We are constantly thinking about what to serve with risotto. Risotto is such a fantastic dinner idea. You just need something to serve with it to make the meal complete!
Luckily, we have found tons of fantastic options that go perfectly with risotto. Risotto is a creamy, hearty arborio rice dish. It is slow-cooked with garlic, onions, and seasonings.
Some risotto recipes are made with vegetables and tasty meat, making the dish even more filling. These flavors are important to keep in mind when choosing the best sides to serve with risotto!
From seared scallops to light Caprese salad, we found a risotto side for everyone in the family. Give these tasty recipes a try, and you will never wonder what to serve with risotto again! Your mealtime woes are solved.
Italian Risotto with Scallops
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Best Risotto Side Dishes
We have found 15 different yummy sides to serve with your favorite risotto recipe. Each one is unique and will take your meal in a whole new direction.
1. Roasted Asparagus
Simple roasted asparagus is a delicious side to serve with risotto. Our easy asparagus recipe can be put together in a matter of minutes.
Fresh asparagus spears are tossed in olive oil, salt, and pepper, then spread on a baking sheet to roast. A light sprinkle of parmesan cheese goes on top of the asparagus.
The asparagus is the perfect combination of salty and savory. The crunchy asparagus tips pair well with creamy risotto.
The parmesan cheese in risotto goes well with the cheese on the asparagus. This crispy veggie is the perfect side to serve with your favorite recipe for herby risotto.
2. Roasted Shrimp
Lemon garlic roasted shrimp is a delicious side to serve with your creamy rice dish. Tender shrimp on top of risotto is a complete meal that is great for quick weeknight cooking.
Image Source: Skinnytaste
We love this recipe from Skinnytaste that only takes about 10 minutes to put together. Cleaned shrimp are sautéed with olive oil, garlic, fresh lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and a little chopped parsley.
Sear the shrimp until it is slightly golden brown to give it a crispy texture. This delicious meal will definitely satisfy your taste buds and answer the questions of what to serve with risotto.
3. Roasted Vegetables
Easy roasted vegetables may be one of the healthiest side dish options to pair with savory parmesan risotto. We love this recipe for roasted vegetables from Chelsea’s Messy Apron.
Image Source: Chelsea’s Messy Apron
Roughly chopped veggies are tossed in olive oil, oregano, rosemary, basil, and thyme. Use fresh herbs if you have them to add even more flavor to the meal. The veggies can roast in the oven while you cook risotto on the stovetop.
Once the veggies have crispy skin, place them right on top of the risotto and enjoy! Try using different veggies to make the meal customized for your family.
Steamed broccoli, sliced red onion, sweet potatoes, purple carrots, and mushrooms all roast well. Just about any ingredient in the vegetable aisle of the grocery stores will be a winner!
4. Poached Eggs
Poached eggs are a fantastic dish to serve with risotto. The soft yolks of a perfectly poached egg make a creamy sauce for your risotto. It will make your al dente rice even richer!
Image Source: Downshiftology
This recipe from Downshiftology will help you make an incredible soft egg. A little salt and pepper on top of the egg are all that you need to make a perfect dish.
Add a few fresh basil leaves to the dish for a pop of color and flavor. Nothing beats an herby, creamy rice and eggs meal.
5. Arugula Salad
We love to serve the risotto with a light salad. Risotto is such a hearty, creamy dish that a lighter side dish can be perfect to serve with risotto.
Image Source: Minimalist Baker
This arugula salad recipe from Minimalist Baker is sweet and savory. The peppery taste of arugula is perfect with sliced apples and nuts.
Try serving this arugula salad recipe in the fall when apples and pecans are in season. Add a little feta cheese for a salty flavor that goes well with the cheese in your risotto.
Try making a citrus vinaigrette to go over the salad. Citrus flavors are delicious with rich risotto. Everyone will look forward to your latest recipes for salad dressings!
6. Green Beans
A tasty green bean side dish is perfect to serve with risotto. Adding a healthy vegetable is always a good idea! The bright green color of these green beans is also pretty next to the pale white risotto.
Image Source: Cookie and Kate
This recipe for green beans from Cookie and Kate is easy and yummy. The crunchy almonds that top the vegetable is a really nice touch. You will love the incredible flavor of the beans and cheesy risotto!
It only takes a few minutes to put these green beans together, which makes us love this recipe even more!
7. Crispy Chicken Thighs
Risotto is a hearty meal, but it is also mainly starch. Serving risotto with tasty meat is a great way to make a filling meal complete.
Image Source: The Salty Marshmallow
These crispy chicken thighs from The Salty Marshmallow are very easy to make. Keep the skin on the chicken thighs as that is the part that gets nice and crispy.
Olive oil also helps the chicken get a nice crunch. This recipe uses lots of spices like garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika to flavor the chicken.
These will all go great with almost any risotto recipe. The sliced chicken breast will be wonderful with your favorite risotto.
8. Sauteed Mushrooms
A simple dish of sautéed mushrooms and rich risotto can be the perfect winter’s meal. You’ll be amazed by how much flavor mushrooms can add to your risotto dinner!
Image Source: Spend With Pennies
We love these sauteed mushrooms from Spend With Pennies. The mushrooms are cooked with garlic, fresh thyme, and white wine. Butter and a touch of soy sauce make the side dish truly incredible.
9. Seared Scallops
Seared lemon butter scallops are crispy, tender, and juicy. They also cook really fast using this recipe from Cafe Delites.
Image Source: Cafe Delites
Be sure to let the scallops cook over high heat, giving them a crispy golden brown exterior. Lemon zest adds an incredible, bright taste to this heavy dish.
Scoop any extra juice from the scallop pan over your bowl of risotto for an extra sauce. Seared scallops and creamy risotto are exactly what you need to create an unforgettable meal.
10. Roasted Red Peppers
Roasted red peppers may seem like a very simple side dish, but the flavor they add to risotto is unbeatable. The Daring Gourmet will show you how to create perfectly roasted peppers that are pretty and quite tasty.
Image Source: The Daring Gourmet
Red peppers cook in a very hot oven until slightly black. Peel the blackened peel off to reveal pretty, red veggies that are flavorful and sweet.
Make a big batch of roasted red peppers and store them in the freezer. Anytime you are craving risotto and peppers, you can pull out the cooked vegetable, let them thaw, and then enjoy!
11. Mint Soup
Risotto is such a creamy, heavy rice dish. When wondering what to serve with risotto, you may want to consider light, bright side dishes. This mint soup is the perfect example!
Image Source: Archana’s Kitchen
Mint soup has such a vibrant flavor profile. That refreshing mint is wonderful when served alongside cheesy risotto rice. The two powerful dishes taste incredible together!
This recipe for Avocado and mint soup from Archana’s Kitchen is exactly what you should try to serve with risotto. The mint and avocado are such a nice contrast to the cheesy risotto. This meal will definitely taste great!
12. Homemade Rolls
A tender, buttery homemade roll is a side dish that no one can resist. We love these flakey rolls from Modern Honey that are the perfect mix of salty and sweet.
Image Source: Modern Honey
Homemade rolls do take a little bit of time to make. This is one of the side dish recipes you need to plan in advance!
Plan to spend the day in the kitchen kneading dough into perfect, beautiful balls. It will be fun!
We like to add salt to the top of our rolls. A little extra sprinkle adds a lot of extra flavors.
More cheese sprinkled over the top of the rolls adds a nice flavor too. Try adding parmesan cheese to the rolls to match the cheesy taste of the risotto.
13. Sausage
Well Plated by Erin will show you how to make a fantastic Italian sausage and peppers platter that is fantastic served with risottos. We love side dishes that can be made on one hot pan! It makes for a very easy clean-up.
Image Source: Well Plated by Erin
Choose hot or mild Italian sausage. You can also use chicken sausage or even a vegetarian sausage. Almost any kind will work well and add incredible flavors to your arborio rice dish.
14. Homemade Ricotta
Risotto is already a pretty cheesy dish, but why not add more cheese? More is always better!
Image Source: The Kitchn
Homemade ricotta is insanely flavorful. It is salty, sweet, and very creamy. It will add a whole new taste to your ricotta and only takes a few minutes to mix in.
Try your hand at making homemade ricotta using this recipe from The Kitchn. It does take a few hours to make ricotta, but it is a fun kitchen project you will truly enjoy.
15. White Beans
Adding white beans to risotto is a great way to give the rice a little extra protein. We love this recipe from Foodie Crush for white bean and kale soup.
Image Source: Foodie Crush
You can actually pour the soup right over the risotto as it cooks in the pan. The rice will absorb the juice from the soup, soaking up all the flavor.
The white beans are soft and tender, matching the texture of the risotto perfectly. Add a little lemon juice or lemon zest to give the dish even more flavor!
What to Serve with Risotto, From Green Beans to Roasted Shrimp
We love how different and tasty each of these side dishes is. Try a few of these recipes, and you will never wonder what to serve with risotto again!
Let us know your favorite side dishes, and enjoy!
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