This creamy leek and spinach risotto can serve as a simple and light weeknight dinner or as a side to roast chicken for a more filling meal.
Risotto is one of my favorite things to make when I want to impress someone. It’s super easy to make, has amazing depth of flavor, and just seems fancier than other side options. It's also extremely versatile! My favorite variations are this leek and spinach risotto and my shiitake mushroom risotto!
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Ingredient Notes
Aside from the leeks, all the ingredients are things I always have on hand!
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.
Leeks - You don't want to use the tough, dark green parts of the leeks in the risotto. But don't just toss them! You can save them in the freezer to make stock with later. If you've never cooked with leeks before, check out this post about how to properly clean leeks!
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 water by 1 cup.
White Cooking Wine - This is completely 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!
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
How to Make Risotto
In a large sauce pan, heat your vegetable stock over medium heat until simmering (you can also use a microwave if you're lazy). Remove from the heat and set aside.
*Don't skip this step!! If the stock hasn't been heated before adding to the rice, it will take significantly longer to absorb.
Melt the butter and olive oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat and add in the shallots, leeks, and garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until fragrant.
Add in the rice and lightly toast, stirring frequently for 2-3 more minutes.
Add in ½ cup of the warmed vegetable stock, thyme, salt and pepper, 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 parmesan, spinach, and lemon zest. Then taste and adjust seasonings if desired.
Cook gently for another 2-3 minutes until the spinach has wilted.
Remove from the heat and serve immediately!
Recipe Tips
This leek and spinach risotto is already vegetarian but you can also make it vegan by just omitting the Parmesan! It’s still creamy and tasty without the cheese! But if you eat cheese then you should DEFINITELY add the cheese. Trust me.
Recipe FAQ's
Store risotto in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
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 it extra creamy.
Yes, but it will be a lot less flavorful. If using water, I recommend also using some sort of bullion to enhance the flavor.
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
Leek and Spinach Risotto
Special Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large shallot, diced
- 3 leeks, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, diced
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- ½ cup white cooking wine, optional
- 4 cups vegetable stock, warmed
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
Instructions
- Thoroughly wash the leeks to remove any dirt, then discard the tough dark green tops. Thinly slice the tender white and light green parts of the leek.
- In a medium pot, heat the vegetable stock over medium heat until simmering (you can also heat the stock in a large bowl in the microwave). Remove from the heat and set aside.
- In a large nonstick pan, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium-low heat, then add in the shallot, leeks, and garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until soft and fragrant.
- Add in the rice and toast, stirring frequently, for 2-3 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, thyme, salt and pepper, 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 parmesan, spinach, and lemon zest. Then taste and adjust seasonings if desired.
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.
Sandy-Christine says
Lovely! Also added some lemon juice. Upped the spinach to 4 cups and still resembled ur pic.
Ana says
This is delicious! I was worried about adding the lemon zest, but the flavors really worked! Everything was well balanced. Thank you for the recipe!
Mihaela | https://theworldisanoyster.com/ says
This is perfect for a light side - it would be enough for dinner for me, but probably the carnivorous in my family would like meats too!:))
Lara says
Made this one for my son who recently became a vegetarian - the whole family loved it.
Chef Dennis says
Yum! My wife keeps asking for more of this leek and spinach risotto.
Lindsay says
I love risotto using grains besides rice! This is a fabulous recipe.
Kayla DiMaggio says
Oh my goodness! I love risotto and leeks are one of my favorite root vegetables! Adding this to my menu!
Lara says
I made this yesterday as we wanted a light dinner after all the eating on Saturday! We loved it! Will definitely be doing this again anytime soon!