Asparagus Kombucha Risotto
When I was brainstorming ideas for what to cook with kombucha, I did a quick google search for recipes with champagne in them. To my palate, champagne, sour beers, and kombucha all have a similar thing going on and if one works in a recipe, the others should too. I saw a lot of champagne risottos which struck me as a little odd because with a small amount of champagne in a risotto you really aren’t going to taste it. Sounds like a waste of champagne! I decided to adapt the champagne risotto idea for kombucha, but use some ingredients that would enhance the tea flavor profile, and use a nice amount of it so that you could really taste it in the final dish.
Start by lightly toasting the rice in butter.
Kombucha starts and finishes the risotto.
Put the woody asparagus stocks into the veggie stock instead of the trash, just to extract a little extra flavor from them.
When the rice is more than halfway cooked, the asparagus goes in.
After the stock is done and the the rice is almost ready, the last addition is the other half of that kombucha bottle. It’s much darker this time from all the tea leaves in the bottom of the bottle.
Green is beautiful. I never understood why kids (my past self included) don’t like to eat green things.
After the risotto comes off the heat for a minute, add in some yogurt to help enhance the tangy flavors of the kombucha.
This dish is really flavorful and a totally unique twist on risotto.
A nice vegetarian dinner too! People who tasted it wondered what the flavors were but couldn’t really put their finger on it.
Asparagus Kombucha Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 1 quart veggie stock
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1.5 cups arborio rice
- 1 bottle green kombucha
- 1/4 cup chopped basil
- 1/2 cup yogurt
Instructions
- Put the woody stems of the asparagus into a sauce pot with the veggie stock and bring to a simmer.
- Melt the butter in a pot and add the rice. Stir and toast the rice lightly for about 3 minutes. You should hear a slight sizzle and have all the grains coated with the butter. You don't really want to brown the rice at all.
- Add half a bottle of green kombucha to the pot. Simmer until absorbed. One ladle at a time, add the chicken stock to the rice, stirring and waiting until it has absorbed before adding the next. Leave the woody asparagus stems behind in the pot.
- When the risotto is getting almost tender and you only have one more addition of stock left, add the chopped asparagus to the rice. Add in the remaining stock and keep stirring. Finally add the second half of the kombucha bottle, along with any sediment and tea leaves from the bottom of the bottle. Also add the basil. Stir and cook until the rice is tender and the risotto is pretty loose and juicy still. You don't want tight dry risotto!
- Remove from heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Stir in the yogurt. Serve and eat immediately!
