Dr Mobeus
Vegetable Risotto
Risotto’s reputation for being difficult is mostly undeserved. You do not need to stir constantly – just check on it every minute or two and add stock when it looks dry. This veggie version uses whatever vegetables are cheap that week and costs about 80p per portion. The real cost is the arborio rice (about £1.50 for 500g) but a bag lasts for several meals. The butter and parmesan at the end are what make it creamy – don’t skip those.
Total cost: £3.20 (£0.80 per portion) – Serves 4 people. Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 25 mins
Vegetable Risotto
Risotto has a reputation for being fussy but it's actually straightforward - you just need to stir it occasionally. This veggie version is creamy, comforting and costs under £1 per portion.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft.
- Add the garlic, courgette and red pepper. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the rice and stir for 1 minute until the grains are coated and slightly translucent.
- Add a ladleful of warm stock and stir until absorbed. Continue adding stock one ladle at a time, stirring frequently, for about 18 minutes.
- When the rice is nearly done and the stock is used up, add the frozen peas and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Remove from heat. Stir in the butter and most of the parmesan. Season well. Serve topped with the remaining parmesan.
Tips and Variations
Use any vegetables you have – mushrooms, asparagus, butternut squash all work well. Keep the stock warm in a separate pan – cold stock shocks the rice and slows cooking. Leftover risotto can be shaped into patties, coated in breadcrumbs and fried as arancini.
Is it cheaper to make this from scratch? Use our Cook vs Buy Calculator to compare the real cost of homemade vs shop-bought.
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