A family favourite, this is how I learned to prepare risotto.
I’ve been making this dish for about three to four years. And I have adapted the recipe many times. More spinach. Less risotto. Adding some peas. First served with fish, instead of the original recipe’s suggestion of steak, and now fully plant-based. This is the perfect dish to show how you can adapt your favourite dish and make it plant-based.
The first time I made this green risotto I was especially impressed with the stock. Instead of making a standard simple stock with a stock cube and hot water, we also add some spinach, basil and garlic for extra flavour. Then slowly cook the risotto, and finish with some plant-based cheese and vegetables.
Green risotto
10 minutes preparation + 35 minutes cooking — serves 2 to 3
Ingredients
- 1 small onion
- 200 grams risotto rice
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 250 grams fresh spinach
- 150 grams frozen peas
- 50 grams plant-based cheese
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- Oil
- Salt and pepper
- Optional: 1 pack of What The Cluck pieces from the Vegetarian Butcher
Preparation
Note that we use an airfryer for a quick and lazy way to prepare the What The Cluck pieces. However, you can achieve the same effect by frying them in a pan if you do not have an airfryer. You also do not need to add the What The Cluck pieces if you prefer not to use a meat substitute (skip steps 1-4); the peas in this dish will also provide protein.
- Preheat the airfryer to 190 degrees.
- Mix the What The Cluck pieces with oil and some salt and pepper to taste.
- Heat the What The Cluck pieces in the airfryer for c. 4 minutes. Keep separate.
- While the What The Cluck pieces are in the airfryer, you can make the stock. Boil 700ml of water in a kettle.
- Mix 200 ml of hot water, the dried basil, garlic, and 50 grams of spinach with a hand blender. Add the remaining 500ml of hot water to finish the stock.
- Peel and chop the onion.
- Grate the cheese.
Preparing the risotto
- Heat some oil in a large pan and add the onion once the pan is hot. Fry the onion for 3 minutes.
- Add the risotto rice and fry for another minute with the onion over a low to medium heat.
- Add a soup serving spoon of stock to the risotto. Let the rice absorb the stock, then add another soup serving spoon of stock. Repeat until the risotto rice loses its bite (about 15-20 minutes).
Bringing it all together
- Once the rice starts to soften, add the frozen peas to the risotto and stock.
- When the peas have thawed and cooked through, add the cheese and What The Cluck pieces. Mix well so that the cheese melts into the risotto.
- Reduce to a low heat and add the remaining spinach to the risotto. Stir the wilted spinach into the risotto. This is easiest to do in smaller handfuls so that the spinach can wilt and mix into the risotto more easily.
Enjoy your meal!
Did you like this?
Leave a comment below if you made this recipe, and let me know what you think. Tips and feedback to improve the recipe are always welcome too!
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