Shrimp and Swiss Chard Risotto is creamy, cheesy, and oh so fancy. Risotto is incredible and an impressive dish to be able to pull off as a home cook. It is not complicated, all it takes is some serious patience and a lot of stirring.
This is the perfect summer risotto recipe, plus it will help you use up some of that beautiful swiss chard from your garden (or the farmers market)!
If you love, love, love risotto recipes then you have to try my mushroom risotto recipe, too!
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Ingredients
- Arborio Rice
- Swiss Chard
- Raw Tiger Shrimp
- Chicken or Vegetable Stock
- Dry White Wine
- Butter
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Garlic
- Parmesan Cheese
- Oregano
- Garlic Powder
- Salt & Pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
The Swiss Chard
Swiss Chard is arguably the most mineral/vitamin rich superfood leafy green out there.
It is rich in potassium, magnesium, and calcium. As for the vitamins, it is especially rich in vitamin K, but also has high levels of vitamins A & C.
You can use any variety of swiss chard for this recipe, rainbow, red, white, or even baby swiss chard.
The Shrimp
Low quality shrimp can ruin a dish. They also lack flavour and tend to be on the rubbery side once cooked.
So be sure to choose high quality raw tiger shrimp.
How to tell if a shrimp is raw or cooked?
This is easy, raw shrimp is grey in colour and a cooked shrimp is pink! Both varieties are widely sold at supermarkets everywhere.
Using raw shrimp will allow you develop a richer flavour by giving you the opportunity to marinate them with spices before cooking. This means that the spices will be cooked into the raw meat of the shrimp instead of onto the meat.
For this recipe we are going to be pan searing shrimp with butter, garlic and spices.
These shrimp are perfect for serving with the risotto and SO FREAKING GOOD.
How do you know when raw shrimp is cooked?
Defrosted, raw shrimp will cook up quickly, taking about 5-7 minutes over medium heat.
The shrimp will turn from grey to pink right in front of your eyes! When the shrimp is pink on the outside and white on the inside, it is fully cooked.
Shrimp can easily be overcooked and turn into a rubbery mess. This is why I suggest to prepare the shrimp after the risotto has finished cooking.
Side Note- If you have to cook the shrimp ahead of the risotto being finished, just remove them from the heat and stick a piece of aluminum foil over top. When you are ready to add them into the risotto, throw them back in the pan and heat them back up for just a few minutes over low heat.
How to cook risotto
Risotto is best suited for a main course but can also be served as a side dish. Properly cooked risotto should have a creamy, slightly chewy texture and it should not be hard or crunchy.
DO NOT RINSE the arborio rice before you use it.
This is one of the most important rules of risotto. Rinsing the rice will strip it of the extra starch and starch is imperative for a successful risotto. The starch is what creates that smooth, dreamy, creamy texture in the risotto.
Cooking the risotto in 7 easy to follow steps:
Step 1- In a small saucepan, bring the stock to a simmer.
In a large saute pan or a non-stick wok, add 2 tablespoons of the butter and the extra virgin olive oil. Melt the butter and then add in the minced garlic, saute for 30 seconds.
Step 2- Add the arborio rice into the pan and stir to coat it in the butter and garlic.
Stirring regularly let the rice cook until it is slightly translucent and starts to give off a “nutty” aroma, about 3-5 minutes.
This is when that constant stirring I mentioned begins...
Step 3- After the rice has slightly cooked add in the dry white wine and start stirring.
Let the rice cook in the wine until all of the wine is absorbed into the rice. The wine should take about 4-5 minutes to fully absorb into the rice.
Step 4- Add one cup of the warm stock to the rice.
Continue stirring until all of the stock is absorbed. It will take 7-10 minutes for the stock to fully absorb into the rice.
Side Note- If the stock is absorbing too fast, turn the temperature of the burner down. Otherwise there is a risk that the rice will be undercooked.
Step 5- Repeat step 4 three more times, stirring continuously and adding the warm stock only one cup at a time. You should be left with 2 cups of warm stock.
Before adding the remaining stock, stir in the chopped swiss chard and let cook for 2 minutes, of course still stirring continuously.
Step 6- Add all of the remaining stock (2 cups) and stirring continuously, stir until all of the stock has absorbed into the rice.
Step 7- Last but not least, stir in the parmesan cheese. Remove the risotto from heat and loosely cover with a lid or a piece of aluminum foil.
Easy Pan Seared Shrimp
Pan searing shrimp takes only a couple of minutes and the final result is mouthwatering, buttery, delicious perfectly cooked shrimp.
In a small fry pan, over medium heat, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter.
Add the oregano, garlic powder, and black pepper to the melted butter. Add the raw shrimp into the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes until shrimp are pink and fully cooked.
After the shrimp are fully cooked, add them to the risotto and serve immediately.
Pan seared shrimp are our favourite way to prepare shrimp. These are some other easy to cook shrimp recipes where we use pan seared shrimp:
- Blackened Shrimp Taco Bowls
- Garlic Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo
- Shrimp Tacos with Sweet Chili Sriracha Mayo
Conclusion
Constant stirring is the key to a good risotto.
Letting the risotto sit still for even just a few minutes can result in it burning. Then when you do stir it you might get a less than desirable golden crunchy layer of starch off the bottom of the pot.
So grab a glass of vino, get some comfy slippers on and prepare to stand at the stove for about 45 minutes straight. (I promise, it will be worth it!!)
Some Common Questions
Q: What is arborio rice and where can I find it?
A: Arborio rice is a type of short grain Italian rice. It has a much higher starch content than normal everyday rice.
Q: Where can I find arborio rice?
A: Arborio rice is sold at most major supermarkets in the grains section. You will also be able to find it at your local Italian supermarket.
Q: My risotto is hard and crunchy?
A: If your risotto turned out hard and crunchy the stock was added/asorbed too quickly. Try turning down the heat and cooking at a lower temperature.
We put a lot of work into our recipes, we would love to know if you tried this recipe and how it turned out for you!
If you have any questions about this recipe, I would be happy to answer them in the comments down below!
To get a hold of us, you can shoot us an email or leave a comment down below! We can also be found on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.
Pan Seared Shrimp and Swiss Chard Risotto
Ingredients
- 6 cups Chicken Stock
- 1 ½ cups Arborio Rice
- ½ cup Dry White Wine
- 5 Tablespoons Butter salted, divided
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 5 cloves Garlic minced
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 2-3 cups Swiss Chard chopped
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese grated
- ½ lb Raw Shrimp tail removed and deveined
- 1 teaspoon Oregano
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, bring the stock to a simmer. Keep over low heat until ready to use.
- In a large saute pan or a non-stick wok, add 2 tablespoons of the butter and the extra virgin olive oil. Over medium/low heat, heat until the butter is melted. Add the minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
- Now, add the arborio rice into the pan and stir to coat it in the butter and garlic. Stirring regularly let the rice cook until it is slightly translucent and starts to give off a “nutty” aroma, about 3-5 minutes.
- After the rice has slightly cooked add in the dry white wine. Stirring continuously, let the rice cook in the wine until all of the wine is absorbed into the rice.
- Add one cup of the warm stock to the rice. Continue to stir until all of the stock is absorbed. It will take approximately 7-10 minutes for the stock to absorb. If it is absorbing faster than that, then turn down the temperature of the burner, you don’t want it to cook too fast!
- Repeat step 5 three more times, stirring continuously and adding the warm stock only one cup at a time. Now you should be left with about 2 cups of warm stock.
- Before adding the remaining stock, stir in the chopped swiss chard and let cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
- Add all of the remaining stock (2 cups), stirring continuously, stir until all of the stock has absorbed into the rice.
- Stir in the Parmesan cheese, remove from heat, loosely cover with a lid or a piece of aluminum foil and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the raw shrimp with the oregano, garlic powder, and black pepper. Toss to coat.
- In a small fry pan, over medium heat, heat remaining 3 tablespoons of butter.
- When the butter is melted, add the shrimp. Cook for 5-7 minutes until shrimp are pink and thoroughly cooked.
- Add the cooked shrimp to the risotto and serve immediately.
Allison says
Can’t wait to give this a try. Thanks for the great ideas and information.
Jessica says
I hope you love it!?
Allison says
Just ate it ??? party in my mouth. Soooooo good. Lots of stirring and slow cooking but OMG. For a first timer fabulous. Wanted to share a pic but I tasted it before I took the pic and totally forgot about everything else. Can’t wait till I make it again. Thanks for everything you do. Dad just took seconds ?
Jessica says
Thanks! I am so happy that you loved it!?