Lemon Risotto with Chicken & Zucchini

Have you ever prepared a traditional Italian risotto? It was my inspiration when preparing this recipe. However, my version is much faster and easier, and the addition of lemon gives the whole thing a fresh, tangy taste 🙂

Why this is not a classic risotto

A traditional risotto is built in the pan: raw arborio rice, stock added a ladle at a time, twenty minutes of stirring so the starch turns creamy. Here the rice is rinsed and cooked separately, then folded in at the end, which is exactly what makes this version quick enough for a weekday.

The trade off is texture. You will not get that thick, starchy creaminess, because rinsing removes the starch that creates it. What you get instead is a light, loose dish where the lemon and turmeric come through clearly.

When to add the lemon

At the very end, off the heat or after a couple of minutes of simmering at most. Lemon juice added early loses its sharpness and turns flat, and the acid also toughens the chicken if it cooks in it.

Half a lemon is a starting point, not a rule. Taste after stirring it in, because the sourness of lemons varies and the dish should be fresh rather than sharp.

Which rice to use

Jasmine rice is what I use here, for its aroma and because it cooks quickly. Basmati works the same way. Arborio is the one to avoid in this version, since its whole purpose is to release starch, and rinsed and boiled separately it simply turns soft.

Without the chicken

Chickpeas are the closest swap, added along with the zucchini so they warm through. White beans work too. In both cases keep the turmeric and lemon as they are, because they carry the dish, and add the chives generously at the end.

Zucchini is at its best in summer, and this is a good recipe to reach for when you are planning a week of quick dinners.

Preparation

Before cooking, I rinsed the rice 1-2 times under cold running water and cooked it following the recipe on the packaging. I cut the onion into cubes and pressed the garlic. Next, I cut the meat and zucchini into cubes and seasoned them with salt and pepper. I heated the coconut oil in a pan, fried the garlic, onion, and meat.

I transferred the zucchini into the pan, added some water and stewed everything until the zucchini softened. Finally, I put in the boiled rice, turmeric and lemon juice. I stirred the risotto, simmered it for about 2 minutes and sprinkled with chopped chives.

Anna Lewandowska

Lemon risotto with chicken and zucchini

A quick take on risotto: jasmine rice cooked separately, then folded into chicken and zucchini with turmeric and lemon juice. Ready in about 25 minutes.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Servings: 1 serving

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Calories: 520

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 cup jasmine rice
• 1/2 onion
• 1/2 garlic clove
• 150 g chicken breast
• 1/2 zucchini
• 3/4 teaspoon extra virgin coconut oil
• 1/2 lemon
• salt
• black pepper
• turmeric
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon chives

Method

 

1. Rinse the rice once or twice under cold running water and cook it following the instructions on the packaging.
   
2. Cut the onion into cubes and press the garlic. Cut the chicken and the zucchini into cubes and season them with salt and pepper.
   
3. Heat the coconut oil in a pan and fry the garlic, onion and chicken.
   
4. Add the zucchini and a little water, then stew until the zucchini softens.
   
5. Add the cooked rice, the turmeric and the lemon juice. Stir and simmer for about 2 minutes.
   
6. Sprinkle with chopped chives before serving.
   

Notes

Calories are approximate, estimated from typical ingredient amounts. Salt, pepper and turmeric are added to taste, as in the original recipe.

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