Vegan roasted carrot risotto
With its vibrant orange colour, this fresh carrot risotto is sure to raise a smile. Made without butter or cheese this vegan recipe is still vibrant and delicious, using a carrot and garlic purée to add sweetness and creamy texture to the rice. Nutty, dry sherry works well with the earthy carrots and toasted seeds, but you can use white wine if preferred.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- Two pcs. onions (finely chopped)
- Two pcs. celery sticks (finely chopped)
- Four pcs. garlic cloves (2 left whole with skins on and two crushed)
- ¼ x 30g thyme
- One pack bunched carrots
- 300 g risotto rice
- 100 ml vegan-friendly dry sherry (or white wine)
- 1.25 l hot vegan-friendly vegetable stock
- 3 tbsp 4-seed mix
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C. Heat 3 tbsp of the oil in a wide saucepan or deep frying pan over low heat. Add the onion, celery and the crushed garlic cloves. Pick the leaves from half the thyme sprigs and add to the pan along with a pinch of salt. Cover and cook gently for ten mins or until softened, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, place the carrots in a roasting tray with the whole garlic cloves and remaining thyme sprigs. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tbsp oil and season. Roast for 20-25 mins until just tender and slightly charred.
- Add the risotto rice to the onion mix and stir for two mins to toast the rice, then increase the heat to medium. Add the sherry (or wine) and simmer until the liquid absorbs. Add the hot stock one ladle at a time, stirring constantly and allowing the fluid to incorporate each time before adding the next ladleful. Stop when you have about two spoons remaining.
- Remove the roasted carrots from the oven and discard the thyme sprigs. Set aside 12 of the carrots to serve, keeping warm. Add the rest of the carrots and garlic cloves (squeezed from their skins) to a food processor or blender with the remaining stock and blitz to a rough purée. Stir through the rice until thoroughly combined, cooking for a final few minutes until the rice is tender.
- Add the seeds to a dry frying pan with a pinch of salt and toast for two mins over medium heat, shaking the pan regularly to stop them burning. Serve the risotto garnished with the reserved carrots and toasted seeds sprinkled over.
Notes
If you can’t find slender bunched carrots, you can easily replace with regular varieties. Just trim and chop about 550g of carrots into thin batons and roast as above.