Risotto is a labour of love, and patience (plus copious amounts of stirring) is rewarded with the most heart-warming of meals to fuel you through the cold winter months. This recipe comes courtesy of Nutritionist Pixie Turner for Discover Great Veg. All The Greens Vegan Risotto is, as the name suggests, full of green goodness and takes no more than 30 minutes to cook. Hello new midweek meal idea!

INGREDIENTS – Serves 2

• Olive oil
• 80g leek, diced
• 2 cloves garlic
• 200g risotto rice
• 1 vegetable stock cube with 500mL boiling water (+ extra water if needed)
• 1 courgette (250g), coarsely grated
• 150g cavolo nero, finely sliced
• Salt and pepper
• 50g grated vegan hard cheese (optional)
• 50g vegan butter (optional)

METHOD

Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat.

Gently cook the leek for around 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In the meantime, make the stock.

Add the garlic and risotto rice to the pan and heat through, stirring continuously for 1 minute.

Add half the stock, stir thoroughly. Set a timer for 15 minutes for cooking the rice (or for the recommended pack cooking time minus 2 minutes).

Cook the courgette separately in the remaining olive oil to remove any excess moisture, then add to the risotto pan when the timer says 10 minutes to go.

Stir the rice continuously to avoid it sticking to the bottom of the pan (turn down the heat if needed).

Anytime the rice gets too dry, add a little more stock, not too much at a time. If it bubbles too much turn down the heat a little.

Add the cavolo nero when the timer says 5 minutes to go.

When the 15 minutes are up, taste-test the risotto. It should be al dente, not completely soft. If it’s ready, turn off the heat, stir in the vegan cheese and the vegan butter, stirring in gently until deliciously creamy. If you’re not using these, stir in some high-quality olive oil.

Serve immediately, adding a final drizzle of olive oil (trust me on this one, don’t skip it) onto each individual plate.

Follow Pixie @pixienutrition