Pesto Chicken Risotto

5 from 10 votes

This pesto chicken risotto is a cosy comfort food dinner, with so many healthy ingredients! Easy to make in your skillet, it's a flavourful dairy-free and gluten free meal to enjoy with the family.

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Course: Dinner, Main Dish

Cuisine: American, British, Italian

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: servings

Calories: 549kcal

Author: Claire

Equipment

Skillet
Tongs
Pot

Ingredients

2 tablespoon olive oil
½ white onion diced
½ leek diced
2 garlic cloves minced or finely diced
1 chicken breast (about 1.5 cups shredded chicken)
1.5 cups arborio rice
6 cups chicken stock
1 cup broccoli florets diced into small florets
¾ cup pesto
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
pinch salt
pinch black pepper optional

Instructions

If you are making your own pesto, choose from one of the recipes linked above, or follow your own recipe.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Season the chicken with salt and black pepper each side, then use tongs to place in the skillet. Cook both sides for 6-8 minutes, depending upon the size of your chicken breast or fillets, or until cooked through to 165F at their deepest point. Set aside on a plate.
Once cool enough to handle, use two forks to shred the chicken.
Pour your chicken stock into a pot, heat to a low simmer and then keep warm in the pot.
Fry the onion, leek and garlic in the skillet (no need to clean first) for 4-5 minutes or until the onion has softened.
Tip in the rice, and toast for 1-2 minutes, stirring to ensure it doesn't burn. Ladle in the stock about ¼ cup at a time, adding more once it has been absorbed by the rice. Stir the risotto frequently, moving the rice around in the skillet.
After 10 minutes, add in the broccoli florets. Continue to ladle the stock into the skillet a ladle at a time, for another 10 minutes or until the rice has cooked through.
Add the chicken, pesto and apple cider vinegar and stir to combine into the rice. Warm through for a few minutes. Season with salt and black pepper, if using, then ladle into your serving bowls. Serve immediately.

Notes

Adjust the amount of pesto to preference, adding more for extra 'herby' flavour.
You can use leftover or pre-shredded chicken from the store if this is suitable for you, and so skip the second and third steps. This likely isn't suitable for my low histamine readers.
Keep the chicken stock warm in your pot. This helps the rice release starch and become creamy in texture.
Don't be tempted to add all the stock at once. Risotto needs to have stock added gradually and then absorbed before adding more.
Please note that nutritional information is offered as a courtesy. It is auto-generated and should be understood to be an estimate.

Swiss Interest Group Histamine Intolerance (SIGHI) food compatibility list for histamine

All ingredients score 0 on the SIGHI list, with the exception of:

pesto will vary depending upon ingredients used.
leek, which scores 1 and has a ? as a liberator. There is a note, 'In small amounts, usually well tolerated'
garlic, which scores 1.
chicken stock will vary depending upon ingredients used.
apple cider vinegar, which scores 1.
black pepper, which scores 2.

Nutrition