Creamy Parmesan risotto topped with perfectly cooked roasted salmon. This Roasted Salmon Risotto is a naturally gluten-free healthy comfort food dish that you’ll love. It’s perfect for a romantic date night, or for enjoying with a small dinner party of friends.
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Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask. The comments can be easily found using the orange circle on the lower left, then Join the discussion!
Can’t get enough risotto recipes? Be sure to check out my other recipes: Mushroom spinach pecan risotto, Corn and red pepper risotto, and caramelized carrot risotto.
What is risotto?
It’s a creamy, warm, comforting creamy dish made from rice. The rice is cooked for a long time letting the starch develop in the dish, making it thick and rich.
And, although risotto takes a bit of time to cook, it isn’t hard at all. It’s really pretty easy to make, actually. Just a bunch of stirring.
Unlike other rice dishes that have you simmer water and add rice to cook, risotto is cooked slowly by adding a fraction of a cup of liquid at a time to Arborio rice. This process allows the grains to release their starch, creating a rich, velvety sauce with soft but slightly al dente grains.
Making risotto also requires you to just do one thing at a time. Stir the rice, and add the broth. That’s it. No checking Facebook, no going to fold laundry. It’s actually quite nice to just do one thing. This is also part of the recipe you can recruit someone to help you with – give them the spatula and have them stir their heart out.
What is Arborio Rice?
Arborio rice is a short grain rice with plump, pearl-like white grains that absorb lots of liquid while they cook, releasing their starch, resulting in a warm, creamy thick dish that you’ll love.
You should be able to find it in a well-stocked grocery store on the rice aisle.
What broth to use?
Use your favorite broth of choice for this recipe. I’m a big believer in using the flavors that already taste good to you and your family.
For the most part, any broth is exchangeable in any recipe. If you really love your homemade chicken broth, by all means, use that.
This is my favorite homemade vegetable broth, and it works great in this risotto.
I also love this store-bought broth (affiliate link): Better than Bouillon Base.
The saltiness of the broth should make it so you don’t need to add any additional salt to the risotto, but as always, taste and add salt to make yourself happy.
Can I use something other than wine?
If you don’t cook with wine, simply replace the 1 cup of wine with 1 cup of broth. The risotto will still taste great.
When I was a kid my mom would replace all the wine in a recipe with 7-up. Now, I’m not sure I’d recommend that at this point in my life. Seems like it may be too sweet. But I did love it as a kid. Heck, if you try it, let me know how you like it in this recipe.
Is this a healthy dish?
Yes! This creamy salmon topped dish is so good for you!
Most of the creaminess in this dish comes from the natural starch of the rice, and not from fats or fillers.
Salmon is rich in heart-healthy omega-3s, antioxidants, and vitamin B12, and it’s a low-calorie protein source that’s also low in saturated fat. Salmon has been called a ‘superfood’ because of its health benefits.
Variation to the recipe
Want to add a delicious marinade to the salmon? Check out this beautiful Salmon Marinade.
What do I do with leftover risotto?
This risotto recipe makes a nice big batch, which, depending on how many people you’re serving, may result in leftovers.
Now, you can make a smaller batch. Simply use the servings slider on the recipe card to easily adjust the ingredient amounts.
Or, if you’re like me, you love having leftovers. I mean, dinner’s all ready and waiting for you in the fridge! Simply grill up some more Sitka seafood to serve with it one night. Or some chicken (I like those fake chicken tenders) the next night.
Keep any leftovers in the fridge in a tightly covered container for up to 5 days. As it sits, the risotto will thicken because of the starch in the rice.
I typically reheat the risotto in the microwave. You can also reheat it on the stove. If the risotto is too thick, add a splash of broth or water to the pan, as needed, to loosen it up.
Avoid freezing risotto. Cooked rice can become hard when frozen, and the texture can become grainy.
Here’s how my salmon looks after I cut it into 4 fillets. The smaller pieces are roasted more quickly than the larger pieces, so keep an eye on them as they roast.
How to defrost the salmon
Make sure you defrost the salmon before you go to cook it for this recipe.
The easiest way to defrost the salmon is to take it out of the freezer while it’s still wrapped in the vacuum pack, and place it in the fridge overnight. By the time you’re ready to start dinner, it’ll be nice and defrosted.
If you forget to take it out of the freezer the night before, you can still defrost it by soaking it. Keep the salmon sealed in the plastic bag, and submerge it in a sink or tub full of water. I like to place a heavy plate on top of the salmon to keep it under the water. Soak it like this for 1 hour and it should be nicely defrosted.
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Roasted Salmon Risotto Recipe
Roasted Salmon Risotto
Ingredients
Salmon:
- 1 pound salmon defrosted
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons olive oil divided use
- Salt and pepper
Risotto:
- 2 quarts vegetable broth
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 pound Arborio rice 16 ounces
- 1 cup dry white wine
- ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for garnishing if desired
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Prep the salmon:
- Preheat the oven to 500° F.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and brush with 1 tablespoon oil. Remove the defrosted salmon from the plastic bag, and pat dry with a paper towels. Cut the salmon into four pieces, about 1 to 1 & ½-inches thick. Rub the salmon all over with 2 teaspoons oil, and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until needed.
Cook the risotto:
- Place the broth in a medium saucepot, and bring to a simmer.
- Heat the butter over medium heat in a large pan. Add onion, and cook until translucent. Add Arborio rice and stir until rice looks glossy. Add white wine, bring to a simmer, and add about ¾ cup hot broth. Cook, stirring, until the rice absorbs the broth. Repeat until the rice is tender and creamy, and you have used all the broth. Remove from heat. Stir in the grated Parmesan. Stir vigorously, about 4 minutes.
Cook the salmon:
- While the risotto is cooking (enlist a helper to stir for you if desired), roast the salmon. Arrange the salmon skin side down on the oiled parchment paper, spacing the pieces evenly on the sheet. Place the baking sheet with salmon in the preheated oven, and immediately turn the temperature down to 275° F. Bake until the centers of the fillets register 125 ° F (for medium-rare), about 11 to 15 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through baking. (Check any small pieces for temperature at the halfway point; my small piece was done at that time).
- Serve risotto hot, topped with roasted salmon fillet, and garnished with additional grated Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Thanks for this recipe Debi, I struggle with salmon (after getting sick on it once) but know that it is SO good for us. This recipe is fresh and delicious and the risotto is spot on!