Creamy Risotto with Broccoli Spears

Admittedly risotto with broccoli doesn’t sound as exciting as it should. I remember hating this vegetable when I was a child because the only way I ever got it served was in a stage of total mushiness after it got boiled into oblivion and sprinkled with salt and oil. I dreaded meals whenever there was broccoli involved. Luckily things changed and I learned to prepare broccoli myself and started to love it.

This Creamy and light risotto is a wonderful base for adding broccoli spears that are currently in season. If you make this out of tender stem broccoli season you can also use small or cut broccoli florets. 

Creamy Risotto with Broccoli Spears

Course: Risotto

Cuisine: Vegan

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 2 portions

Author: The Greedy Vegan

This risotto with broccoli can be a simple but very delicious main course. Serve it as is or use it as side dish. Ingredients are listed in: metric ( imperial )

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Ingredients

• 600 ml 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 125 ml 1/2 cup white wine - optional
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 200 g 1 cup risotto rice
• 1 tbsp vegan butter
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• salt to taste
• 8-10 broccoli spears or 200 g (7 oz) broccoli florets

Instructions

• Start by heating your stock in a small pot. Once it comes to a boil cover with lid and turn the heat to medium. You want hot stock but you don't want to boil all the liquid away.
  
  
• While the stock is heating steam the broccoli in a steamer or improvise one yourself. Use a plate, cookie cutters and large pot or pan with matching lid as you see on the picture below. Place cookie cutters into a large pan, add water and lay a flat plate on top of it. Bring water to the boil, add the broccoli and cover with a lid. Steam it for about 5 minutesuntil tender.
  
  
• Once broccoli is tender rise is off with cold water to prevent it from getting overly soggy by cooking further. Set it aside and start preparing your risotto.
  
  
• In a separate large pan fry the onions and garlic on low to medium heat for about 10-15 minutes. You want your vegetables to soften, do not brown them. When you can squish the onion in your pan with a wooden spoon add the rice and turn up the heat.
  
  
• Keep stirring while the rice is lightly frying until it becomes translucent on it's edges. It should look a little bit like tiny beads made from glass.
  
  
• If you do not want to add the wine then skip to the next step if you do want to add the wine then do it now. Keep stirring until all the liquid has evaporated. Any alcohol will evaporate and leave the rice with a nice taste.
  
  
• Now it is time to add your first ladle full of stock. Turn the heat down to medium again and keep stirring slowly. Do not keep the heat on the highest temperature setting or the outside of the rice will cook too quickly which will result in an awfully sticky risotto. Stir until all liquid is gone. You will know it is ready for the next portion of stock when you can draw a line with your spoon cross the pan without it being filled up with liquid.
  
  
• Keep adding stock with your soup ladle and stirring until the stock is gone before you add the next ladle, This will take around 15 minutes. Taste the rice to see if it is cooked. Depending on the rice you might need to cook it a bit longer. If you for any reason run out of stock before the rice is cooked then add some boiling water.
  
  
• When the rice is softened take the pan off the heat. Now comes the important part since it creates a wonderfully creamy risotto without actually pouring cream to it. Add the vegan butter and nutritional yeast and stir it well. Add the broccoli and carefully mix it. Place a lid on the pan and let it sit for a minute or two.
  
  

Notes

*Risotto doesn't cope very well with being reheated so eat it when it is freshly made.