I love beetroot – it’s one of my favourite vegetables. It always surprises me when people say that they only ever eat the pickled stuff out of jars, because there really is little better than a freshly boiled or baked beetroot. I used to eat it a lot as a child as part of our usual meat and two veg meal and haven’t really eaten it any other way since, so was intrigued when I saw a recipe for a beetroot risotto.

Isn’t it pretty?

This is a very quick and tasty meal – if you don’t have time to cook up your own beetroot, then you can buy cooked beetroot in most supermarkets which would be absolutely fine here (obviously NOT pickled).

I got the recipe from BBC Good Food again and found this to be a good midweek meal. For people who can’t have a main meal without meat (like Kieran!), this goes well with chicken.

If I made this again I’d be tempted to swap the soured cream and dill for some goats cheese mixed through the risotto. Definitely giving that a go next time!

• 500g fresh beetroot
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• knob of butter
• 1 onion , finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove , finely chopped
• 250g risotto rice
• 150ml white wine
• 700ml hot vegetable stock
• handful grated Parmesan (or vegetarian alternative)
• 4 tbsp soured cream
• handful chopped dill

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Peel and trim the beetroots (use kitchen gloves if you don’t want your hands to get stained) and cut into large wedges. Place on a large sheet of foil on a baking sheet. Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil, season, then cook for 1 hr until the beets are soft.
2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil with the butter in an ovenproof pan with a lid. Tip in the onion and garlic, then cook for 3-5 mins until translucent. Stir in the rice until well coated with the butter and oil. Pour over the white wine, then let the mixture bubble away for 5 mins.
3. Stir well, then pour over the stock. Stir again, cover and place in the oven. Cook for 15 mins until the rice is soft. Remove the beetroots from the oven. Whizz ¼ of them to make a purée, then chop the remainder into small pieces. Stir most of the Parmesan, the beetroot purée and chopped beetroot through the risotto, then serve with some soured cream dolloped over and the dill and extra Parmesan scattered on top.