Zero Waste Vegetable Risotto

Category

Entrees

Servings

4

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

40 minutes

Bookmark this deliciously creamy vegetable risotto whenever you’re in need of zero waste recipes the whole family will love. A farmer’s market favorite, this fast and easy vegetarian risotto recipe is equally perfect for weeknight meals and special occasions. The butter, cheese and rice deliver all the comfort food vibes you crave, while the combination of fresh vegetables add a spectacularly light and lovely flavor to the entire meal. And since you’ll be using the onion peels, garlic skins, thyme stems and asparagus root ends to make the vegetable stock, this has the bonus of being a zero waste meal you’ll be happy to add to your regular rotation.

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Ingredients

  • 6 cups water
  • 1 yellow onion, finely diced (peels rinsed and reserved for stock)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced (garlic skins rinsed and reserved for stock)
  • 4 sprigs thyme (leaves and stems separated)
  • 8 ounces of asparagus (root ends cut off and reserved for stock)
  • 8 ounces mushrooms of choice (alternatively 15-20 leftover mushroom stems)
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup Arborio rice
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • ⅓ cup shelled fresh green peas (substitute with frozen)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

  1. MAKE the vegetable stock: Add the water, onion peels, garlic skins, thyme stems, and asparagus root ends to a saucepan and bring to a boil.
  2. REDUCE the heat to low and simmer for at least 20 minutes.
  3. CHOP the mushrooms into small pieces, including the stems, and set aside.
  4. PREPARE the asparagus by cutting off the tips; set aside. Slice the stalks of the asparagus into thin disks and place with the rest of the prepared vegetables.
  5. HEAT the olive oil in a deep-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped mushrooms to the pan and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
  6. ADD in the onions and garlic and stir, cooking until the onions soften and become translucent.
  7. ADD in the chopped asparagus and the Arborio rice and stir everything together. Cook while stirring continuously, until the rice grains look pearly.
  8. POUR the wine into the pan followed by the thyme leaves and stir until the rice has absorbed all of the wine.
  9. STRAIN the vegetable stock using a fine mesh strainer.
  10. ADD the stock, a ladle or two at a time, to the pan with the rice and stir. When most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice add another ladle of stock. Continue this process allowing the rice to absorb the liquid before adding more stock. Once the rice is cooked through and the risotto looks creamy without being too saucy, stop adding stock. You may use the entire amount of stock, but it is important to continuously check for the correct consistency throughout the process.
  11. ADD the peas and stir, cooking for about 1 minute.
  12. REMOVE the risotto from the heat and stir in the butter and grated cheddar cheese, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  13. ALLOW the risotto to sit for a few minutes to set and then serve with additional cheddar grated over the top.

Nutrition

Nutrition

Serving Size
1/4 recipe
per serving
Calories
550
Amount/Serving % Daily Value
Fat
27 grams
42%
Saturated Fat
12 grams
60%
Cholesterol
60 milligrams
20%
Carbs
51 grams
17%
Fiber
5 grams
20%
Sugar
5 grams
Protein
18 grams
Calcium
342 milligrams
35%
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Recipe Tips

Looking for more information on cooking from "root to stem"? Check out this blog from Cabot.

Cheese As You Please

Our naturally-aged cheddars have 0g of lactose per serving! So go ahead, dig in.

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