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    Home » Recipes » Pasta and rice

    Traditional white bean risotto

    Published: Dec 11, 2016 · Modified: Sep 25, 2018 by Makos

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Transform your leftover beans into a white bean risotto, for a tasty and healthy dinner. Naturally vegan and gluten free!

    traditional-bean-risotto-1

    This white bean risotto is a traditional Cretan recipe my mother used to make very often. Except for being vegan and gluten free, it is also a great way to use any leftover beans and not waste food.

    Almost every time she cooked beans, my mom would make a little more in order to use them the next day in this recipe.  Actually, in Crete this dish is made with any kind of legumes, most often with beans, lentils and chickpeas.

    And if you like risotto recipes out of the ordinary, then you should definitely try this One pot escargot recipe (Greek snails risotto).

    traditional-bean-risotto-5

    I happen to love beans, but I love this risotto even more! It has a sweet, earthy taste, and it’s also unbelievably creamy and delicious without using any cream, melted cheese or butter! How is that possible???

    Beans, when slowly cooked, release a lot of starch which acts as a natural thickener and gives this risotto its creamy, velvety texture. As a matter of fact, when you cook beans you know they’re done when you see the formation of a thick, starchy sauce…

    traditional-bean-risotto

    This bean risotto is not only a perfect, plant based dish, but a well balanced meal too! It’s low in fat –only a bit of healthy olive oil is used – contains most of the basic amino acids our body needs, and is rich in fiber.

    traditional-bean-risotto-2

    I don’t usually have much of leftover food (unless I cook a whole turkey, which I’ll use in my 30 minutes leftover chicken pie the next day) because I like measuring and weighing things.

    When I’m in my kitchen, playing with my scales and measuring cups, I pretend I’m a crazy scientist in his lab, trying to figure out the formula for the next big scientific discovery (whatever that is, I don’t get into much thought about that). Anyway, since I don’t have many leftovers, when I cook beans I always use more (about half a cup or three quarters of a cup), in order to make this risotto the next day.

    traditional-bean-risotto-3

    Some notes/tips:

    • You can use your favorite bean recipe, and especially leftovers from the previous day! This recipe for Tuscan style beans in a light tomato sauce works best and does wonders!
    • Beans from a can are a great option for when you're in a hurry!
    • Risotto is a food that needs frequent stirring and requires for you to be over the stove for 20-30 minutes.

    You may also like these similar recipes:

    Creamy porcini mushroom risotto

    Traditional Greek chicken risotto (wedding rice)

    Share this post if you liked it (share buttons at the top!) and don’t forget to subscribe for new recipes or follow me on Instagram,   Pinterest,   Facebook

    📖 Recipe

    traditional-bean-risotto-1

    Traditional white bean risotto

    Makos
    Transform your favorite bean recipe into a risotto, for a healthy, plant based dinner. Naturally vegan and gluten free! Tuscan style white beans in light tomato sauce are the perfect start!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 35 minutes mins
    Course Gluten-free, Main Course, Vegan
    Cuisine Greek, Italian, Mediterranean
    Servings 4
    Calories 295 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • 2 cups white beans in tomato sauce (not drained, we need them with their sauce!)
    • 1 cup risotto rice (carnaroli, carolina, saint andrea)
    • 4 - 5 cups hot water or vegetable stock or even chicken stock if not vegan. (* the amount of water will depend on the type of rice, amount of heat and size of the pan used)
    • salt and freshly grated pepper to taste
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    Instructions
     

    • Heat the beans in a pot over medium high heat. When they start to simmer, add the rice and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
    • Start adding the water (or the stock), half a cup at a time. You should stir very often because the mixture can easily stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. After adding about 4 cups of water, taste the risotto and adjust the salt and pepper. By tasting it, you will also determine if it needs more cooking. Add more water if needed. Keep in mind that the rice will continue to cook for a while after you turn off the heat.
    • When done, turn off the heat and transfer into plates.
    • Eat.

    Notes

    Tuscan style white beans in tomato sauce recipe.
    If you happen to have leftover beans, less than 2 cups as the recipe requests and still want to make 4 servings, don’t worry! Just increase the amount of rice a bit, and adjust the water quantity. It will still be delicious!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 295kcal
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    traditional-bean-risotto-4

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    1. Todd Armstrong

      March 22, 2020 at 8:28 pm

      5 stars
      Terrific. Healthy, tasty, easy … a perfect recipe for “sheltering in place!” Thanks for this Makos, I share you passion for food. Be safe, be healthy.

      Reply
      • Makos

        March 22, 2020 at 7:25 pm

        Thank you Todd, happy you liked it!

        Reply

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    Hi, I’m Makos. I make traditional Mediterranean recipes more accessible to modern people. Sometimes I'll add a twist. Take a look!

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