This plant-based risotto is made without oil, butter, and cheese so it won’t feel heavy in the way that traditional risottos can. The wonderful creaminess comes from blended cauliflower! Your taste buds will be even more delighted with the added sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts!
4 cups vegetable broth (low-sodium, oil-free) or water
½ head cauliflower, chopped (12 ounces)
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning (salt-free)
½ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
½ cup water
1 teaspoon stoneground mustard (salt-free)
1 small yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced (or 2 teaspoons garlic granules)
1 tablespoon tahini (sesame seed butter)
1½ cups uncooked short grain brown rice
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes (oil-free), diced (1½ ounces)
¼ cup fresh basil, loosely packed (or 1 tablespoon dried)
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1. In a medium pot start to bring 4 cups of vegetable broth to a boil. Add cauliflower and poultry seasoning. Boil until the cauliflower is soft and then turn off the heat temporarily.
2. Scoop out the cauliflower and transfer to a blender. Add the soymilk, water, and stoneground mustard, and blend until creamy.
3. Place a high-sided sauté pan or medium pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cover with a lid. Stir frequently to prevent the vegetables from burning. Once the onion is translucent, add the garlic.
4. Stir in the rice and tahini, stirring until the grain is coated with the tahini. Continue stirring the rice until the edges have turned translucent but the center is still opaque (5-10 minutes).
5. While the rice is toasting, bring the vegetable broth back up to a boil.
6. Once the rice is partly translucent, ladle the boiling vegetable broth over the rice. Cook for 20 minutes at a medium simmer. Stir frequently. Then add the cauliflower cream from the blender. Simmer for another 40 minutes, still stirring frequently. Begin tasting the rice after about 30 minutes to gauge how much longer it has to cook.
7. When the rice is al dente (when it still has a bit of chew) and the risotto is creamy and thick like porridge, stir in the sun-dried tomatoes. Let it simmer for a few more minutes to soften the tomatoes and then turn off the heat. Stir in fresh basil and top with pine nuts. Serve the risotto immediately. The longer it stands, the more the starches will set and you'll lose the creamy silkiness.
Serves: 6 (1-cup servings)