Saffron Risotto – Plant Based School

To start, warm up your vegetable broth in a pot and keep it hot, almost simmering, throughout the recipe.

Finely chop the onion, then gently fry it in a large skillet with the olive oil for 3 minutes, stirring often.

The onion should be translucent and slightly golden; don’t make it brown.

Add in the Arborio rice, and stir it on medium-high heat for about a minute.

Important: unlike other rice varieties, risotto rice should not be rinsed or washed.

Now add the white wine, stir, then when the wine has evaporated, add 1 cup of vegetable broth.

Stir almost continuously on medium heat, then when the broth is absorbed, add another cup.

Stir and add one cup of broth at a time; then, at the 10-minute mark, dissolve the saffron in a small bowl with a ladleful of hot broth and add it to the rice.

Keep stirring and adding broth, a little at a time, until the rice is creamy and al dente, with a bite to it – about 5 more minutes.

Risotto takes 14 to 18 minutes to cook, depending on the rice quality.

Now, turn the heat off, let the rice cool down for 1 minute, then add the butter and grated parmesan cheese.

Stir for another minute (heat off) until butter and cheese melt. Add a little broth if the rice gets too thick.

Note: risotto should be creamy and thin, not thick, mushy, and pasty, and not soupy. You should be able to see the rice grains clearly.