Gluten-Free and Vegan Risotto
Jack Mauro ~ Risotto is an Italian dish with a creamy consistency that consists of rice cooked in broth. The broth is usually derived from a meat, fish or vegetable base. Vegan risotto recipes are becoming increasingly popular because they taste wonderful, are easy to make, and fit both gluten-free and dairy-free diets. Consider the following vegan risotto recipe (please note that the link is for risotto flavor ideas, not all recipes at that link are vegan!), an often overlooked but gorgeous and simple option.
The recipe below is just one of hundreds of possibilities, and therein lies the true beauty of risotto. Not only is a risotto simple, convenient and tasty, subtle recipe changes can result in dishes that are dramatically different from one another. One of the great difficulties of adhering to a vegan, gluten-free or dairy-free diet is maintaining diversity, affordability and fast, simple preparation. Vegan risotto accomplishes all of these things.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dairy-free margarine
- 1/4 white onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups arborio rice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ground pepper, to taste
- 1 cup white wine, warm
- 6 cups veggie broth, warm
- 2 small zucchini, grated
- 1 cups broccoli, chopped
- 1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons dairy-free margarine
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 2 tablespoons basil, chopped
Instructions
- Prep a large pan over med-high heat with oil and margarine. Sauté both onion and garlic until soft and translucent. Add rice and stir constantly until the rice begins to cook. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, slowly adding 1/2 cup of broth.
- Continue stirring while the liquid reduces. Add the wine and repeat. Continue to add about 1/2 – 1 cup of liquid at a time, stirring, and letting the liquid reduce each time. When you only have a cup or so of broth left, add the zucchini.
- Continue to add the remaining liquid and stir until it is absorbed and the rice is cooked through. Remove from heat and stir in nutritional yeast, margarine, sun dried tomatoes, and basil.
- Let it rest for a couple of minutes before serving.
Notes
For some people, dairy-free and gluten-free risotto recipes may provide numerous health benefits. For starters, these recipes are an excellent way to aid weight loss by helping to maintain a specific calorie intake without making significant sacrifices in terms of taste and fullness. Also, diets low in or free from dairy and/or gluten can provide an array of digestive benefits for those who are intolerant.
http://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/gluten-free-vegan-risotto
Tagged egg-free, food allergy-friendly, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, vegetarian
One Comment
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AlisonApril 4, 2013 at 7:09 pm
I have never made risotto before and have only been cooking vegan for about a month, so I was concerned how this would turn out and if it would have enough flavor. Wow! It turned out fabulous! I stuck to the recipe for the most part, only adding a few extra ingredients; crimini mushrooms, peas, asparagus and spinach and I omitted the broccoli, yeast and sun-dried tomatoes. I also used 2 cups wine and 5 cups broth. It was so good, and so flavorful, I will definitely make this again and again. Thank you!