This creamy Corn Risotto recipe features fresh summer corn, leeks, basil, Parmesan, and a silky corn puree for an extra-luscious finish. Top it with smoky shrimp, or keep it vegetarian. Video.
Another delicious recipe! I made this exactly as directed and topped it with the Smoky Shrimp. It was easy and I was amazed at how much flavor the cobs gave to the broth. I'll definitely make. this again.
Sweet summer corn and fresh basil are the stars of this luscious risotto, with the corn used three ways for incredible flavor. The cobs and leek tops create a flavorful homemade broth, whole kernels add juicy pops of sweetness, and some of the sautéed corn and leeks are blended into a puree and folded into the risotto at the end for a silky, creamy finish.
The result is an exceptionally creamy Corn Risotto without heavy cream. Dry white wine adds brightness, Parmesan or Pecorino brings savory depth, and ribbons of fresh basil give it a fragrant, summery finish.
Serve it as a vegetarian main or pair it with your favorite protein for a complete meal. Here, we top it with smoky shrimp - a delicious contrast to the sweet corn, creamy risotto, and fresh basil. This meal was inspired by this recipe in The New York Times.
Why you’ll love this family favorite recipe!
Full of fresh corn flavor. We use the entire ear - the cobs flavor the broth, whole kernels add sweetness and texture, and a corn-leek puree makes the risotto especially silky.
Beautifully resourceful. Simmering the stripped corn cobs and leek tops creates a flavorful homemade broth while making use of ingredients you might otherwise discard.
Creamy without heavy cream. Blended corn, starchy Arborio rice, and Parmesan create that luscious, creamy texture naturally.
Summer comfort food. It’s cozy and satisfying while still tasting fresh and seasonal - perfect for that beautiful transition from late summer into fall.
Corn Risotto Recipe Ingredeints
- Fresh corn: The star of the risotto. Sauté the kernels with the leeks, then simmer the stripped cobs in the broth to capture every bit of sweet corn flavor. In a pinch sub frozen corn- see recipe notes.
- Leeks: Add a delicate, sweet onion flavor that complements the corn beautifully. Save the tender green tops for flavoring the broth.
- Garlic: Adds savory depth to the sweet corn and leeks.
- Arborio rice: Its high starch content creates risotto’s signature creamy texture while keeping the individual grains pleasantly al dente. Carnaroli rice also works.
- Dry white wine: Adds acidity and brightness, balancing the natural sweetness of the corn. Choose a crisp, dry wine you enjoy drinking, or feel free to skip this step!
- Parmesan or Pecorino: Adds salty, savory depth and helps give the finished risotto its luscious texture. Parmesan is milder; Pecorino gives it a sharper, saltier bite. Use vegan parmesan for a dairy-free alternative.
- Olive oil: Used for sautéing the leeks, garlic, and corn and adds richness to the finished dish.
- Fresh basil: Cut into thin ribbons and scattered over the finished risotto for a fresh, aromatic finish that balances the sweetness of the corn and richness of the Parmesan.
- Salt, black pepper, and chili flakes: Season throughout the cooking process and adjust to taste at the end.
Can I make Corn Risotto with Frozen Corn?
Yes! While fresh summer corn gives the risotto the best flavor, frozen corn works well when fresh corn isn’t in season. There’s no need to thaw it. Add it directly to the sautéed leeks and cook until warmed through. Because you won’t have the corn cobs for the homemade broth, use a flavorful vegetable broth or chicken broth instead.
How to Make Sweet Corn Risotto
1. Make the broth. Slice the corn kernels off the cobs and add the cobs to a large pot. Cut the green leek tops off of the leeks, rinse, and add to the pot. Add six cups of water and a teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. If desired, add other veggie scraps or aromatics, like garlic, bay leaves, celery, carrot peels, or herbs.
2. Sauté the aromatics and corn. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Rinse the leeks and add them to the pot. Add the garlic. Sauté until soft and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add the corn kernels and sauté for 4 more minutes, or until tender.
3. Blend the corn-leek purée. Transfer half of the corn-leek mixture to a blender, along with 1 cup of broth. Blend until silky smooth.
4. Cook the risotto. Add Arborio rice to the same pot and stir for a minute or two. Pour in the wine (optional) and cook it off until the rice is dry. Stir in one cup of corn-leek broth at a time (about a ladle-full), stirring occasionally, cooking over medium or medium-low heat, with a vented lid, until the rice absorbs the liquid. After adding 3 1/2 cups, the rice should be al dente (tender and creamy, yet slightly firm at the center). Add more broth as needed.
5. Combine. Once al dente, pour the corn-leek purée into the pot of risotto. Stir and let the rice cook a little longer. When done, the risotto should be creamy but still hold its shape. Stir in the cheese.
Tip: Rinse the blender with more of the broth and add it to the risotto for as much flavor as possible!
6. Taste and adjust. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Adjust consistency with more broth as needed. Add chili flakes if desired. For richness, stir in a pat of butter. Top each bowl with fresh basil ribbons. Chives are also nice if you have them.
How to Achieve the Perfect Consistency in Risotto
Aim for a loose, creamy finish. Add more broth as needed until achieving your desired consistency. Risotto should move gently across the plate rather than hold its shape in a stiff mound. Keep in mind, the risotto will continue to thicken as it sits, so it’s better to err on the looser side.
Chef’s Tips
- Use your corn cobs! Don’t toss them after removing the kernels. Simmering the cobs with the leek tops pulls out even more sweet corn flavor and provides a distinctly summery taste.
- Using frozen corn? See recipe notes!
- Keep the broth warm. Add warm broth to the risotto so the rice cooks steadily without dropping in temperature each time you add more liquid.
- Don’t rinse the Arborio rice. The starch coating the rice is essential for creating risotto’s signature creamy texture.
- Toast the rice first. Let the rice cook in the pot for a minute or two before adding the wine. This gives the grains a subtly nutty flavor and helps them maintain a pleasant bite as they cook.
- Add the broth gradually. Pour in a cup at a time, allowing most of the liquid to absorb before adding more. This encourages the rice to release its starches gradually and creates a creamy consistency.
- Stir often, but not constantly. Give the risotto a good stir every minute or so to encourage creaminess and prevent sticking. On the flip side, constant, vigorous stirring can make the rice overly gummy.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Corn Risotto on its own as a vegetarian main dish with a simple side salad, such as our Blueberry Spinach Salad, Strawberry and Spinach Salad, or Blackberry Salad with Arugula and Basil. For extra veggies, top the risotto with Tomato Confit or Sautéed Zucchini.
Or, for something heartier, top the Corn Risotto with your favorite protein, like Smoky Shrimp, Grilled Scallops, Grilled Salmon, Baked Cod, Seared Halibut, or Grilled Lemon Herb Chicken.
To make the optional Smoky Shrimp
- Prep the shrimp: thaw one pound of shrimp (peeled and deveined), pat dry, and place in a bowl.
- Mix the spices: in a small bowl, mix ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, ½ teaspoon cumin, and a pinch of cayenne. Sprinkle over the shrimp and toss to coat.
- Cook. Pan-sear the seasoned shrimp in a hot skillet with 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat until each side is golden, and shirmp is cooked through.
More Risotto Recipes You Might Like
Storage
Store leftover risotto in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave with a little extra broth to help loosen it. Shrimp will keep for 3 days in a separate container.
Can I make Corn risotto in an Instant Pot?
Yes, you can easily make this in an Instant Pot. Please refer to our Instant Pot Risotto Post for specific liquid-to-rice ratios (2 cups Arborio rice to 4 cups broth) and timing.
Watch How to Make Corn Risotto
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Corn Risotto Recipe
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 40
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner, entertaining, fall dinner, one pot meal, summer dinner, vegetarain Main, weeknight dinner
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten-Free, high fiber, Vegetarian
Description
This creamy Corn Risotto recipe is made with fresh summer corn, leeks, basil, Parmesan, and a silky corn puree for an extra-luscious finish.
Ingredients
- 3 ears of corn (or sub 3 cups frozen)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium leeks (or sub one white onion), sliced and rinsed
- 2–4 garlic cloves, rough chopped
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1/4 cup dry white wine (or skip it)
- 1/2 cup –1 cup pecorino cheese (or sub parmesan)
- 1/4 cup basil, cut into ribbons
- salt, pepper and chili flakes to taste
- Optional- a pat of butter
Instructions
- Corn Leek Broth. Cut the corn kernels off the cobs and set aside. Ready a stockpot. Use the edge of your knife to scrape the milky cob "juice" into the pot, then add the cobs. Cut the dark green leek tops off the leeks, split them in half, rinse well, and add them to the same pot. Cover with 7 cups of water and a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer gently for 20-30 minutes. You should have roughly 6 cups. Feel free to add other veggie scraps or aromatics (garlic, bay leaves, celery, carrot peels, herbs, etc.)
- Saute. Thinly slice the white and light green parts of the leeks, cut into half moons, rinse if needed. Add the olive oil to a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic to the pan and sauté, stirring often until softened and fragrant, roughly 4-5 minutes. Add the corn kernels; sauté until tender, 3-4 more minutes.
- Blend. Place half of the corn and leek mixture in a blender, add 1 cup broth (or as much as needed), and blend until silky smooth. Set aside.
- Risotto. Add the Arborio rice to the leeks and corn and stir for 1- 2 minutes. Pour in the optional wine and cook until it has completely cooked off and the rice feels dry. Stir in a cup of corn-leek broth at a time, with the lid vented, over medium or medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the rice absorbs the broth. After adding 3-3 ½ cups, the rice should be al dente. (The grain should be tender and creamy, with just a slight firmness at the center.) Add more as needed.
- Combine. Once al dente, stir in the puréed corn-leek mixture. Feel free to rinse the blender with more broth and add it to the risotto. Let the rice cook a little longer, until creamy but still holding its shape. Stir in the cheese.
- Consistency. Add more broth as needed to reach your favorite consistency. Tip: Aim for a loose, creamy finish.
- Season to taste. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add chili flakes if you like. My husband loves this with a pat of butter stirred in, and paired with the fresh corn, it is heavenly. Feel free to leave it out. Sprinkle with the fresh basil ribbons before serving.
Notes
Consistency. The finished risotto should be loose and creamy, gently spreading across the plate rather than sitting in a stiff mound. Add broth as needed to create this.
Frozen Corn: Skip the corn broth and instead use 5-6 cups warmed vegetable stock or chicken broth (feel free to add the leek tops). Use 3-4 cups frozen corn, adding to the sautéed leeks while frozen (no need to thaw).
Leftovers will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat gently on the stove, adding broth as needed, or in the microwave.
To make the smoky Shrimp. Thaw 1 lb shrimp (peeled and deveined). Pat dry and place in a bowl. In a small bowl, mix ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, ½ teaspoon cumin, and a pinch of cayenne. Sprinkle over the shrimp and toss to coat. Pan-sear in a hot skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat until golden.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ½ cups
- Calories: 366
- Sugar: 9.5 g
- Sodium: 746.7 mg
- Fat: 16.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 6.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 44.4 g
- Fiber: 3.4 g
- Protein: 14.8 g
- Cholesterol: 29.5 mg
Wish i had this when we had fresh corn- gone from stores now. Ill save for next summer
Hi Carol- yes, save it for next summer! We still have some corn here in our area, but it’s the tail end of the season.
We made this last night for a dinner party and everyone loved it! It was actually easier to make than I expected. We topped it with smoky salmon and served it with a side of fennel apple slaw. If you are using parmesan in the risotto, add LOTS to get a good cheesy flavor!
Great to hear Korina! Appreciate you taking time to review.
Looks delicious! Would it be possible to make this in an instant pot?
Hi Beverly, Yes, but the liquid-to-rice ratio would change. Please refer to the Instant Pot risotto recipe to adapt. You’ll need 2 cups of rice to 4 cups of broth.
Will it freeze
Risotto may get slightly mushy when frozen and thawed, but I think it still tastes good. I probably wouldn’t call this a freezer meal, but freezing leftovers is a good option.
I nade this with 3 cans of shoepeg corn (4 cups), a white onion, about 5 cups of veggie broth and following the rest of the recipe. It was excellent and toddler approved.
Love hearing this Jennifer!
Another delicious recipe! I made this exactly as directed and topped it with the Smoky Shrimp. It was easy and I was amazed at how much flavor the cobs gave to the broth. I’ll definitely make. this again.
Glad you gave it a try Heather! Appreciate you taking time to review.
Made this last night and it was really delicious! I probably could have cut the recipe in half as it makes a lot. As with any risotto, it is time consuming but worth it. I didn’t change anything. Thanks for this. Restive way to use corn, especially when it is in season. Yum!!
Thanks Candice, appreciate you taking time to review!
Could I make this in an instant pot?
Yes, you could, with some tweaking. I would jump over to our Instant Pot risotto recipe and look at the liquid-to-rice ratio- this will change significantly (2 cups Arborio to 4 cups broth) and the Instant Pot time (6 mins).