Lemon Risotto with Roasted Cauliflower

5 from 10 votes

Lemon Risotto with Roasted Cauliflower

This vegan Lemon Risotto is a creamy citrus rice dish that's served with spiced and roasted cauliflower. Serve this dish as a main course for Date Night, or as a fancy side dish at your next dinner party!

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: people

Calories: 604kcal

Author: Sarah Trenalone

Ingredients

Roasted Cauliflower:

½ cauliflower head, broken into florets
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon sea salt

Lemon Risotto:

2 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
¾ cup Arborio rice
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, removed from stem
½ cup dry white wine
1 lemon (zest first, then juice)
1 teaspoon turmeric (for color, omit if you don't have)
½ teaspoon sea salt, to taste
To Serve: diced green onion, optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450°F.
Prepare cauliflower by tossing it in the paprika, chili powder, salt, and olive oil. Spread the cauliflower out on a baking sheet and set aside. (Don't put it in the oven yet.)
Heat broth in saucepan over medium heat until hot, and then keep warm on low heat.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large pan or wok over medium heat. When the oil begins to ripple, add the diced onion and cook 3-4 minutes until the onions soften.
Add garlic to the pan and cook 1 minute.
Add rice and stir 1-2 minutes. Add the rosemary and stir.
Lower the heat to medium-low. Add white wine and simmer, stirring constantly, until wine is completely absorbed (4-5 minutes).
Ladle over about ½ cup of broth, and stir every few minutes until all the liquid is absorbed.
Test to see if you're ready to add more broth: Use a spatula or spoon to pull the rice across the pan. If the space immediately fills with liquid, the rice isn't ready. When the space stays dry, the rice is ready for more broth.
Repeat until all your broth is gone.
Don't rush these steps- you want the rice to slowly release the starch and become creamy. Rushing will result in less creamy risotto.
After adding the first ½ cup of broth to the rice, put the cauliflower in the oven and set a timer for 20 minutes.
When you've finished adding all the broth to the risotto, and the liquid has absorbed into the rice, add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and turmeric. Stir to incorporate. Taste, and add more salt if desired.
Remove risotto from heat and cover to keep warm until the cauliflower finishes roasting. Serve risotto topped with cauliflower, and add green onion for garnish. Serve immediately.

Notes

Serves 2 as a main dish, 4 as a side dish. This recipe is easily doubled, but the cook time for the risotto will be longer.

Recipe Variations:

(Not Vegan): Add ¼ cup mascarpone cheese to the risotto when it's finished cooking, and stir to incorporate.
(Not Vegan): Substitute cauliflower for shrimp. Toss thawed shrimp in the spices listed for the cauliflower, heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat, and sauté shrimp 1-2 minutes per side until they turn pink.
Make only the cauliflower or only the risotto, and serve as a side dish to another meal.

Nutrition