3 Nourishing Risotto Recipes

When it comes to comfort food that nourishes both body and soul, risotto stands out as a timeless favourite. Elisa Rossi has reimagined this classic Italian dish with three innovative and wholesome recipes that are as nourishing as they are delicious. 

From vibrant vegetables to nourishing grains, these risottos offer a modern twist on tradition—delivering health and flavour in every bite. Whether you're seeking a warming meal for a cozy night in or a nutrient-rich option to impress guests, these recipes are a must-try. Prepare to stir up something spectacular!

Ingredients:

For the risotto:

1 small white onion or 1/2 of a very large one – very finely chopped (I have blitzed it in my food processor to save some tears and because I am not very good at chopping)

1/2 of a butternut squash – peeled, deseeded and chopped into small cubes

2 cloves of garlic – crushed

About 1 litre of veggie stock

1 teaspoon of brown miso paste

1 cup of risotto rice (you can also use brown rice but risotto rice helps massively to have a creamy and gloppy consistency)

3-4 tablespoons of nutritional yeast ( or even more, in my books the more nutritional yeast, the better!) + extra for sprinkling

A glug of olive oil for frying

Salt & pepper to taste

For the crispy sage:

A small handful of sage leaves

A glug of oil for frying

Method:

1) Place the finely diced onion in a pan with the glug of olive oil. Saute the onion on a medium heat until it starts to soften and becomes translucent. 

2) Add in the crushed garlic, cook for another minute and keep stirring to prevent from burning. Add in the chopped butternut squash and the rice. Add in the miso paste. 

3) Pour in some veggie stock until the rice is covered and place the lid on. Cook on a medium heat for a total of 25-30 minutes (it also depends on what kind of rice you are using). 

4) The key with risotto is to keep stirring from time to time and keep adding the veggie stock and equally some of the porcini mushrooms soaking water. The rice will gradually absorbed the liquid and eventually one it’s cooked it will be quite gloppy (kind of like porridge). 

5) Once the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked adjust with salt & pepper and add in the nutritional yeast. Switch off the heat and let the risotto rest for few minutes. Please feel free to stir in some vegan cheese if you fancy!

6) For the crispy sage simply add a glut of oil to a pan and once hot add in the sage leaves. Cook for only few minutes until very crispy. Serve them with the risotto.

This hearty bowl is pure comfort, ideal for chilly winter days. I whipped it up for my carnivore boyfriend to prove that plant-based meals can be incredibly tasty—and it was a hit! He loved it, and I have to agree, it turned out delicious. The dried porcini mushrooms bring a deep, "meaty" richness and a burst of flavour that makes this dish truly satisfying.

Serves 2-3 people

Ingredients:

1 small white onion or 1/2 of a very large one – very finely chopped (I have blitzed it in my food processor to save some tears and because I am not very good at chopping)
2 cloves of garlic – crushed
About 150gr of chestnut mushrooms – sliced
1/2 cup of dried porcini – soaked in some warm water for at least 1 hour (don’t discard the water!)
About 1 litre of veggie stock
1 teaspoon of brown miso paste
1 cup of risotto rice (you can also use brown rice but risotto rice helps massively to have a creamy and gloppy consistency, sometimes I also like to switch things up and use barley istead)
3-4 tablespoons of nutritional yeast ( or even more, in my books the more nutritional yeast, the better!) + extra for sprinkling
A glug of olive oil for frying
Salt & pepper to taste

Optional – I like to top it with some extra mushrooms panfried in Tamari, you don’t have to but if want to go the extra mile here is how:

About 5-6 chestnut mushrooms
A generous splash of Tamari or soy sauce

Method

1) Place the finely diced onion in a pan with the glug of olive oil. Saute the onion on a medium heat until it starts to soften and becomes translucent.

2) Add in the crushed garlic, cook for another minute and keep stirring to prevent from burning. Add in the chopped mushrooms and the rice. Drain and squeeze the dried porcini reserving the water. Roughly chopped the porcini and add them to the pan.

3) Add in the miso paste. Pour in some veggie stock until the rice is covered and place the lid on. Cook on a medium heat for a total of 25-30 minutes (it also depends on what kind of rice you are using).

4) The key with risotto is to keep stirring from time to time and keep adding the veggie stock and equally some of the porcini mushrooms soaking water. The rice will gradually absorbed the liquid and eventually one it’s cooked it will be quite gloppy (kind of like porridge).

5) Once the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked adjust with salt & pepper and add in the nutritional yeast. Switch off the heat and let the risotto rest for few minutes.

6) To make the Tamari mushrooms simply heat up a generous glug of olive oil in a frying pan then add the mushrooms into a pan with a splash of Tamari. Cook the mushrooms for about 10 minutes until soft.

Serve the risotto with the mushrooms on top, nutritional yeast and some fresh thyme leaves.

Ingredients

1 white onion – peeled and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves – crushed

300gr of good quality yellow and red cherry tomatoes (if you can’t find yellow regular red cherry tomatoes will be totally fine) – sliced in half

About 1 litre of veggie stock

1 cup of arborio risotto rice

A small handful of fresh oregano leaves

Salt & pepper to taste

A drizzle of olive oil

Optional: 2-3 tbsp of nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavour

Optional slow roasted tomatoes to add on top (highly recommended!)

200gr of cherry tomatoes

A drizzle of olive oil

Salt & pepper

Method

1) Start by making the slow roasted tomatoes. Preheat the oven at 150 degrees Celsius fan. Slice the tomatoes in halves and place them on a large baking tray with the inside part facing up. 

2) Generously drizzle them with some olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast them for 35-40 minutes.

3) Add a drizzle of olive oil to a large pan. Add in the onion and gently sauté it on a medium heat for 5 minutes until the onion is translucent and caramelised. 

4) Add in the garlic and cook for another minute stirring continuously to prevent from burning. 

5) Add in the risotto rice and cook for 1 minute of so, then add in the tomatoes and give it a good mix. Pour in some of the stock until everything is covered. Put the lid on and turn the heat down to medium/low. 

6) Cook the risotto for a total of 25-30 minutes. Risotto is a bit like a labour of love so you need to make sure to stir it from time to time and as the stock gets absorbed add more in until you use it all. 

7) At the end add the oregano leaves, nutritional yeast (if using) and a crack of black pepper and mix everything together. 

Serve it with the slow roasted tomatoes on top and enjoy!