Creamy Lentil Risotto

Hannah Sunderani
Sep 22, 2016
4 min read

This lentil risotto! OMG! It's sooo creamy, rich, and savoury. I was honestly yelling "YYYUUMM" after every bite! And couldn't help going back for thirds...I think this may be one of my favourite dishes I've ever made!

We are BIG fans of risotto in my house. In fact, I devoted a whole blog post on just how much we love this "bowl of rice." And usually, we prepare it the classic way, using arborio rice and adding mushrooms, or asparagus. Mmmmmmm. Recently, however, I've been on a whole foods kick, and so have been experimenting with various ways of substituting refined grains for whole foods. It's like a game! I imagine I'm like one of the Super Mario Brothers, and every time I consume whole foods, or whole grains, a couple gold coins appear above my head! But truly, the more whole foods and protein I add to my diet the happier and stronger I feel!

Since I'm a sucker for risotto I was quickly drawn to finding a way to make it more nutritious, and delicious of course! This Creamy Lentil Risotto is the perfect solution. Instead of using white arborio rice, I decided to opt in for these little red legumes, which are packed with protein and fibre. And seriously, the final dish was better than I could have imagined! My husband and I marvelled over just how well this gorgeous dish compared to traditional risotto. We were blown away by it's rich and comforting taste, and basked in the flavours. Better yet, we felt good about each bite and the extra nutrition and protein we were getting from this simple substitution: lentils for white rice.

So here's the scoop to making drool-worthy Creamy Lentil Risotto: You MUST include the following three ingredients,

1. Thyme

Make time to pick up some thyme! Sorry for the silly pun...but honestly, thyme is the piece de resistance in this recipe. It takes it to the next level! Its earthy flavours are so comforting for the fall/winter making it the perfect herb. It's bound to make you feel all warm and cozy inside!

2. Nutritional yeast

Think of nutritional yeast as your cheesy best friend. You can't live without it! Nutritional yeast is crucial for providing that rich, cheesy, and nutty taste that so perfectly resembles parmesan. I love using nutritional yeast to give that familiar parm taste, while still keeping dishes entirely vegan. And, it's so good for you! Did you know that nutritional yeast is a complete protein?! Bonus! And it's rich in potassium and vitamin B6. Who wouldn't want to benefit from this superfood!? You will LOVE what it does to this dish.

3. Almond milk

A little almond milk goes a long way in this risotto. It really rounds out the flavours to give that smooth and creamy finish. In fact, I hadn't planned to use almond milk in this recipe, but before serving it I felt as though a key ingredient was missing. A little bit of almond milk changed this dish completely! It relaxed the salty bold flavours and brought out the more subtle ones. You won't want to forget the almond milk in this recipe - just make sure it's an unsweetened high-quality mylk.

All-in-all this Creamy Lentil Risotto is the perfect cozy dish to warm you up this fall, and it's nutritious and delicious! All we wanted to do after indulging in this delightful dish was to snuggle up in a blanket, open another bottle of red, and cozy into a nice long movie! I hope you enjoy this comforting dish just as much as we do, and that it helps you find what's best about the cozy fall season.

Bon appetit!

Creamy Lentil Risotto

Serves: 4-6| Prep Time: 45 mins| Cook Time: 30-40 mins

Ingredients:

1 white onion
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 1/2 cups red lentils, uncooked
4 cups vegetable broth, plus more if desired
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh thyme
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
sea salt & pepper
fresh thyme sprigs (optional for topping)

Preparation:

Begin by chopping your onion and garlic. Add to a skillet on medium high heat with coconut oil. Cook onion and garlic, stirring often, until it becomes soft and translucent in colour; approx. 10 minutes.
Pour your lentils into the skillet and stir. Roast lentils in skillet for 2-3 minutes stirring often. Then, pour in 3 1/2 cups of your vegetable broth, reserving the last 1/2 cup for later.
Bring lentils to a simmer and season with sea salt, thyme, and nutritional yeast. Stir well, then cover with a lid and cook for 25-30 minutes. Check lentils occasionally, stir, and add reserved vegetable broth as needed to reach preferred consistency. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
When risotto is just nearing your desired consistency (approx. 20-25 minutes into simmering) add your almond milk. Stir to combine. Let risotto simmer for a few more minutes and season with more salt and pepper.
Remove risotto from heat and transfer to bowls. Top with fresh sprigs of thyme and serve.

Approvals: