Slow Cooker Butternut Risotto
We invited our friends over at Riverford Organics to share a seasonal veggie packed dish that is sure to turn meatless Mondays into everyone’s favourite night of the week. Here is what Riverford say.
“This is the easiest risotto ever. It’s probably not for purists, but a great way to cook a creamy vegetarian risotto without spending a lot of time stood at the hob stirring away, and slow cookers use very little energy to run. Instead, you add all the ingredients to a slow cooker and let it do its thing. The butternut squash goes so soft that it becomes part of the sauce, adding a beautiful sweetness, colour and creaminess without the need to add much dairy. We used fresh tarragon but you can swap it for sage, thyme, parsley or any other fresh herb.”
Slow Cooker Butternut Risotto
Ingredients
800g butternut squash, deseeded & chopped into 2cm pieces
1 leek, sliced into rounds
2 garlic cloves, peeled & chopped
3 springs of thyme, leaves stripped from stalks
2 tbsp olive oil
300g risotto rice
800-1000ml vegetable stock (the rice should be covered by about 2-3cm of stock)
20g butter (optional)
50g Parmesan, plus more for serving
small bunch of tarragon, leaves stripped from stalks, chopped
salt & pepper
Method
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 1h 45 mins
Add all the ingredients except the butter, Parmesan and tarragon to the slow cooker and leave for 1 ½-2 hours on a high setting, or 4-6 hours on low, until the rice is cooked and creamy. Check the stock level during cooking to make sure the risotto doesn’t dry out. If necessary, add a little more stock or water.
Stir in the butter, Parmesan and tarragon. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve topped with additional cheese.