Risotto is one of those comfort foods that’s easier and more versatile than most people think. This recipe does take some attention because you need to add one cup of broth at a time, but it is well worth it! One of the best parts about this Bone Broth Risotto with Pan Seared Scallops is that it is packed with flavor, ingredients that you know have added nutritional value, but the best part is you save more than half of the amount of money on this dish making it at home than buying at a restaurant. There are no extra oils and ingredients that you can’t pronounce the name of. This recipe is great for a novice cook looking to dip their toe in an elegant new dish to show off to their family and friends.
In this recipe we use arborio rice. Arborio rice is known to be very starchy which in turn creates this creaminess without using any milk or cream. Arborio rice is also naturally gluten free for those that are sensitive or intolerant to gluten this is a great option.
We chose turkey bone broth in this recipe because Thanksgiving has just come and gone, and we had a batch on hand. Don’t worry though, any bone broth or stock that is homemade or store-bought will work with this recipe. Bone broth has lots of nutritional value! It’s rich in minerals, amino acids, protein. Here is a post we did on making your own bone broth with more information on the nutritional aspects.
Asparagus, mushroom, and onion are the trifecta for this risotto recipe. If you don’t have these ingredients on hand, they can be easily swapped out with items you do have. Depending on the season you could add tomatoes, roasted zucchini, peas, butternut squash, really the sky is the limit for any substitution. Risotto is one of those fantastic recipes that is hard to mess up. So, don’t worry we have all of the steps you need below to make this delicious, comforting Bone Broth Risotto with Pan Seared Scallops.
Wild caught scallops are a great light fish that pairs nicely with the creamy risotto. Scallop also cook very quickly so it’s an easy protein to use for this recipe. Pan searing them so that they are golden brown and delicious.
If fish isn’t your thing, you can easily grill a steak or use a roasted chicken that you shred. Like we said, this recipe is easily modified to what you have on hand and your preferences.
In Bone Broth Risotto with Pan Seared Scallops recipe we use white wine, but you can substitute with a white wine vinegar, 2 tbsp lemon juice or you can omit and add an extra cup of broth. We want you to be able to use what you have on hand. Cooking is one of those things that the more you do it, the more intuitive you will become when it comes to using ingredients you have on hand that you know will pair well.
You can keep this recipe dairy free using nutritional yeast, but if you want to add freshly grated parmesan right before serving it is fantastic! A sprinkle of fresh parsley and thyme are the finishing touches that add a pop of color and a great aroma when you sit down to eat. Plate it up nice and fancy or mixed it all together in a bowl, but either way we hope you enjoy!
Options for Your Gluten-free Dairy-free Bone Broth Risotto:
- Use different bone broths and proteins to change this recipe up. Try shrimp or lobster, chicken or leave off the protein and serve this as a side dish to any protein you love.
- Swap the asparagus for any seasonal vegetable, like Brussel sprouts, green beans, peas, squash, zucchini or anything else you really love.
- Include your favorite cheese at the end, parmesan is great, or try nutritional yeast for a dairy-free cheesy flavor.
- Use vegetable broth and skip on an animal protein to make vegetarian / vegan.
Bone Broth Risotto with Pan Seared Scallops {gluten-free + dairy-free}
Ingredients
- Risotto
- 4 cups bone broth- Chicken, Turkey, Beef, or Vegetable Stock all work.
- 2 tbsp butter/ghee/olive oil/coconut oil
- ½ white onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or ghee
- 1 ½ cups Arborio Rice
- 1 cup dry white wine, or ¼ cup white wine vinegar (add another ¾ c broth or water if using vinegar)
- ½ teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped parsley
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- nutritional yeast or shredded parmesan cheese, optional
- <br<br>
Pan Seared Scallops
- 1 tablespoon ghee/butter/olive oil/ coconut oil
- 1 pound wild caught scallops, fresh or thawed from frozen
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Place 4 cups of bone broth in a saucepan to heat on low.
- In a separate pan, heat 2 tbsp butter, olive oil, ghee or coconut oil. Sauté onions for 5 minutes. Add in garlic and mushrooms and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Add in asparagus and cook 2-4 minutes - you don’t want the asparagus to be mushy you still want it to have a bite. Remove from heat and set aside on a plate.
- In the pan that the vegetables were cooked, add in 1 tbsp olive oil and rice. Cook on low until rice is translucent. This will take about 3-5 minutes. Do not brown the rice, lower the heat if that starts to happen. Add in white wine, or white wine vinegar and cook for 3-5 minutes until wine is absorbed.
- Add one cup of warm broth to the rice at a time. Stir occasionally. Wait until almost all the liquid is absorbed before adding the next cup. Each cup will probably take 2 to 3 minutes. Be patient, this takes some time and it takes you being present with the dish, start to finish. In total, it will probably take around 20 minutes of cook time.
- Once all liquid is absorbed put the asparagus, mushroom onion and mix back with the risotto. Give it a good stir.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and turn off the heat / remove the pan from the heat and set aside while you quickly sear the scallops.
- In a frying pan or skillet over medium/high, heat 1 tbsp ghee/butter/olive oil/coconut oil.
- Pat the scallops dry on both sides. Sprinkle with salt. Place in the hot pan. Do not overcrowd your pan. You don’t want the scallops to steam. You want to get the sides nice and golden brown.
- Cook scallops 3-5 minutes per side depending on your preference. Continue cooking all the scallops
- Plate 3-4 scallops on a mound of risotto and sprinkle with nutritional yeast or parmesan cheese, fresh thyme and parsley.
