Risotto in the Thermomix® needs reverse blade direction, because only that keeps the grains intact. Normal clockwise blade direction grinds Arborio or Carnaroli into mush within seconds. We cook the basic recipe in 20 minutes without stirring once: sauté the rice, then add 250 g white wine and 500 g vegetable stock, 15 minutes at 120 °C on reverse blade direction at speed 1. That makes 4 servings.
We have been cooking risotto in the Thermomix® at least twice a month for years, and reverse blade direction is the reason it works at all. On this page you will find two recipes: the quick Parmesan base recipe in 20 minutes, and a lemon risotto with baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, and Pecorino for special evenings. Both are set out with all quantities and timings in the recipe card further down.
Thermomix® Lemon Risotto
Ingredients 0 / 15 ✓
- 50 grams pecorino Romano cheese
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 red onion
- 200 grams cherry tomatoes
- 20 grams olive oil
- 270 grams risotto rice
- 50 grams butter
- 100 grams dry white wine
- 1 lemon untreated
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 780 grams vegetable broth
- 60 grams baby spinach
- 1/2 bunch parsley
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
Instructions 0 / 10
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1
Add the pecorino to the mixing bowl, grate for 8 sec./speed 8 and set aside.
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2
Peel the garlic, add to the mixing bowl and mince for 3 sec./speed 5.
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3
Peel onion, cut in half, add, chop for 3 sec./speed 5 and push down with the spatula.
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4
Wash cherry tomatoes, add with oil to the mixing bowl and steam for 4 min./120 °C (TM31: Varoma)/LEFT ROTATION/GENTLE STIR and set aside.
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5
Add rice and 30 g butter to the mixing bowl and braise for 4 min./100 °C/LEFT ROTATION/speed 1.
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6
Add the white wine and heat for 2 min./100 °C/LEFT ROTATION/Speed 1.
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7
Wash lemon in hot water and finely grate 1/2 tsp lemon zest. Add lemon zest, salt and vegetable broth and cook for 24 min./90 °C/speed 1.
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8
Meanwhile, wash and clean spinach. Wash parsley and pluck leaves.
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9
Squeeze the lemon, add 4 tablespoons of lemon juice with the remaining butter, spinach, pepper and thyme and mix with the help of the spatula for 2 min./80 °C/LEFT ROTATION/speed 3.
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10
Add the tomato mixture and fold in carefully with the spatula. Arrange risotto and serve sprinkled with parsley and pecorino.
Nutrition per serving
Why reverse blade direction saves your risotto
The classic method means stirring risotto by hand for half an hour, adding stock ladle by ladle. In the Thermomix® the whole process works differently, and this is exactly where the machine makes the difference: reverse blade direction moves the grains gently around the bowl without bringing the sharp blade edges into contact with the rice. The starch still releases and binds the liquid into a creamy consistency, but the grains stay whole.
Three things make our base recipe reliably creamy:
- Reverse rather than normal blade direction. The entire cooking time runs on reverse blade direction at speed 1. If you accidentally switch to normal clockwise blade direction, Arborio or Carnaroli will be mush in under a minute.
- 250 g wine and 500 g stock added all at once. No ladle-by-ladle adding. The Thermomix® evaporates exactly the right amount of liquid at 120 °C in 15 minutes so the consistency is spot on at the end.
- Sauté the rice first. 3 minutes at Varoma temperature seals the starch inside the grain. The rice then releases it in a controlled way rather than falling apart immediately.
Arborio or Carnaroli: the rice variety makes all the difference
Risotto only works with starchy short-grain rice. Arborio is the standard and available in every supermarket. Carnaroli is the slightly more refined variety, holds its shape even better on reverse blade direction, and keeps more bite because the grain is firmer. Long-grain rice or basmati are not an option: too little starch, no binding, and the result will be watery.
One point that almost every risotto guide stresses, and it is genuinely true: never wash the rice before cooking. Washing rinses off the outer layer of starch, and that is exactly what you need for the creaminess. We tip the rice straight from the packet into the mixing bowl, dry. If you really cannot get risotto rice, you can use pudding rice, but add about 5 extra minutes to the cooking time. The binding stays, though the bite will be softer.
A good risotto rice does more for the result than any seasoning paste. We usually go for the classic Arborio packet because it is everywhere and binds reliably. If you want more bite for a special occasion, Carnaroli is worth it.
Sauté the rice first, then add wine and stock
We never skip the sautéing step. First, 50 g butter and 10 g olive oil go into the bowl with the chopped onion and garlic for 3 minutes at Varoma temperature. Then the rice cooks through for a further 3 minutes before any liquid is added. This step toasts the starch and gives the risotto the nutty base flavour that simply boiled rice never has.
Then 250 g white wine and 500 g vegetable stock go into the mixing bowl together, not in portions as with classic risotto. 15 minutes at 120 °C on reverse blade direction at speed 1 is all it takes. Place the measuring cup loosely on top or leave it off entirely so the steam can escape, otherwise the risotto will be too soupy. At the end we stir in 80 g grated Parmesan for one minute at 100 °C on reverse blade direction. If you like, replace some of the wine with stock to make it more family-friendly for children.
The mistakes that cost you your creamy risotto
These are exactly the points where risotto goes wrong in the Thermomix®. We have worked through every one of these mistakes ourselves.
The risotto turns mushy instead of keeping its texture
Almost always this comes down to the wrong blade direction. If you switch to normal clockwise blade direction out of habit, you will have rice paste within 30 seconds. Our fix: Check before you start that the reverse blade direction symbol is lit, and keep it on for the full 15 minutes. Cooking for too long also causes mushiness, so we stick exactly to the 15 minutes.
The grain stays hard in the middle
If the rice is still hard inside after 15 minutes, there was too little liquid in the bowl, or the measuring cup was on too tightly and too much steam escaped. Our fix: Add 50 to 100 g of hot stock and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes at 100 °C on reverse blade direction at speed 1. With pudding rice, allow 5 extra minutes from the start.
The result tastes bland
Risotto turns bland when the sautéing step is skipped or the seasoning is off. Our fix: Always sauté the onion, garlic, and rice first. That is the flavour base. Go carefully with salt if you are using Pecorino instead of Parmesan: Pecorino is noticeably saltier, so season at the end rather than adding a lot of salt before cooking.
The TM31 cannot be set to 120 °C
The base recipe uses 120 °C for the main cooking step. Manually, this is only possible on the TM5, TM6, and TM7. The TM31 only reaches 100 °C in manual mode. Our fix: On the TM31, choose Varoma temperature instead of 120 °C for the sautéing step, and cook the main step at 100 °C. The cooking time stays the same at 15 minutes.
From mushroom to lemon risotto: our variations
The base recipe is the starting point for almost every variation. We usually add extras during the rice sautéing step or in the last few minutes:
- Mushroom risotto: Soak 30 g dried porcini mushrooms in hot water for 15 minutes, squeeze them out, and sauté them together with the rice. Strain the soaking water through a sieve and use it as part of the 500 g liquid. It gives an extra depth of mushroom flavour.
- Lemon risotto: Our second recipe on this page. With baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, Pecorino, and lemon (zest and juice added in the last few minutes). Fresher and a little more involved than the base recipe, but a complete meal in itself.
- Saffron risotto (Risotto Milanese): Add 1 sachet of saffron along with the wine and stock. It turns the risotto a deep golden colour and gives that classic Milanese flavour.
- Asparagus risotto: In spring, steam the asparagus pieces separately in the Varoma while the rice cooks underneath, then fold them in at the end. This keeps the asparagus firm.
For the lemon risotto we deliberately use Pecorino rather than Parmesan, because it is saltier and more savoury and works better with the lemon. The two cheeses are not one-to-one substitutes, because they season at different strengths. If you prefer something milder, use Parmesan here too and adjust the seasoning at the end.
What we serve alongside it
We often eat the Parmesan risotto on its own as a main course, in which case we allow the full 100 g of rice per person. As a side dish with meat or fish, 50 to 60 g per person is plenty. If you want to grate the Parmesan yourself, you will find the method in our guide Grating cheese in the Thermomix®. And if you need plain side-dish rice rather than risotto, Cooking perfect rice in the Thermomix® shows you the right method using the simmering basket.
How long your risotto keeps
Risotto tastes best fresh, when it has that perfect creaminess. Leftovers keep well covered for 1 to 2 days in the fridge. When reheating, the risotto firms up, so we add 2 to 3 tablespoons of stock or water and warm it through at 80 °C on reverse blade direction at speed 1 until it is creamy again.
Freezing is possible but a matter of taste: after thawing, the grains become softer and lose some bite. If you do freeze it, portion the risotto flat into freezer bags and thaw overnight in the fridge. With frozen risotto we like to make arancini: shape into balls, coat in breadcrumbs, and fry. The softer bite is not noticeable that way.
Frequently asked questions about Thermomix® risotto
Goes well with: Parmesan and Ciabatta.
