Who else is a sucker for lemon?! And greens…. And basically healthy things disguised as creamy luscious things…. This Lemony Green Risotto will turn any pout upside down! 🍋 👀🌿 Growing up with the Risotto Queen and Risotto cookbook author as my mama, a properly cooked risotto will always have a special and sentimental place in my 💚
INGREDIENTS
4 cups vegetable stock
1 onion, diced
1 zucchini, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 tablespoons olive oil (optional)
1 cup arborio rice
Juice and zest of one lemon (about 1 Tbl of juice is plenty)
1 bunch fresh basil
2 cups blanched green vegetables (I used beans, peas and asparagus)
2 Tbl nutritional yeast
Salt and pepper to taste
Generous tablespoon of @thevegandairy Garlic and Sage Butter
METHOD
In a medium sized saucepan bring your stock to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. In a heavy based pot cook the onions over medium heat, adding a little water as needed. Cook until translucent. Add the celery, zucchini and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables have softened and the garlic is fragrant (about 2 minutes). Add in the olive oil, stirring about 1 min before adding the rice. Stir until the rice is totally coated and shiny from the oil (about 1-2 mins)
Add half a cup of stock at a time to the rice mixture, stirring frequently but not constantly (we stir in a figure 8) until the stock has completely absorbed. Don’t add the next half cup of stock until the previous has totally absorbed. Repeat this until all stock has been used and the rice is al dentè. This takes about 15-20mins.
Meanwhile blend the basil and lemon juice together to form a very basic pesto. Then stir the pesto, zest, nutritional yeast, blanched veggies, salt and pepper through the risotto. Finally stir through a generous helping of @thevegandairy butter. This will make your risotto so velvety and comforting.
** There are a few simple rules to ensure a perfect risotto. Always use Arborio or Carnaroli rice. Stir regularly but not constantly. Always add hot stock gradually, never cold stock and never all at once. We also always use a 1 cup of liquid to every 1/4 cup of rice. And it is SO worth getting it ‘right’!! **
