- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound red Swiss chard, stems trimmed and finely chopped, leaves coarsely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 6 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
- 6 ounces Gouda cheese, preferably made from goat's milk, shredded
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- In a large, deep skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil until shimmering. Add the chopped chard stems and cook over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chard leaves and cook, tossing, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Drain the chard and transfer to a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Wipe out the skillet.
- In a saucepan, bring the stock to a simmer. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet until shimmering. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring until the rice is coated with olive oil, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of the hot stock and cook, stirring frequently, until the rice has absorbed most of the stock, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook the risotto, adding 1 cup of stock at a time and stirring constantly between additions until the stock is absorbed. The risotto is done when it is creamy and the rice grains are just tender, about 20 minutes.
- Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the cheese, butter and cooked chard. Season with salt and pepper and serve at once.