Apple Risotto with Marcona Almonds

Apple Risotto with Marcona Almonds

Make a delicious Apple Risotto loaded with apple flavors in 35 minutes. A delicious side dish or meal on its own, topped with crunchy Marcona almonds. Follow my no-stir risotto method for the creamiest, easiest risotto!

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 35

Servings as a main course

Calories 520kcal

Author Emmeline Kemperyd

Equipment

Skillet
Kitchen knife*
Chopping board*
Cheese grater*
Measuring spoons*
Measuring cups (metric or US)*

Ingredients

1 vegetable stock cube
2½ cups water
2 tablespoon butter
2 garlic cloves in one piece but peeled and slightly crushed
2 shallots finely chopped
1 cup Arborio rice
1 cup apple cider
2 apples cut in ½ inch (1 cm) cubes
1 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ cup Marcona almonds roughly chopped
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt if needed

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare by heating the water to a boil, and mixing in the bouillon cube. Mix until completely dissolved, then keep warm until you add it to the risotto.
1 vegetable stock cube, 2½ cups water
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.
2 tablespoon butter
Add shallots and garlic and fry for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
2 garlic cloves, 2 shallots
Add risotto rice and cook for a minute, until the the butter has been almost completely absorbed.
1 cup Arborio rice
Pour in the apple cider followed by the chicken bouillon.
1 cup apple cider
Bring to a slow simmer, then lower the heat so the slow simmer is kept, and stir once. Then do not stir again until it is done.
After 16 minutes, the risotto should be done. At this point it should be cooked almost through - but there should still be a solid core in the middle of the rice. The liquid should
Remove the pan from the heat and remove the garlic cloves.
Mix in the apple pieces followed by Parmesan cheese and apple cider vinegar.
1 cup Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 2 apples
Add chopped Marcona almonds and mix well, then taste test and season with salt and black pepper as needed.
½ cup Marcona almonds, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon salt

Notes

Ingredient notes & substitutions

Apple cider: I used semi-sweet non-alcoholic sparkling apple cider, but any kind works
Arborio rice can be swapped for another type of risotto rice, like Carnaroli or Avorio
Apples: I recommend Granny Smith apples or similar green, sweet & slightly tart apples
Shallots can be swapped for red or yellow onion
Vegetable stock: if you have homemade vegetable stock you can swap the water and vegetable stock cube for the same amount of stock as water
Marcona almonds can be substituted for regular roasted, salted almonds. You can also use roasted, unsalted almonds but then you will need to add a bit extra salt.
Salt should be added only as needed, after taste testing. Since the almonds are pretty salty you might not need to add any more salt.

Tips & tricks

Make it vegetarian by switching Parmesan cheese for a Parmesan-style hard cheese made without animal rennet
Do not rinse the rice as you need all the starch to make the risotto creamy
Do not stir while the risotto is simmering
Do not overcook the risotto. It's done when you test a grain and think that it's "almost done". That's when it's done! It should still have a slight solid core.
Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days
Risotto does not freeze very well - it tends to come out a bit grainy after thawing. However, it is still edible and I do freeze leftover risotto. It's good for up to 3 months.

Nutrition