Mediterranean Vegetable Risotto (vegan)
If you love risotto as much as I do, then this vegan Mediterranean vegetable risotto is a dream come true. It’s creamy, delicious, packed with flavor and super healthy too. Does it get any better? Not really, if you’re a devoted ristto fan like me.
This risotto is loaded with all the flavors of the Mediterranean – from creamy risotto rice, to tomatoes that taste like sunshine this recipe just has it all: Think fresh basil, just the right amount of garlic, flavorpacked sundried tomatoes all brought together by cheesy, creamy risotto rice. It’s so good.
I adore this recipe all year round. It’s one of those recipes that just go well with everything and every season. It can be eaten both hot and cold, so if I ever have any leftovers I like to eat it for linch the following day. It’s almost like an ideal combination of comfort food and healthy food. And that’s pretty rare. Usually, comfort food tends to mean fatty recipes packed with cheesy flavors…but this risotto accomplishes all the same things while still being healthy and low calorie. It’s a win-win.
What’s great about this recipe
- It tastes like a mini vacation in the Mediterranean
- Super easy, simple and quick to make – you can serve it as is or as a side dish
- Really healthy, loaded with veggies and low calorie – you might even be able to sneak in an extra midday snack guilt free
- Easy to substitute with other veggies
So let’s get into how is this Mediterranean Vegetable Risotto made. It couldn’t be simpler:
- Heat olive oil in a pan or wok and add the chopped zucchinis and red peppers. Season with salt and pepper and let the zucchinis cook for a few minutes at medium high heat while stirring occasionally. Pour in th red onions and let them sauté for a few minutes before adding in the minced garlic.
- Next, add the risotto rice and stir everything together. Let the rice cook for just a minute before adding a little vegetable stock. Let the rice and veggies cook until the vegetable stock is almost absorbed before adding more stock. Keep adding stock and letting it reduce until you’ve added all the stock.
- Once the rice has absorbed the stock, add balsamic vinegar, canned tomatoes, sundried tomatoes and nutritional yeast (optional).
- Let the risotto cook at medium heat for a few minutes before adding lemon juice.
- Stir in fresh basil before serving and enjoy.
Mediterranean Vegetable Ristotto (vegan)
Ingredients
- 2 Red Bell Peppers Diced
- 1 large Zucchini Diced
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of Pepper
- ½ tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1 Red Onion Diced
- 3 Garlic Cloves Minced
- 1 cup Risotto Rice
- 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 cup Canned chopped Tomatoes
- 1 cup Vegetable Stock
- 6 Sundried Tomatoes Chopped
- 2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast Optional
- ½ Lemon – juice from
- Bunch of Fresh Basil Chopped
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a pan or wok and add the chopped zucchinis and red peppers. Season with salt and pepper and let the zucchinis cook for a few minutes at medium high heat while stirring occasionally. Pour in th red onions and let them sauté for a few minutes before adding in the minced garlic.
- Next, add the risotto rice and stir everything together. Let the rice cook for just a minute before adding a little vegetable stock. Let the rice and veggies cook until the vegetable stock is almost absorbed before adding more stock. Keep adding stock and letting it reduce until you've added all the stock.
- Once the rice has absorbed the stock, add balsamic vinegar, canned tomatoes, sundried tomatoes and nutritional yeast (optional).
- Let the risotto cook at medium heat for a few minutes before adding lemon juice.
- Stir in fresh basil before serving and enjoy.
I used an additional cup and a half of vegetable stock before the rice was cooked thoroughly. I’ve made risotto before using Arborio rice and used nearly four cups to cook it so I was surprised that this recipe only called for one cup. In the end the dish was delicious and I would make it again.