Summer Squash Risotto with Fresh Garlic, Petite Peas & Basil

My CSA has already been keeping me very well stocked in the summer squash department, & it’s not even officially summer yet!

I don’t have a lot of tried & true summer squash recipes, so I decided to come up with my own – a risotto recipe – with a little inspiration from The Best of Vegan Cooking. I’ve also received a few stalks of fresh garlic from the CSA, & having no clue how to use them, I asked the gal at the farm stand what she recommended. She said she uses it just like you would a garlic clove, so I minced up one stalk & used it in my risotto! It looks very much like an onion, but has that intense garlic aroma & flavor!

Summer Squash Risotto with Fresh Garlic, Petite Peas & Basil

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Author: Vegenista

Recipe type: Meatless Main, Risotto

Cuisine: Vegan

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• ½ cup Vidalia Onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, or 1 stalk fresh garlic, finely minced
• ¼ cup white wine
• 4-5 cups organic vegetable broth
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 2 medium yellow squash
• ½ cup frozen, thawed petite peas
• ¼ cup fresh basil, julienned
• 1 Tbsp. vegan margarine (Earthy-B is all I use!)
• Freshly ground pepper

Instructions

1. Wash squash & cut into ½ moons about a ½ inch thick. Set aside.
2. In a large, heavy saucepan or dutch oven, heat olive oil, & add onion & garlic. Saute for 3-5 minutes over medium heat.
3. Stir in the rice, & cook 2 minutes until opaque. Add wine & stir until absorbed.
4. Ladle broth into rice, one ladleful at a time, stirring frequently over medium heat, after each addition. Wait until broth is almost completely absorbed before adding more.
5. After about 15 minutes, add squash & peas. Continue stirring & adding broth until the vegetables are tender & the rice is al dente but looks creamy, about 5 minutes.
6. Remove from heat, add fresh basil, margarine & stir. Season with fresh black pepper & garnish with more fresh basil. For a little extra brightness, top each dish with fresh lemon zest.

3.2.1311

Super creamy, yummy & summery! Risottos tend to be very rich & sometimes heavy, but I made this dish more vegetable-dense than rice-dense, so it feels nice & lite!

Enjoy!