This seafood risotto is creamy, decedent and low carb! And guess what- one dish! My favorite kind of meal. Serve this with a fresh green salad or some extra greens to round out the meal. A thick slice of bread recommended for scooping the creamy deliciousness but not required.
For this dish I chose wild sockeye salmon and frozen shrimp but any protein or fish would work! Cod, crab, scallops or clams would all be yummy here as well.
For greens we tossed in peas and fresh spinach. If you've never done peas in pasta and risotto you don't know what you are missing!
The best part of this recipe, it's low carb too! Which leaves extra room in the belly for plenty of satisfying bread and extra fibrous veggies and salad. If you prefer the classic full rice version, opt for 1 cup arborio rice and increase liquid to 4 cups of broth. If you prefer a fully cauliflower rice version, increase cauliflower to 8 cups cauliflower rice and take out the arborio. Cut the liquid to 2 cups since the vegetables will generate water on their own.
Personally I prefer the mix of the two because you get the best of both worlds and it satisfies all appetites and critics!
In just one dish we sauté the garlic and onions, toast the rice, simmer the broth and mix in the cheese. This keeps the kitchen clean, the recipe easy to follow and dinner ready in 30!
And of course top with plenty of freshly grated parmesan for good measure!
Salmon and Shrimp Low Carb Risotto
4 Servings | Cook time: 30 minutes
Notes: Risotto is known as a decedent, heavy dish. We lighten this risotto up a bit by replacing some of the rice with cauliflower rice. The frozen cauliflower also adds excess water to the dish so I like to cut the initial water a bit to compensate.
Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil, divided
1/2 onion (100g)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2-2/3 cup arborio rice
4 cups frozen cauliflower rice (1 bag)
3 cups low sodium chicken broth or water + 1 tsp salt plus 1 additional cup
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 lb sockeye salmon
1/2-1 lb raw shrimp (peeled and deveined) (increase protein depending on preference- ie. I did 2oz/serving for me but 4oz/serving for my fiancé so used 3/4 lb)
2 cups fresh spinach or frozen spinach, defrosted and drained, chopped
1/2 cup part skim mozzarella
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Fresh parmesan, for topping
Directions:
In a large pot, heat 1 tsp olive oil over medium. Add garlic and onions to the oil and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add remaining tsp olive oil as well as arborio rice and frozen riced cauliflower. Sauté another 2-3 minutes until rice is toasted.
Stir in 3 cups of broth or water/salt. Bring mixture to a boil, turn heat down to low and cover.
Season salmon with salt and pepper and place on top of rice mixture. Allow rice and salmon to simmer for 20 minutes or until majority of liquid has absorbed and rice is cooked through.
Break up salmon into bite sized chunks while stirring the rice. Fold shrimp, peas and chopped spinach into mixture. Typically at this stage it is still a bit liquidy but if all of the liquid has absorbed, add some additional broth. You want the mixture thick but some liquid still visible. If there is excess liquid, turn the heat up to medium bringing the mixture to a boil to steam off the extra liquid.
Cook everything for another 3-4 minutes or until the shrimp is pink and the spinach is wilted and desired consistency is reached. Remove from heat and fold in cheese. When the cheese is melted the risotto should be thick and creamy. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
Serve alongside a fresh salad or roasted vegetables.
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Nutrition Facts are provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used.
