Risottos are one of my favourite dinners. When made right, they are rich and creamy, but not too heavy or stodgy. Plus, risotto rice picks up flavours so well, so there is a lot of potential to make a seriously amazing-tasting dish when you’ve got the makings of one in your stock cupboard.
I’ve come across many tips on making risottos over the years, some people make it out to sound very complicated but I actually consider it a very easy dish (which is part of the reason it’s one of my favourites). But for me, I find that these three tips help yield the creamiest result:
- Stirring regularly. You don’t have to stand over the stove, stirring constantly but regular stirring will help the rice release it’s starch.
- Adding the stock a cup at a time. Adding the stock in all in one go is simply just like boiling rice but we want a creamier result than that. So adding the stock in a bit at a time, waiting until each ladel-full has nearly been absorbed will help create that gluey texture.
- “Mantecatura” – Loosely translated as “enrichment” or to give something a buttery texture. This is achieved at the end of the recipe, when the rice is almost cooked and the liquid has very nearly been absorbed. Remove the rice from the heat and stir for a couple of minutes, adding an extra ingredients, such as dairy-free butter, oil, vegan cheese, nooch or fresh herbs.
Admittedly, I know roasting the vegetables does add extra time and effort to this dish BUT I do think it’s absolutely worth it, flavour-wise. If you’re short on time (or feeling lazy) feel free to sauté the vegetables instead.
Creamy Tomato & Roasted Veg Risotto (Vegan)
A deliciously creamy risotto that is BURSTING with flavour
Ingredients
For the roasted vegetables
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 300 g cherry tomatoes
- 2 red peppers
- 1 large courgette, zucchini
- A generous pinch of salt and pepper
For the risotto
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large red onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 225 g risotto rice
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 250 ml passata
- 250 ml vegetable stock
- Approx 6 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped into small chunks
- A small bunch of fresh basil, torn
- salt and pepper, to taste
- Optional vegan parmesan or "nooch", to serve
Instructions
To roast the vegetables
- Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F and add the olive oil to a roasting tin.
- Chop the vegetables into small chunks and spread out in the tin, adding the salt and pepper before giving everything a shake to coat.
- Roast for 30 minutes.
To make the risotto
- Meanwhile, add olive oil to a shallow casserole dish or large frying pan, on a low-medium heat.
- Sauté the onion for a few minutes before adding the minced garlic and cooking for another minute.
- Stir in the rice with the vinegar and stir for approx 30 seconds, to coat it in the oil.
- Pour in the passata and vegetable stock, 1/2 cup at a time, alternating between the two. Allow each amount to be absorbed by the rice before adding the next.
- After 20 minutes, add in the sundried tomatoes and the roasted vegetables. Give everything a stir, adding more liquid if needed, and cook for a further 5 minutes until everything is cooked through and the rice is done.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the basil, salt and pepper and vegan cheese (if using). Feel free to stir in any extra oil or dairy-free butter at this point for an extra creamy risotto.
- Serve right away and enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size gAmount Per Serving Calories 354Saturated Fat 1gCarbohydrates 60gFiber 7gSugar 8gProtein 11g
I’m guessing you are supposed to cover the pan? Unfortunately the recipe doesn’t state this and we’ve been evaporating copious stock over the rice, slowly over a low heat, for a good hour! Googled it and found out (risotto novice here). Maybe you should add this to the recipe. Cheers
Oh my goodness same here! I use at least double the stock and passata!
Made this tonight! Didn’t have passatta, so I added a bit of mushroom pasta sauce to the stock. Noting that some in the comments thought the passatta slowed absorption, I only added it after the 3rd addition of stock. By the time it was almost ready, it wasn’t very tomato-y (I somehow completely forgot to add the sun-dried tomatoes), so I threw in about 1/2 cup of canned diced tomato.
Like others, I found this was not nearly enough liquid: I ended up using about 4-1/2 cups.
same here!! That step really should be added in.
Same here!
Has anyone tried making this in an instant pot or could someone let me know how I might cook this way? I’ve had great success with risottos just wondering about this particular recipe when things should be added. Thank you!
How many calories is this with a serving size? I didn’t see one in the recipe.
This was my first time making risotto, and I was very impressed! It was delicious and not hard to make at all. The only “issue” I ran into was that I couldn’t find passata at the store (which was strange) so I used a lighter pasta red sauce. It took MUCH longer than 30 minutes to cook the rice (I believe due to the pasta sauce substitute) but with a few extra cups of veggie broth it eventually softened up and tasted DELICIOUS. I’m already excited to cook it again, but this time with the correct ingredients.
Thanks Sydney, I’m glad it worked out in the end! I sometimes use chopped tomatoes too, if I can’t find passata.
What is passata please and thank you?
It’s similar to tomato purée but thinner
Hello! Making this now, but so far I’d had to add three times the Veggie stock the recipe calls for and twice the passata and the rice is still tasting crunchy – am I doing something wrong??
Try reducing the heat and cooking slower. The liquid might be evaporating too quickly. Risotto is best cooked low and slow, adding the liquid bit by bit :)
I fancied risotto tonight but thought I’d have a change and googled ‘risotto recipes using tinned tomatoes’. As it happened we had passata and although I had to tweak one or two things according to what was in the house it was a fab risotto. I will make this again!
So glad you liked it, Suzanne!
Couldn’t find arborio rice where I am so I substituted with sushi rice! Plenty tasty and cooked nicely in half an hour, but I used double the amount of stock.
Thanks for the recipe!
This was the first risotto I have made in years – I’ve been really afraid of attempting it again! I have to say, this dish was absolutely delicious – thank you. The recipe is incredibly well-written and I appreciated the top tip about not having to stir continuously. Incredibly useful and saved me panicking.
I made the risotto last night and was so impressed, it was absolutely delicious and I can see this becoming a staple recipe in my monthly meal plan. As other commenters have noted, I also added slightly more stock and passata as the rice began to stick a little too much to the pan. It still turned out wonderfully and was not too distant in texture and flavour to risottos I have enjoyed in restaurants.
Thank you! I will be returning to try more of your recipes.
Wow, thank you so much for that great feedback! I am very pleased to hear you enjoyed it so much.
Can anyone tell me where they happened to find plain Rissoto or Passata? I have looked at 4 stores and I can’t find them anywhere!!!
Risotto is a rice, specifically short grain white rice, also called arborio rice or shushi rice. I found the tomato passata (puree) at a grocery store called Albertson’s.
I think it’s about time I left a review for this incredible risotto! I’ve made it countless times since I discovered the recipe, at least once a month. It’s seriously the best risotto ever. I’ve experimented with other risotto recipes, but none stole my heart as this one. Thank you for sharing this with us!
Aw, thank you Diana! I am so very happy to hear how much you enjoy the recipe :)
Hi Aimee, my daughter & I cooked this dish tonight, really tastey. Can you advise with the texture of the risotto, tasted slighty starchy. any tips.
this might sound silly, but does the rice need to be pre-cooked before I make this dish? Or does cooking the rice happen in the pan?
No, don’t cook it first, that happens in the pan :)
Made this tonight for dinner lovely..my daughter and I both thought it was really tasty and will defo be making it again soon thank you
Thank you for your comment, Liz. I’m so happy you and your daughter enjoyed it!
Hey! A friend of mine at work started finding recipes she could make on Sunday to give her a week’s worth of lunches. This was one of them. When I asked for some of the recipes she’s tried and liked, this was one of the ones she sent me. My friend and I got together Sunday morning to make this, and I’m *so* excited with the results! Since your tips for success with a risotto involved adding extra oil or something at the end for creaminess, we sauteed our veggies in a combo of olive oil and ghee; I also added some ghee prior to serving when I first tasted it. We ran out of stock early on (I can’t tell you how much we ended up using, but it was *way* more than it called for, I do believe), so I supplemented with (gasp!) chicken bone broth. But I trust it would be just as tasty with all veggie stock (I consider myself to be “mostly” vegetarian). The fact that it was partly in metric and partly using Tablespoons/teaspoons made it a bit tricky, but by guess and by golly (and some internet help) we figured it out. We sauteed (thanks for the time-saving tip) because I didn’t want to ruin it with unevenly or under-cooked veggies (which often happens when I roast them), so we sauteed instead (also in the interest of time and not risking forgetting to stir them). The results were FANTASTIC. I posted on FB and will try to remember to go back and add the hashtag somewhere. Thank you for this recipe! It was our first experiment doubling a recipe like this to make 10 lunches, and I’m so pleased with the results!
Would love to perpetually get updated outstanding website!
Hello,
Can I use orzo instead of risotto? Thanks
So delicious!! First time making risotto and I’m not a vegan or vegetarian (sorry, I really like meat!) I was going to try and add some sort of sausage to make it a meat dish (mainly for my husband) but it was so yummy the way the recipe calls for it. Thank you!
Aw, I’m so happy to hear that Maggie! Thank you :)
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
This looks so good! What else can I use passava for?
This is so good! I did use probably more Passats and maybe a lot more stock than it said, mostly because it felt like my rice wasn’t fully cooked. I still think I undercooked it a bit, but besides that it was great. I used about half the onion because it was huge, and I roasted about 1/4 of the onion with the veggies. But otherwise stayed true to the recipe. Glad to have a hot lunch that is healthy and within calorie budget!
I cooked this dish twice this week and everyone loved it! Like others, I used double the amount of passata and stock.
It was devine, thank you!
Funny thing, I actually roasted hot peppers and not red (bell) peppers. Whoops wrong translation!
Still tastes great though, adds a little spice to the dish.
Haha ooh spicy! I bet it was tasty, I would actually love to try that next time. Glad you liked it :)
Have made this risotto numerous times and it’s so delicious!
Need more than double the amount of Passata and stock advised but otherwise a great recipe
Do you think dried basil work the same as fresh?
Fabulous risotto. Like others I had to have at least 4times the amount of stock and passata. The rice would have gone on absorbing even more but served it once it was cooked enough. A superb meal, served with a crunchy green salad.
Thanks for the feedback – much appreciated! Glad you enjoyed it :)
I can not find passata where I am from, is there an alternative for it?
Hi Shannon, just used chopped tomatoes instead :)
This was really good. I had my doubts when it was cooking because I kept having to add water, but eventually it came around. I think next time I will use veg broth, roasted portobello mushrooms and maybe a Beaujolais instead of the vinegar. Thank you so much for sharing this. The vegan butter made it extra decadent.
Only 250 ml of vegetable stock? Thats is kust waaaay to little liquid, is this an error?
Just made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious beautiful flavours and really easy to make, I will be recommending it to family. Thank you
Oh my God. I’ve just made it, it’s just what I needed.. Thank you very much!!!
It’s creamy, rich in flavours, helathy, very comforting.
And easy to make, I used regular basmati rice (didn’t have risotto :c) and it’s amazing too!
So glad you enjoyed it so much! And good to know it works with ordinary rice too :)
I just made this tonight and it is soo good! My new favorite!
Glad you enjoyed it, Jessica! :D
Made this for my family last night, it was a BIG hit! Thank you :)
After you put the passata and the stock do you have to keep on stirring for the next 20 min or lower the temperature maybe? Because mine keeps on splashing and sticking to the pan as crazy! Or the lid on?
I do very low heat and stir frequently. Definitely no big bubble splashes or sticking. I would just lower the heat considerably next time
Never made a risotto before, but recipe was really easy to follow. Simple, tasty and effective!
not enough liquid, we needed to add 1,5 times more. and imo the dried tomatoes are too much there, otherwise a good recipe
Was Loking for a vegetarian rissotto a bit outside of the typical asparagus and peas variety so gave this a go. Really enjoyed and will make again. Thanks. For sharing
Made this for supper tonight – it was absolutely delicious! Am not vegan – so we used normal parmesan, but mostly kept to the recipe. Didn’t have arborio rice, so used Spanish Paella rice instead – this meant I had to add WAY more liquid (an entire pint plus splash of red wine!) and had to cook it for much much longer (about 30 mins). Also subbed finely chopped toms for passata, white onion and a couple shallots for the red onion and dried basil for fresh (which hubby prefers). This recipe will be added to our regular favourites I think. Thank you Aimee.
Made this for supper tonight – it was absolutely delicious! Am not vegan – so we used normal parmesan, but mostly kept to the recipe. Didn’t have arborio rice, so used Spanish Paella rice instead – this meant I had to add WAY more liquid (an entire pint plus splash of red wine!) and had to cook it for much much longer (about 30 mins). Also subbed finely chopped toms for passata, white onion and a couple shallots for the red onion and dried basil for fresh (which hubby prefers). This recipe will be added to our regular favourites I think. Thank you!
Just made the risotto and my family loved it. The only thing is that I used regular white rice instead of the risotto rice cause I didn’t find it at the store. After adding all the liquid, the rice was not cooking and kept turning more and more pasty, so I added a lot more water and tomato purée little by little, until the rice was cooked, but took another 15 minutes extra. Otherwise, great recipy!
Fantastic recipe! Best risotto we had in a while.
I made this dish for my vegan husband, and my mostly vegetarian (but super picky) 14 year old son. My husband loved it. My son really loved it and had two servings! It is very rare for my son to like anything new, this was such a hit. Thank you for sharing your talent.
Risotto is NOT vegan!
This risotto is.
This is a great VEGAN risotto! I’m new to veganism….and this is a welcome “creamy” satisfying dinner for the whole (non-vegan) family. It definitely needs more broth, but other than that…perfection!
This recipe looks so good and not to mention, beautiful!! Can’t wait to make it
This looks so yummy! In place of the passata can I use tomato paste mixed w/ tomato sauce? What would you recommend?
This was just not good. Wayyy too much tomato flavor.
Sorry you didn’t like the tomato flavour but it is the main component of this recipe. Perhaps the brand of passata was concentrated? If so, you can offset this by using less of the passata and more water.
We loved it, but I was curious about the amount of sodium in the recipe.
Rosy
Yum! Saving this one for later because there’s nothing like a big bowl of risotto in the winter time. :)
What a lovely, healthy, colourful, delicious recipe Aimee. I love risotto and I could happily eat the whole pan-full of this one xx
Thanks Kate!
We’re making this tonight. Can’t wait. It looks and sounds delicious. Love the look of the Le Creueset roaster, but they don’t have it on the American website :( Such a shame. They make awesome cookware.
Made it for dinner tonight. So yummy!! Already looking forward to eating the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
So pleased you enjoyed it, Nikki! :)
This looks delicious! I love all of those flavors! When is dinner?
I have a mushroom risotto that I make and love but I’m looking forward to trying this combination with roasted tomatoes. Looks delish.
This looks extremely tasty. I love risottos too, and they are just perfect for this time of year. Saved for later as I am definitely going to try this.
This looks like one of the tastiest risottos I’ve seen in a while. Pinning it right now so I don’t forget to make it!
Love this! Can’t wait to make it – do you think leftovers would freeze well?
Hi Keera! I’ve not tried freezing this recipe exactly but if you’re going to freeze it, leave it out the night before you want to serve it and let it defrost slowly for the best result. Let me know if you give it a try!
Ah I love that roaster! And the risotto of course. It looks so tasty. My ideal dinner. I make risottos a lot so will need to try this one!
Risotto is the ultimate comfort food. I love that you smothered the rice in tomato sauce and then covered it with roasted veggies. I’m so craving a bowl of this right now.
I love risotto, and this looks so delicious! I have a lot of zucchini and tomatoes in the fridge, so this just might be tonight’s dinner.
Thanks Dianne! It’s great for clearing out the fridge :-)
Oh, I adore risotto! I agree, it’s pretty darn easy. Time consuming, but easy nonetheless. Loving this roasted vegetable version. Perfect for my end of summer garden veggies that need to be used!
Absolutely! Great for using up the summer produce and tomatoes are so amazing this time of year :-)
Oh my word, this looks and sounds so blummin’ delicious – I want to come over for dinner right away.
I love your creative use of these ingredients!
Thank you Trinity, you would be welcome any time! :D