vegetarian risotto

Summer Tomato Risotto with juicy vine-ripened tomatoes, and infused with saffron, can be served as a vegetarian main or side dish, or topped off with smoky shrimp.

Summer Tomato Risotto with Saffron 

cherry tomatoes

olive oil

onion,

garlic, rough chopped

thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh)

arborio rice rice

saffron

salt

pepper

smoked paprika

veggie stock or chicken stock, warmed

butter

parmesan

shrimp -raw, peeled, deveined (or sub a white fish)

cumin

garlic

BLISTER TOMATOES

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes (whole) and sear, stirring occasionally, until they burst and soften, about 7 minutes. Turn heat off. Chop if extra-large.

MAKE RISOTTO

At the same time, in a large heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onions. Saute until golden about 10-12 minutes. Add garlic and thyme, saute 2 more minutes until fragrant.

Add the rice, saute 1 minute, stirring.  Add 2 cups warm stock (enough to cover the rice), saffron and smoked paprika, stir and bring to a simmer. Simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add 1 cup broth and the tomatoes and all their juices. Stir until all the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding broth 1 cup at a time, letting the rice absorb it slowly, stirring often over med-low heat, until the rice is plumped, slightly al dente, yet creamy, about 20-25 minutes. You may not need all 8 cups. ( I used 6 3/4).

Stir in the butter and parmesan. Season generously with salt, pepper, and optional chili flakes.  Taste, adjust salt. If bland, it probably needs more salt.

Serve

as a flavorful side or vegetarian main, garnishing with fresh parsley and lemon zest.

If adding the prawns, mix spices and salt in a bowl. Coat shrimp with the spices. Heat 2-3 tablespoons oil in a skillet (you may need to do this in batches) over medium-high heat, sear each side 2-3 minutes or until cooked through.  Top the risotto with the seared prawns.

Optional Seared Prawns:

Excellent! Make with Orzo pasta (didn't have the rice on hand) and cooked the same way - delicious.

This recipe looked amazing to me as soon as I saw it and I am glad to report that it did not disappoint. The spice combination paired wonderfully with the creamy richness of the risotto. Five stars all around. I will definitely be making this again very soon!

We've been vegan for less than a year and favorite recipes to make over and over that we love is our Holy Grail. This is a keeper. OMG we both went back for seconds. Next time I think we'll double the tomatoes as we didn't use enough. Finding, purchasing and using saffron for the first time was an adventure and we went for it. I don't think we used enough and we didn't crush it before adding but we'll be making this again soon...after we try your latest eggplant recipe. Sylvia, your Smoky Beans and Greens we make every week. You are our favorite chef.

We enjoyed this very much. Made one addition- I sliced the kernels off of 2 ears of fresh sweet corn and added them in when the garlic was added. Will definitely make this again soon.

This is a perfect summer dish and so delicious! Followed recipe (with shrimp) except for two minor modifications:
1) Wanted the finished dish to look as pretty as the top photo and knew the blistered tomatoes wouldn't remain whole after 20 minutes of stirring, so slow roasted extra tomatoes and added them at the last minute :-)
2) Added some corn as Lynda did. This really elevated the texture. 
Thank you, Sylvia, for another delicious and adaptable recipe - I plan to sear tofu with the same spices for the leftover risotto.

This was awesome! I used only 1T for the tomatoes but that was the main difference. The tomatoes we had (we live in CA) were just divine- tasted like we added sugar! The saffron was a nice flavor enhancer and we added two pinches of saffron salt that we had on hand. We left off the shrimp and used it as an entree. 

So glad we found this recipe!

OMG!  Total heaven  I did not have shrimp, so I used mahi mahi.  The seasoning for the fish is Amazing.  How does one give this 10 stars?

Yum! SO EASY and so delicious. I added yellow summer squash. I did the veggie version but added a little cumin since I left the protein out and that had cumin. So good! I could eat the whole batch myself! Paired with Javier San Pedro Tempranillo from TJ's :)

This recipe was so easy and the tomatoes were a fresh taste to my normal mushroom risotto!  Will definitely make this again!

Really, really lovely!! I used a pinch of imitation saffron powder and it was just lovely. Definitely recommend adding chilli flakes in when you stir through the parmesan cheese.

Oh my gosh, this is amazing. 
Made it with shrimp and I love it, my family loves it. 
Thank you for another great recipe .

Made it tonight with instant pot. 3 cups of rice, 4 cups of broth for 5 mins, nature release. Super yummy! Would definitely do it again!

This risotto is delicious and pretty easy!  Was my first time ever making risotto from scratch and it turned out so great!  I even left out the Parmesan - thought we had some but didn’t- and it was still super yummy!  We paired with steaks, then had leftover pulled pork with it the next day and both were great pairings.  We’ve been doing more and more meatless meals and this risotto could definitely be a stand alone entree!  All around winner for us!

This was excellent, a crowd pleaser, the flavors worked so well. I used garden fresh, sweet cherry tomatoes and followed the recipe exactly, including the shrimp. What I appreciate about your recipes is that each time I make one, I learn something new.  This time, I learned how to use smoky paprika and really tasted it. My husband and I enjoyed a crisp white wine with this risotto and enjoyed every moment of this meal! Thank you Sylvia.

Delicious!!! I have tomatoes coming out my ears &amp; I made this last night &amp; paired it with a simple green salad with tomatoes and cucumber, topped with some seeds &amp; a cilantro lime dressing.

Everyone loved it, especially my kids and a their friend. They all had 2nds. 

Thank you... amazing recipe for my vegetarian family!!!!

This was so freaking delicious!  My pickiest eaters told me this is now in their top 5 of favorite dinners.  Thank you for sharing your talent and helping our family expand their food horizons.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/1jn7bzGY.mp4

 Tomato Risotto 

Tom Kerridge shows you how to make the perfect butternut squash risotto recipe. His secret? Creamy mozzarella, toasty pine nuts and fragrant sage.  

Each serving provides 715 kcal, 23.5g protein, 70g carbohydrate (of which 8.5g sugars), 33g fat (of which 15g saturates), 5g fibre and 1.3g salt. 

Butternut squash risotto

unsalted butter

onion, thinly sliced

garlic cloves, finely chopped

arborio rice

200 milliliters/7fl oz dry white wine

1.1 litres/1 pint 16fl oz warm vegetable stock (made with stock cubes)

sage

grams/3½oz Parmesan (or

grams/1¼oz pine nuts,

salt and black pepper

Tom Kerridge’s butternut squash and sage risotto.

Tom Kerridge’s butternut squash and sage risotto

Creamy Parmesan (No Wine) Risotto is a rich, creamy, and comforting classic Italian dish that may be intimidating but is actually quick and easy to make.

Creamy Parmesan (No Wine) Risotto

garlic,

chicken stock, divided

teaspoons lemon juice (or lime juice)

water

salt (to taste)

black pepper (to taste)

Parmesan cheese, grated

parsley,

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion and garlic until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes.

Add rice and mix well until it is fully coated with the butter. The rice will look shiny once coated.

Pour in 1/2 cup of the chicken stock with the lemon juice and stir to combine. Once the rice has absorbed all the liquid, bring down the heat to medium low.

Add one cup of chicken stock and continuously stir until the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Repeat, one cup at a time, with the remaining stock. This will take about 20-25 minutes until done.

Stir in 1/2 cup water. Once the risotto reaches your desired consistency, remove the pan off of the heat.

Add in Parmesan cheese and parsley and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with extra chopped parsley on top, if desired, and serve warm.

I made this. Turned out fantastic!  Great instructions!

Really good. Subtle, but flavorful.  I only used about 3-3 1/2 cups of stock, but besides that, it was pretty much the same.  Also squeezed the juice of 1 lemon for lemon juice.  Not sure what that measures out to.  I added mushrooms because I like a little more stuff in there.  I'll probably add some peas next time as well.

This risotto was soo good and creamy! Definitely a keeper!

The risotto was SO good!!! It was my first time ever cooking it and it was so easy. My husband was a huge fan! I didn't make the scallops but instead searved it with chicken breast in a creamy mushroom and spinach sauce. The pairing was amazing together!

Such a wonderful &amp; flavour-packed risotto! I loved the addition of parsley. So simple, but works like a charm! This will be my go-to risotto recipe from now on.

The vegetarian version of this his recipe was delicious. I used mozzarella cheese instead of parmesan; it was what I had on hand. I used sushi rice because it was the shortest grain rice I had, and it turned out phenomenal! I added portobello mushrooms for a little protein. The blistered tomatoes were the real star of the risotto, however. They paired so well with the lemon zest and basil. Thank you for this recipe, I will be making this again from now on! Very affordable ingredients and easy to make.

We made this last night. Another Feasting at Home winner! Bursting with flavour as usual. We just LOVE all of your recipes. We added spot prawns (which I will season with more Italian flavours next time) and basil.  Thanks so much Sylvia

Risotto is delicious but the shrimp spice mixture is overpowering, maybe the proportions are too much?

We made this last night just as described in the recipe including adding the prawns. It was exceptionally good, arguably the best risotto we've ever had. We did sub purple onions for the yellow and we used homemade vegetable stock that was pretty concentrated but very flavorful. The blistered tomatoes made the dish, combined with the saffron they enhanced the subtle flavors in way that held our taste buds captive. Fantastic.

Great recipe! I also used half a cup of white wine instead of some broth. I also added spinach and mushrooms, great, easy, filling dish!

Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
I skipped the cheese but followed everything else to the dot.
It was worth the time to cook. The kids loved the new dish. It turned out very tasty and rich in flavor: a success! 
We will definitely cook this one again.

Amazing recipe! This had to be the best risotto I have made to date! So easy to make and quite a cheap one too (minus the fish). I just had this as a vegetarian main which turned out great. The blistered tomatoes really make this dish. Will definitely be saving to make again.

I used this recipe for my first attempt at risotto and it went great! I recommend this recipe to anyone looking for a new family favorite!

A simple recipe video for Tomato Risotto highlighting juicy, sweet, vine-ripened tomatoes, and infused with saffron. Serve this as a vegetarian main, seasonal side dish, or top it off with smoky, pan-seared shrimp. Vegetarian-adaptable!

Learn to make restaurant style delicious risotto at home with this easy recipe. Instant Pot vegetarian risotto makes best Italian family dinner. This 30 minute gluten free rice recipe is perfect for easy weeknight dinners.

Restaurant Style Risotto Recipe

extra virgin olive oil

shallot (diced)

Baby Bella mushrooms (sliced

vegetables carrots

Arborio rice rice

vegetable broth

drinkable white wine

Salt and black pepper

Italian seasoning

Parmesan cheese -grated

Tablespoon of chopped fresh or dried parsley or chives

Tablespoon of white or black truffle oil

Press SAUTE  High on Instant Pot.  Add the oil and the butter in the main insert. Add the shallots, sprinkle some salt and cook for about 2 minutes so it softens and just lightly browns. Then, add the garlic and sauté for another minute.

Add the mushrooms and other veggies and continue stirring till mushrooms sizzle and start releasing water and turn darker brown in color.

At this time,  scoop out and reserve some of the mushrooms and veggies aside if you want to use them as a topping later. Add in the rice and mix it in with everything in the pot and continue sauté for 1-2 minutes. Next, add in the white wine. Give it a good stir.

Lastly, add in the broth, black pepper and Italian seasoning.  Stir well. Adjust the salt.  Deglaze bottom of the pot so nothing’s stuck on. Scrap with wooden spatula. This is an important step that ensures you don't get BURN notice on Instant Pot.

Cancel SAUTE function. Secure the lid. Press “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” High Pressure for 6 minutes. After it's done cooking,  wait on &quot; keep warm timer &quot; for 10 minutes and then release leftover pressure by moving the valve from SEALING to VENTING. Open the lid.

Add in the grated Parmesan cheese and truffle oil, stir until well combined and transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle dried or fresh chopped herbs. Garnish with previously set aside sautéed mushrooms and other veggies. Drizzle some truffle oil on top.

Delicious risotto is ready to be devoured. Bon Appetit !

Instant Pot Instructions

Heat the oil and butter in a heavy bottom pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the shallots, sprinkle some salt and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add chopped mushrooms and other veggies. Cook for 2-3 minutes until they start to release the water and look browned.

Add wine and let it sizzle. Add the rice and stir for about 1-2 minutes until slightly toasted and aromatic. Add the Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper.

Start adding the broth a cup at a time while continuing to stir. You will know the risotto is almost done when it is thick and sticky and the rice grains are soft - al dente. ( roughly 15-18 minutes)

Stove Top Instructions :

This melt-in-your-mouth creamy vegan risotto with roasted vegetables is the perfect comfort food recipe. Get all of the creaminess you associate with risotto while keeping things vegan. 

Creamy Vegan Risotto with Roasted Vegetables

vegetables (see Note)

vegan butter

shallot, chopped small (or half a sweet onion)

dry white wine

thyme

vegan parmesan cheese (I used Violife)

salt,

black pepper

Roast the vegetables: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the cut and cubed vegetables/squash. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, then bake for 20-30 minutes until tender and lightly browned. While the squash bakes, make the risotto on the stovetop.

Warm the broth: Heat the vegetable broth in a large pot over medium-low heat until warm, but not boiling. This is for adding to the risotto, and it needs to be warm.

Make the Risotto: In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the vegan butter and let it melt. Now add the shallot and cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter, sautéing for about 2 more minutes.

Next, add the white wine and stir constantly until the wine is fully absorbed. Stir in the fresh herbs.

Add 1/2 cup of the warm broth, and stir until absorbed. Continue adding 1/2 cup broth at a time, stirring frequently until absorbed each time, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is al dente (tender, yet slightly chewy), about 20-30 minutes. The heat should be high enough that the rice/broth is bubbling soon after you add it, but not boiling too much or the liquid will absorb too quickly.

Once all the liquid is absorbed, remove from heat and stir in the grated vegan parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

To serve, place in bowls and add a good serving of roasted vegetables, as well as a sprinkle of parsley and more vegan parmesan, if desired. Enjoy!

Transform this tasty vegan risotto recipe into crispy risotto cakes. Two recipes in one; eat the risotto or make the risotto cake recipe; the choice is yours. Both are so yummy!

Risotto Cakes

red onion, diced

butternut squash, peeled and cut into equal-sized 1/2 inch cubes

Arborio rice

Tablespoon Fresh sage, chopped finely

dry white wine (I used Chardonnay)

yeast

parsley, chopped finely

lemon

shallot

ginger,

lime,

lite coconut milk

Tablespoon red chili paste

Saute the garlic and onion in a large skillet until onions are translucent.

Add the butternut squash cubes and season with salt and pepper.

Stir occasionally until the squash is tender but not cooked all the way through (about 5 minutes).

Add the Arborio rice and sage. Stir to combine, then add wine and cook 1 minute longer.

Add 2 cups of broth and bring to a simmer.

Stir slightly; do not over-stir. Cook until the liquid evaporates(about 5 minutes).

Then, add 1 cup of vegetable broth at a time and cook the same way until the rice is cooked and the fluid is absorbed.

Continue to add the vegetable broth, 1 cup at a time, until all the vegetable broth is gone.

Again, cook the mixture down until the liquid is absorbed. Do not over-stir the mixture. This process should take 10-15 minutes.

Turn off the heat and stir in the nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Stir in parsley.

Now, eat the risotto as is, or go to teh next step to make the risotto cakes.

Risotto

To make the risotto cakes, spread the rice mixture in a thin layer on a baking sheet, prepared with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

Cover with plastic wrap or another cover of your choice.

Allow cooling completely, then transfer to the refrigerator.

For the best results, refrigerate the risotto on the pan overnight or for at least 2 hours.

Remove the chilled risotto from the refrigerator.

Form small risotto cakes using a small burger press, or you can prepare risotto balls.

Another option is to make large risotto cakes using the larger-sized mold to form 6.

Or, use your hands to form 12 equal-sized cakes.

Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees.

Place the risotto cakes in a single layer on the air fry pan.

If batch cooking, prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat an oven to 325 degrees to keep the risotto cakes warm while cooking the remaining risotto cakes.

Cook for 8 minutes until crispy.

If making larger cakes, increase the time to 15 minutes.

Air Frying

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cook for 20 minutes.

If cooking larger cakes, cook for 35 minutes.

Baking

In a medium saucepan, combine grated ginger and shallots and saute until the shallots are translucent.

Add the lime juice and zest from one lime and a pinch of salt.

Stir, and then add coconut milk and red chili paste.

The sauce thickens as it heats.

Curry Sauce

The secret to a perfect mushroom risotto is keeping a creamy, almost soupy texture at the end, and not over-cooking it to stodge. Feel free to use a mix of mushrooms depending on what's available. Wild mushrooms have a more distinctive flavour, but cultivated chestnut or portobello mushrooms are still very good.

Perfect mushroom risotto 

1.2 litre/2 pints chicken stock

grams/½oz dried porcini mushrooms (or dried mixed mushrooms)

mushrooms, mushrooms

grams/2½oz unsalted butter, cubed

1–2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

shallot, finely chopped

250 grams/9 ounces carnaroli or arborio risotto rice

100 milliliters/3½fl oz dry white wine

grams/1¾oz Parmesan

Joseph Denison Carey takes you through the steps to creating the perfect, creamy risotto.

How to cook risotto

Full of umami from the mushrooms and tamari, this vegan risotto is comforting, delicious and gluten free. 

Each serving provides 609 kcal, 18g protein, 90g carbohydrates (of which 6.5g sugars), 12.5g fat (of which 3g saturates), 10.5g fibre and 4.1g salt.

Top 16 vegetarian risotto recipes from across the web

The most viewed vegetarian risotto recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Summer Tomato Risotto with Saffron

Summer Tomato Risotto with Saffron

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Summer Tomato Risotto with Saffron

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Top 16 vegetarian risotto recipes from across the web

The most viewed vegetarian risotto recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Summer Tomato Risotto with Saffron

Summer Tomato Risotto with Saffron

Butternut squash risotto

Creamy Parmesan (No Wine) Risotto

Summer Tomato Risotto with Saffron

Restaurant Style Risotto Recipe

Creamy Vegan Risotto with Roasted V...

Risotto Cakes

Perfect mushroom risotto

Vegan risotto with mushroom and lee...

Celery, blue cheese and sage risott...

Low-FODMAP vegetable risotto

Pea and goats’ cheese risotto

Broad bean risotto

Beetroot and goats’ cheese risotto

Cacio pepe risotto (low FODMAP)

The most viewed vegetarian risotto recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine