This creamy goat cheese risotto is topped with super flavorful cherry garlic and tomato confit! It's the perfect summer lunch time meal or side-dish that requires minimal effort! The tangy goat cheese and bright tomatoes are the perfect pairing!
Risotto is a classic Italian dish of rice cooked with broth until it reaches a super creamy consistency. It falsely has a reputation of difficult or time consuming to make, but it's actually super simple! It can be a tad annoying because you do have to stir it pretty regularly, but that's it!
Risotto is one of my favorite things to make when I want to impress but also but in minimal effort! It’s incredibly easy to make, has amazing depth of flavor, and just seems fancier than other side options. It's also extremely versatile!
You might also like this pesto risotto or this zucchini risotto!
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Ingredient Notes
You just need a few simple ingredients to make this creamy goat cheese risotto!
Arborio rice - This recipe is best if you use rice that’s specifically for risotto! Risotto is traditionally made with short grain rice that has a high starch content. This is what gives risotto that super creamy, luxurious texture! Arborio rice is most common but I’ve also made this recipe with loto rice and paella rice and they work great! But always double check the cooking instructions for your rice. This recipe uses a 1:4 rice to liquid ratio but if your rice uses a 1:3 ratio, you’ll want to reduce the liquid by 1 cup.
White cooking wine - This is optional but adds some great flavor to your risotto! I always keep cheap, dry white wine on hand that I use for cooking. It’s amazing how much flavor a $3 bottle of sauvignon blanc can add to a dish!
Vegetable stock - I always use my homemade vegetable stock when I make risotto for the best flavor!! You can also use store bought vegetable stock, chicken stock, or even water.
Shallot - The mild flavor of shallots are perfect for this summery risotto. But you could also use half a yellow onion instead.
Goat cheese - I love the slight tang of goat cheese (or chèvre) paired with the tomato confit, but you could use parmesan cheese or mascarpone instead!
Cherry tomatoes - Heirloom cherry tomatoes are my favorite so that's what I typically recommend but any cherry or grape tomatoes work just fine!
Garlic - This is optional, but I love adding garlic to the tomato confit!
Olive oil - You want to use good, high quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor!
Red pepper flakes - I love adding just a little red pepper for some heat, but you can leave it out if desired.
Fresh herbs - I highly recommend using fresh basil and thyme for the brightest flavor!
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
How to Make Tomato Confit
Confit is a process of preserving food by slow cooking it in fat (often oil). When you confit tomatoes and garlic, they take on a rich, complex flavor that compliment almost any dish! They're delicious on top of this goat cheese risotto but are also good on pasta, ricotta toast, or just straight out of the jar (my personal favorite). You're also left with flavored olive oil that you can save for other recipes!
Preheat the oven to 275°F.
Add the cherry tomatoes, garlic cloves, and fresh thyme to a large baking dish. Pour the olive oil over the tomatoes until it almost covers them (you might need more than 2 cups based on the size of your dish). Sprinkle with salt and red pepper flakes and mix gently to combine.
Bake at 275°F for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until the tomatoes and garlic are soft and fragrant.
Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. The leftover oil is super flavorful and can be use in cooking, salad dressing, etc!
How to Make Risotto
In a large skillet or stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat and sauté the shallots, and garlic for about 5 minutes or until soft and fragrant.
Add in the rice and toast, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes. Then add in the white wine to de-glaze the pan and make sure to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot.
Add in ½ cup of the warmed vegetable stock, and stir the risotto until completely absorbed, then add in another ½ cup and repeat. Continue to add in the stock ½ cup at a time until it's all absorbed and the rice is fully cooked.
Stir in the goat cheese until melted and fully combined.
Garnish the goat cheese risotto with the cherry tomato confit, a drizzle of olive oil, and fresh basil!
Serve with crusty sourdough bread or as a side to roast chicken!
Recipe FAQ's
Store risotto in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Yes, but it won't be as flavorful. If using water, I recommend also using some sort of bullion to enhance the flavor. You can also use chicken broth if you prefer!
Technically yes, but I don't recommend it. Long grain rice will take a little longer to cook and won’t be quite as creamy. Follow the same instructions as below but use 3 cups of water instead. You can also add in ¼ cup of heavy cream towards the end to make the goat cheese risotto extra creamy if desired.
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
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Recipe Card
Goat Cheese Risotto with Cherry Tomato Confit
Special Equipment
Ingredients
Tomato Confit
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes
- 8 cloves garlic
- 2 cups extra virgin olive oil, more as needed
- 4 spigs fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
Risotto
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 cup arborio rice
- ½ cup white cooking wine, optional
- 4 cups vegetable stock, substitute chicken stock or water
- 4 ounces goat cheese
- salt and pepper, to taste
- fresh basil
Instructions
Tomato Confit
- Preheat the oven to 275°F.
- Add the cherry tomatoes, garlic cloves, and fresh thyme to a large baking dish. Pour the olive oil over the tomatoes until it almost covers them (you might need more than 2 cups based on the size of your dish). Sprinkle with salt and red pepper flakes and mix gently to combine.
- Bake at 275°F for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until the tomatoes and garlic are soft and fragrant.
- Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. The leftover oil is super flavorful and can be use in cooking, salad dressing, etc!
Risotto
- In a large skillet or stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat and sauté the shallots, and garlic for about 5 minutes or until soft and fragrant.
- Add in the rice and toast, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes. Then add in the white wine to de-glaze the pan and make sure to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot.
- Add in ½ cup of the warmed vegetable stock, and stir the risotto until completely absorbed, then add in another ½ cup and repeat. Continue to add in the stock ½ cup at a time until it's all absorbed and the rice is fully cooked.
- Stir in the goat cheese until melted and fully combined.
- Garnish the goat cheese risotto with the cherry tomato confit, a drizzle of the olive oil, and fresh basil!
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Amy says
This was delicious. Followed recipe and served with sautéed Argentinian red shrimp. Family loved it.
Heather says
This is an incredible recipe. The best risotto I’ve made at home ever. It takes a little time and love but it is truly delicious. The combo of the risotto with the tomato confeit truly tastes like it came from a 5-star restaurant. This recipe is worth the review!
Sam says
Amazing!! I only had 1/2 cup of risotto rice left so I adjusted as needed to make enough for myself and my husband. Will absolutely be making again. I can see this working with multiple different cheeses!
Melissa says
This risotto is amazing!!!! As a vegetarian my boyfriend doesn’t always love veggie meals and he swears by this one as “the best I’ve ever made”. 10/10