When it's cold, grey and a little miserable outside, this is the recipe we turn to - a huge hug in a bowl; warming and so full of comforting flavours and textures. Sautéed leeks, onions and garlic, mixed through with risotto rice and cooked until soft in flavoursome veggie stock, we then mix through some natural yoghurt and lots of parmesan for a creamy, hearty burst of flavour.
Serves 4 & takes 50 minutes to cook
Ingredients
3 leeks, sliced
2 onions, peeled and diced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and diced
300g risotto rice
2 vegetable stock cubes, mixed with 1L of boiling water
Juice of 1 lemon
150g plain yoghurt
Lots of grated veggie-style parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast for a vegan version)
Almond milk, if needed
Pinch of salt
Method
1. Place the stock cubes in a large pan with 1L of boiling water and mix until well dissolved.
2. Place a pan over a medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Once warm, add the chopped garlic, sliced onion, leeks and a pinch of salt, mix well and cook for 10 minutes until they all become soft.
3. Once the onion and leeks have become soft, stir through the risotto rice, and cook for 2 minutes before adding a quarter of the hot vegetable stock. Mix well and leave to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring constantly and topping it up with a quarter of the stock every time the risotto rice looks like it has absorbed most of the water.
4. Once the risotto rice feels soft and has absorbed all of the water, stir through the yoghurt, lemon juice and a good amount of grated parmesan (or nutritional yeast), adding a dash of almond milk (or water) if the risotto ever needs more liquid. Cook for 5-10 minutes until everything is piping hot and cooked through.
