Italian comfort food. We usually serve this with vegan sausage (Field Roast brand is amazing) and any side veg. available, like grilled zucchini or steamed broccoli.
Ingredients:
6 to 7 c. vegetable stock
1 c. finely chopped onion (shallots or leeks)
1 bunch asparagus, chopped into 1 cm long pieces
1 tbsp. finely chopped garlic
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
2 c. dry Arborio rice
2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil
1 tsp. lemon zest (optional)
Nutritional yeast (optional
seasoning)
1/4 c. ground cashews (or other nut) to garnish (optional)
1 tsp. salt
Directions:
In a medium saucepan, heat 7 cups of veggie stock. Heat so the water is steaming but not boiling. Leave this on the stovetop.
In a large saucepan add 1 – 2 tablespoons of water over medium-low heat. Add the onions, and garlic and cook until soft, 3 to 5 minutes, adding a bit of water as needed to prevent sticking. Add the rice. Stir until the edges become translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add the balsamic vinegar, and salt; stir until you can no longer see any of the vinegar in the bottom of the pot.
Add 1 cup of the hot veggie stock, and keep stirring until it has been almost completely absorbed (2 to 3 minutes). Continue to add 1 cup of stock at a time in the same way, stirring continuously. This gradual technique is the key to getting the rice to release its starch, thereby making the dish creamy. This process will take 20 to 30 minutes, and will use 6 to 7 cups of stock.
After the first 10 minutes of cooking add the chopped asparagus (it doesn’t need long to cook). You don’t need to use all the stock necessarily so keep tasting it after you’ve added 5 cups and see what it needs. The risotto is ready when the rice is still a bit firm, has a creamy texture and is very thick.
Stir in the basil and lemon zest. Garnish with chopped basil and/or nutritional yeast. Serve immediately.
Notes: If you don’t have asparagus you can substitute mushrooms and use tarragon instead of basil. Add the mushrooms earlier in the process than the asparagus.
Risotto will thicken a lot and get sticky after refrigerating. To reheat, stir in a little water or unsweetened non-dairy milk.