The Art of the Stir: Perfect Vegan Risotto
Risotto is one of northern Italy’s most popular dishes, made with arborio rice and usually mushrooms and white white, to create a delicious creamy dish for any weeknight. You stir the dish now and then for 20 minutes, a good excuse to enjoy a glass of wine, while you cook! This is because when you agitate rice grains, they rub together and release starch into the hot liquid, to create a creamy sauce.
Read up on food safety for people and pets (many foods including mushrooms, onion and garlic are unsafe near animal friends). Before recycling tins, rinse/remove lids (or pop ring-pulls over holes) then step on cans to ‘pinch’ inner rims together, to stop wildlife getting trapped.
Although it’s good to compost food scraps, unless you have a food waste bin (turned into biogas), just bin allium scraps (onion, leeks, garlic, shallot, chives), citrus/tomato/rhubarb scraps and tea/coffee grounds. To avoid too much acid/caffeine affecting compost creatures.
Use carnaroli or arborio rice
Although arborio rice is the most accessible, carnaroli rice is preferred by chefs, as it absorbs more liquid, so is more difficult to overcook. Seggiano is a good organic brand, Biona is a good organic arborior rice.
Tips for good vegan risotto
- Before adding liquid, toast the rice grains in oil or vegan butter (no palm oil) for a few minutes. This cracks the outer hull, so it absorbs the broth without getting too mushy.
- The reason for adding dry white wine (or a squeeze of lemon juice) is not just for flavour, but to break up heavy starches, so the dish tastes bright.
- Ensure your broth is warm before adding to the pan, or else it would halt the cooking, and prevent the starch from releasing properly. Then just stir frequently (right after each ladle of broth) to release the starch).
Top with vegan Parmesan
Traditional Parmesan is not even vegetarian, as it’s made with a cheese from calf rennet. Read more on vegan Parmesan (how to make it or where to buy it!)
Lazy Vegan Risotto (sold in stores)
Lazy Vegan Risotto is a European ready-meal, made with freeze-dried vegetables. Arborio rice is blended with frozen asparagus, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes, in a vegan cream sauce. With garlic, spring onion and black pepper.
Just cook for around 8/10 minutes in a pan, with a little oil. Do not freeze after thawing.
Recycle packaging at supermarket bag bins, if your kerbside does not recycle.
