Warming Winter Risotto — a plant-based Italian recipe by BOSH!
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Warming Winter Risotto

This is one of those recipes we keep coming back to when the nights draw in and you just want something that feels like a proper hug in a bowl. The roasted veg gets all caramelised and sweet in the oven while the risotto base builds up this incredible depth from the rosemary, thyme, balsamic and lemon. It's creamy, hearty and full of those warming Italian flavours that just make sense in winter. Honestly, 45 minutes and you've got something that tastes like you've been cooking all day. Make this one tonight, you won't regret it.

Cook: 45 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 180°C
  • Large roasting tray
  • Large pan or risotto pan
  • Wooden spoon for stirring

Ingredients

  • 2 sprig of rosemary
  • 2 sprig of thyme
  • 1 small butternut squash - peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 2 parsnips
  • 2 carrots - peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 1 red onion - peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • salt
  • pinch of pepper
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tbsp plant-based Flora
  • 1 tbsp rosemary
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp thyme - finely chopped
  • 200g risotto rice
  • 250ml white wine
  • 500ml vegetable stock
  • 1 white onion - finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves - finely chopped
  • chives for garnish

Method

1

Roast the veg

  • Put the Roasting Ingredients on a roasting tray and bake them for 30 minutes
2

Start the risotto

  • Warm the dairy free flora in a pan, add the onions and fry them until they're translucent
  • Add the garlic to the pan and stir it into the onions
  • Add the rosemary and thyme to the pan and stir them into the onions
  • Add the lemon juice and balsamic vinegar and stir them into the onions
  • Add the risotto rice to the onions and it in so it takes on the colour of the balsamic
  • Add the wine to the pan and stir it into the rice until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice
  • Add the stock to the risotto gradually and stir constantly until all most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice
3

Combine

  • Once the roasted veg is done in the oven add them to the risotto and stir them in so they're well mixed
4

Time to serve

  • Serve with a side salad and garnish of chives

Tips & Variations

  • Don't rush the rice: We find adding the stock gradually and keeping the heat at a steady medium is what gives you that proper creamy risotto texture. Chuck it all in at once and you lose that magic.
  • Swap the fat: We use dairy free Flora here but a good glug of olive oil works brilliantly too if that's what you've got in the cupboard.
  • Make it cheesy: A generous handful of nutritional yeast stirred in right at the end is something Henry always adds for that extra savoury, parmesan-style depth. Trust us on this one.

Why This Works

The trick here is roasting the veg separately so it gets properly golden and sticky before it goes anywhere near the risotto. That caramelisation is where so much of the flavour comes from. And the balsamic vinegar stirred into the base early on gives the whole thing this subtle richness that makes it taste way more complex than the effort involved.