Check out this festive little vegan risotto recipe! I’ve been working on a broccoli rabe risotto for a while and when I thought about combining it with roasted radicchio, I knew it would be so fun to post right before the holidays, along with greens and reds/burgundy. It’s a real celebration of bitter greens, which I always lean towards during the winter months. Something about them just makes me feel a little extra shiny and good.
When I’m in the right mood, I like to make veggie risotto the old fashioned way (so much stirring haha). I feel really comfortable standing over the stove stirring and stirring the rice. Because of this, I like to get all the prep/cups/measures out in advance so I can really be aware of the rice and how much liquid it’s absorbing, etc.
Inspiration for this recipe:
- When I started working on this recipe, I knew I wanted to make a broccoli rabe risotto, and I wanted it pureed in rice so that it was bright green. Andy Boy Broccoli Rabe has a recipe similar to this on their site! I subbed green onions in the puree for the chives because I can’t always find chives this time of year. I turned down the volume on the broccoli rabe.
- I’ve had a version of risotto al radicchio before and loved it. My recipe here is quite different, but I was inspired by how much I loved the caramelized and soft radicchio in that original dish. In my recipe, we roast it in the oven, finish it with balsamic vinegar and use it as a topping in the finished risotto. A little red/burgundy on the green! 🙂
Can you make risotto without wine?
- I don’t drink alcohol these days, but I still sometimes use wine in my cooking for flavor and acidity. The cooking process removes the alcohol, which I’m personally fine with.
- But if you want to avoid it entirely, just use an equal amount of vegetable stock and be sure to finish your risotto with an extra splash of something acidic like lemon juice or white wine vinegar. You can always adjust your taste as you go.
Risotto without parmesan cheese?!
- Believe it! We use mild miso to give that salty hit of umami. It’s rich in glutamate and makes this broccoli rabe risotto so delicious.
- I’ve used this technique before with my Easy Vegan Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto. It really enhances the flavor of everything else involved in the dish.
- To use the miso here, we whisk it into the last few grains of warm vegetables before adding it to the rice.
- Sure, I like to top my risotto with some homemade vegan “parmesan”, but it’s not 100% necessary. Sometimes more though 🙂
I hope you can try this one soon! For a less bitter and quick vegan dinner recipe with a similar feel, I recommend my Creamy Lemon Orzo with Chickpeas and Broccoli.
Broccoli Rabe Risotto with Balsamic Roasted Radicchio
This vegan broccoli rabe risotto topped with balsamic roasted radicchio is such a comforting winter dinner! The risotto is creamy and its flavor is enhanced by the umami-rich miso and lemon zest. The slightly sweet but still bitter radicchio is a perfect compliment.
serving 4
material
- ½ the bunch Broccoli rabe, roughly chopped
- 2 Green onion, roughly chopped
- ¼ the cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon Nutritional Scream
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 the head radicchio, cut into wedges
- 1 table spoon Flavored vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Maple syrup
- 6 the cup Vegetable extract
- 1 big Shallot, finely diced (about ½ cup chopped shallots)
- ¾ teaspoon Smoked paprika
- 1 cloves Garlic, minced
- ½ the cup Dry white wine
- 1 ½ the cup Arborio rice
- 2 table spoon Light miso
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Vegan “parmesan” for serving
Comment
- I don’t drink alcohol, but I still use wine occasionally in my cooking for flavor and acidity. The cooking process removes the alcohol, which I’m fine with. If you want to avoid it entirely, just use an equal amount of vegetable stock and be sure to finish your risotto with an extra splash of something acidic like lemon juice or white wine vinegar.
- I used an aged, slightly syrupy balsamic vinegar here and it was lovely!
- I do not recommend substituting any type of brown rice. I personally don’t like the texture of it in risotto and I don’t think it works!
instructions
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Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Make the broccoli rabe puree. Boil some water in a saucepan. Add broccoli rabe and green onions. When the broccoli rabe turns bright green and the stems are slightly tender, about 3 minutes, drain under cold water. Transfer broccoli rabe, green onion, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and ¼ cup olive oil to an upright blender. Blend on high until you have a rough puree. If the blades don’t move, add a splash of water. Set aside. Wipe out the saucepan and put it back in the oven.
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Place radicchio wedges on baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and maple syrup. Brush this mixture over the radicchio wedges and season with salt and pepper. Slide into the oven and set a timer for 10 minutes. When 10 minutes are up, turn the pieces over and set a timer again for 5 minutes. When it is slightly dry and caramelized at the edges, remove from the oven and set aside.
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Pour the vegetable stock into the saucepan and bring to a simmer. Keep it on low flame on the back burner. Set a ladder to the side.
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Heat a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and swirl around. Reduce the heat slightly. Add the shallots and sauté for 8-10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent and soft. Add the smoked paprika and garlic and stir for about 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes.
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Add 2 ladlefuls of stock to the rice. Stir and simmer until stock is absorbed, about 5 to 7 minutes. Continue adding stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring often. After each addition, cook until mixture is slightly dry, then add 2 ladles of stock. When you reach the last 2 ladles of stock, add the miso to the pot of stock and whisk vigorously to dissolve it before adding to the rice. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still has some chewiness, about 30 minutes total.
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Stir in the broccoli rabe puree and lemon juice and add some pepper. Check the risotto for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Serve broccoli rabe risotto topped with caramelized radicchio and vegan “Parmesan” if using. Enjoy!
