Carnaroli rice, sometimes called the king of rice for its ability to hold its shape while staying creamy, works particularly well here, though arborio rice is a fine substitute. The dried cranberries soak in the coconut milk before cooking, tinting the liquid a soft pink and releasing their tartness gradually as the risotto cooks. No cheese is needed; the coconut milk alone provides all the creaminess the dish requires.
The arugula goes in at the very end, just stirred through, adding a slight crunch and a peppery bitterness that keeps the sweetness of the coconut and cranberries from taking over. This is a vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free risotto that did not set out to check any of those boxes; it simply turned out that way, which may be the best way for a recipe to arrive at being all three.
The idea of making a coconut milk risotto was on my to-do-list for a while. Now I can finally take it off that list, as Coconut Risotto with Cranberries is born. Another recipe that uses a sweet and spicy combination, is Chicken with Potatoes in Coconut Sauce.
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Key Ingredients in This Recipe
You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.
- Onion
- White wine
- Arborio rice
- Vegetable broth
- Coconut milk
- Dried cranberries
- Arugula
How to Make Coconut Risotto with Cranberries
When making risotto, I prefer to use Carnaroli Rice, but of course you can also use Arborio rice, which is more readily available. For the coconut milk, I used the unsweetened one and prefer to use the lite version (one of my ways to cut back on calories, but only if I can reach the same flavor as the non-lite version).
No cheese is this risotto recipe; the coconut milk was enough to making it creamy and kept it all together. I love dried cranberries and in this recipe, I soaked them in the coconut milk. The result was that the coconut milk was slightly colored, but it gave the dish just that extra flavor it needed. The addition of the arugula, just stirred into the risotto, add a slight bitterness and a slight crunch.
Coconut Risotto with Cranberries
Pin Recipe FacebookIngredients
- 1/2 onion
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup arugula
Instructions
- Chop the onion fine.
- Warm the broth. Add the cranberries to the coconut milk and warm as well.
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven and add the chopped onion. Cook the onion until soft and translucent.
- Add the rice and stir until thoroughly coated in oil.
- Add the wine and allow this to be absorbed by the rice.
- Add the broth to the rice and cook over medium heat. Stir occasionally until all the stock is absorbed.
- Add the coconut milk with the cranberries and allow this to absorb as well.
- When rice is done, it is creamy and just tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add arugula and mix and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.