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Risotto with chicken and frozen vegetables

Chicken Risotto with Frozen Vegetables

A quick weeknight family dinner — wholesome and delicious! Italian cooking has countless kinds of risotto, and here's an easy one made with frozen vegetables. Simple and convenient: grab a bag of frozen veggies, a piece of chicken breast, and a cup of rice. Half an hour and dinner's on the table.

Marisha

Recipe author

Risotto with chicken and frozen vegetables

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Chicken breast

200

Onion (medium)

Garlic

Frozen Mexican vegetable blend

400

Short-grain rice

Vegetable oil

Salt

Ground black pepper

Dried herbs (basil, marjoram, oregano, or an Italian herb blend)

Hard cheese (optional)

Fresh herbs (for serving)

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 21 % 8 g

Fats 26 % 10 g

Carbohydrates 54 % 21 g

202 kcal

GI: 29 / 71 / 0

Cooking method

Cooking time: 30 min

Step 1:

Peel the onion and garlic, rinse, and finely chop.
Step 2:

In a large, deep skillet, heat 5 tablespoons of vegetable oil, sauté the onion until translucent, then add the garlic.
Step 3:

Cook over low heat, stirring, until golden.
Step 4:

Cut the chicken breast into thin strips.
Step 5:

Add it to the skillet and lightly brown.
Step 6:

Take the frozen vegetable blend out of the freezer. I like this dish best with a Mexican blend: bell pepper, carrots, green beans, peas, corn, celery, and onion. Any vegetable blend you like will work.
Step 7:

Add the frozen vegetables to the chicken, stir, and cook for about 5 minutes.
Step 8:

While the vegetables cook, rinse the rice, drain it in a colander, and add it to the skillet with the chicken and vegetables. Stir. Short-grain rice works best here — not parboiled. Season with salt (I use 1 level teaspoon) and pepper, and add a pinch each of basil, marjoram, and oregano. You can use an Italian herb blend, but my family doesn't care for the rosemary in it, so I stick with just these.
Step 9:

Pour in 2 cups of hot water or broth. Cover the skillet, lower the heat, and simmer until the rice is done, stirring now and then. Add more salt if needed.
Step 10:

For me, 15–20 minutes is enough for the rice to cook through. Once it's done, you can stir in some grated hard cheese, or sprinkle the cheese over each serving at the table. My family prefers this chicken-and-vegetable risotto without cheese — that's a valid Italian version too.