Holiday Market High Protein (Printable)
Creamy risotto with chicken, cannellini beans, peas, and spinach—perfect for hearty, wholesome dinners.
# List of ingredients:
→ Proteins
01 - 1 large skinless chicken breast, diced (7 oz)
02 - 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (14 oz)
03 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (2 oz)
→ Grains
04 - 1½ cups arborio rice (10½ oz)
→ Vegetables
05 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 cup frozen peas (5 oz)
08 - 1 cup diced red bell pepper (3½ oz)
09 - 1 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped (3½ oz)
→ Liquids
10 - 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock, warm
11 - ½ cup dry white wine (optional)
→ Fats & Oils
12 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
→ Seasonings
13 - ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
14 - ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
15 - ½ teaspoon dried thyme
16 - ¼ teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
# Steps:
01 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced chicken and cook until golden and fully cooked, about 5–6 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
02 - Add remaining olive oil to the same skillet. Sauté onion for 2–3 minutes until translucent. Stir in garlic and bell pepper; cook for 2 more minutes.
03 - Incorporate arborio rice, stirring to coat grains with oil. Toast for 1–2 minutes until edges are translucent.
04 - Pour in white wine, if using, and stir until mostly absorbed by the rice.
05 - Gradually add warm stock one ladle at a time, stirring frequently. Wait until liquid is mostly absorbed before adding more. Continue until rice is creamy and al dente, about 18–20 minutes.
06 - Stir in cooked chicken, cannellini beans, peas, and spinach. Cook for 2–3 minutes until heated through and spinach is wilted.
07 - Remove from heat and mix in Parmesan, thyme, salt, pepper, and chili flakes if used. Adjust seasoning to preference. Let rest for 2 minutes before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It tastes like comfort food but actually keeps you full for hours thanks to the chicken and beans.
- The whole thing comes together in under an hour, which means you can serve it on a weeknight without the fuss.
- It's versatile enough to feed a crowd at a holiday gathering or scale down to a quiet meal for two.
02 -
- Cold stock will ruin risotto—it stops the cooking process and makes the rice gluey instead of creamy, so keep that stock simmering on a separate burner the whole time.
- Patience with the stirring is non-negotiable; those 18–20 minutes of frequent stirring aren't wasted time, they're when the magic happens and the rice transforms into something velvety.
- Oversalting is easy because the Parmesan adds saltiness too, so taste as you go and remember you can always add more but never subtract.
03 -
- Keep your stock simmering in a separate pot the entire time you're cooking risotto—temperature consistency is half the battle.
- Grate your Parmesan fresh right before you use it; pre-grated cheese has anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly into the rice.