medium red onion, diced about 1 cup

Salt & pepper

3 medium artichokes, trimmed & sliced or one can plain drained

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2-3 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1½ cups Arborio rice partially cooked

½ cup dry white wine

½ lb tomatoes, chopped

1 oz Parmesan cheese, grated and more for the table

2 Tbsp coarsely chopped Italian parsley

Pour tomato stock into a pot and warm. Keep it warm. Heat butter and olive oil in large skillet. Add onion, ¼ tsp salt & pepper. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. Drain artichokes and slice. Add to onions with garlic and thyme. Sauté until artichokes are tender, about 7-8 minutes.

Add rice to pan and sauté over medium heat 2-3 minutes. Add tomato stock one cup at a time. Allow rice to absorb stock before adding more. Keep pan on medium heat and continue to stir making sure it doesn’t stick. When rice has absorbed 3 cups of broth add wine; continue to add the stock until you have used 5 cups. Add tomatoes, spinach and the last cup of stock. The grains of rice will be toothy, and risotto quite saucy. When the tomatoes have heated through and the spinach is wilted, taste the risotto and more thyme if you need to. Add parsley and top with parmesan cheese and stir. Serve with more parmesan to top.

— Barbara Rexford