Today I’m going to show you a recipe that I’ve been planning to share for a long time, the vegan radicchio and walnut risotto. It’s also delicious this way, satisfying, light, and perfect for Christmas or New Year celebrations, why not?
Whether you follow a plant-based diet like me or have a vegan guest at the table, this risotto will make everyone happy. It’s also easy to prepare, just follow the measurements to make it suitable even for those on a diet. You can divide it into two large servings or four smaller ones, perfect as a first course to leave room for the main dish.
It’s so tasty, no wonder the radicchio and walnut risotto is a popular dish, and it was well-liked at home. I hope you will enjoy it too. Let’s get to the recipe without further ado!
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Affordable
- Rest time: 5 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2 large or 4 small
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice (for risottos or brown rice)
- 1 radicchio (small or half of a large one)
- 1.4 oz walnuts
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (1 teaspoon measure)
- 1 onion
- 2 tbsp red wine
- to taste vegetable broth
- 2 tsp vegetable margarine (or vegan butter)
- 2 tsp nutritional yeast (2 teaspoon measures)
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- Total points = 24 WW points
- Points per portion if divided into 2 = 12 WW points
- Points per portion if divided into 4 = 6 WW points
Tools
- Pan
- Wooden Spoons
- Knife
Steps
Start by preparing all the ingredients. If you wish, leave some raw radicchio cut into strips and a few whole walnuts for final decoration.
For the broth, you can make it yourself with vegetables or prepare it using vegan granular bouillon, as you prefer. The important thing is to keep it hot and ready to use.
Start by sautéing the diced onion with 1 teaspoon of oil. Don’t let it burn: if it dries out too much, add a tablespoon of broth. When the onion has softened, add the rice and toast it for a couple of minutes. Now you can pour in the wine and let it evaporate while stirring.
At this point, add half of the radicchio strips and half of the finely chopped walnuts. Continue cooking as you would for classic risotto, adding a little broth each time the rice dries out.
When you see that the rice is almost cooked, add the rest of the radicchio and walnuts, mix well, and continue cooking with the broth, a little at a time.
Once the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and first adjust the salt. Then do the classic creaming by incorporating the vegetable margarine or vegan butter and the nutritional yeast into the risotto. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes.
And here is our vegan radicchio and walnut risotto ready to be served. Serve it on plates, use some raw radicchio and a few walnuts for decoration, and a sprinkle of pepper if you like.
It’s delicious and fragrant, the slightly bitter taste of the radicchio along with the walnuts makes it truly delightful. And considering it’s light as well, what are you waiting for to try it? Please, if you make it, write to me below or in my Facebook Club.
Enjoy your meal!
By Giovanna Buono
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What is nutritional yeast?
In this recipe, you will also find nutritional yeast, which is an inactive yeast rich in vitamin B12. It is widely used in vegan cooking as it imparts a cheesy flavor to dishes. For more information, read here: Nutritional Yeast: What It Is, How to Use It, and Why! You can omit it, but in that case, add spices of your choice to give more flavor to the final dish.
How long does it keep?
Unfortunately, this risotto cannot be prepared in advance. Sure, if there are leftovers, it will still be delicious when reheated in the microwave, but it will naturally lose some texture, and the rice will be a bit softer.
