The harmonies in this bowl of vegetable risotto are perfect and the rice al dente. Creamy, fresh, delicious, tangy. Even if you don’t like the people, you’d turn up for this vegetable risotto.
Serves 6
Ingredients
Green goddess sauce
- 50 g salted butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 4 cups (180 g) firmly packed baby spinach, rinsed but not dried too much
- 2 zucchini, grated
- ⅔ cup (20 g) loosely packed basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
Risotto
- 8 cups (2 litres) veg stock
- 1 lemon, peel cut into four 5-cm strips, juice squeezed, plus extra lemon for zesting
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups (440 g) arborio rice
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed, cut diagonally into 1-cm pieces
- ½ cup (80 g) baby peas
- 40 g salted butter
- 1 cup (100 g) finely grated parmesan
Toppings
- 90 g d’affinois,* cut into 12 slices
- small handful of fresh baby herbs
- freshly ground black pepper
Method
- To make the goddess part of this recipe, in a medium saucepan over medium heat melt the butter and olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, until it starts to smell wonderful.
- Add the baby spinach, grated zucchini, basil and oregano and stir until it wilts—this should take a further 3 minutes. Turn off the heat. The water that comes out of the spinach should be enough to give this mixture a bit of liquid. Allow it to cool slightly, then purée in a small food processor or with a stick blender. Set aside this insanely incredible sauce until ready to use.
- Now, bring the stock to simmering in a covered saucepan then turn it off. This is the liquid you will add to the risotto by the ladleful.
- In a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat, sauté the lemon peel in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir well to coat in oil, reduce the heat to low and begin adding the hot stock ½ cup (125 ml) at a time, stirring a.er each addition.
- The constant stirring is essential for creamy risotto. Continue adding stock only as the last amount is absorbed.
- Before you add the last amount of liquid, stir in 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, and the dijon, asparagus and peas, then the butter and the parmesan. The final splash of liquid will help bring everything together.
- The rice should be al dente and collapse flat in its own wetness. You can add water if it requires a bit more cooking, but it will continue to cook once it’s removed from the heat.
- Serve immediately with a swirl of the green sauce and a slice or two of d’affinois. Add a flourish of fresh baby herbs, a big fat scrunch of pepper and a flick of lemon zest.
Tip: Any left-over vegetable risotto can be kept in the fridge for a week in an airtight container.
* You can use anything your heart desires here, but I suggest you find a cheese that wants to be both cream and butter. Fancy, but without any willpower.
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Images and text from Every Night of the Week Veg by Lucy Tweed, photography by Lucy Tweed. Murdoch Books RRP $39.99.
