Description
A savory, creamy veggie porridge inspired by Hylian home cooking, featuring arborio rice cooked risotto-style with carrots and zucchini, topped with a vibrant smoky red pepper swirl. It is a nutritious, dairy-free weeknight meal ready in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (180 g) Arborio rice
- 4 cups (1 L) vegetable broth, divided
- 1 small (100 g) yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium (100 g) carrot, finely diced
- 1 small (100 g) zucchini, finely diced
- 2 cups (50 g) baby spinach, packed and roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) olive oil
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) fine sea salt (for porridge)
- 0.5 teaspoon (2.5 mL) freshly ground black pepper
- 7 oz (200 g) roasted red peppers, jarred and drained
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) smoked paprika
- 0.25 cup (60 mL) oat cream
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) apple cider vinegar
- 0.25 teaspoon (1 mL) fine sea salt (for swirl)
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) fresh parsley or chives, finely chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Finely dice the onion, carrot, and zucchini; mince the garlic; roughly chop the spinach. Ensure the vegetable broth is warm and the roasted red peppers are drained completely.
- Sauté Aromatics: In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant, stirring continuously.
- Toast Rice: Stir in the Arborio rice, ensuring all grains are coated in oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the edges of the rice grains become translucent.
- Cook Porridge Risotto Style: Pour in one ladleful of warm vegetable broth. Stir continuously until the liquid is almost completely absorbed by the rice. Continue adding the broth one ladleful at a time, stirring until each addition is absorbed before adding the next.
- Add Vegetables: After about 10 minutes of adding broth (when the rice is halfway cooked), stir in the finely diced carrots and zucchini. Continue adding broth and stirring until rice is al dente and porridge is creamy (20-25 minutes total).
- Make Red Pepper Swirl: While the porridge cooks, combine the drained roasted red peppers, smoked paprika, 0.25 cup broth, apple cider vinegar, oat cream, and 0.25 teaspoon salt in a blender. Blend until completely smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan and gently warm over low heat.
- Finish Porridge: Stir in the chopped baby spinach until just wilted (1-2 minutes). Season the porridge with 1 teaspoon salt and 0.5 teaspoon black pepper, adjusting to taste. If too thick, add more warm broth.
- Serve: Ladle the warm porridge into bowls. Drizzle the warm Smoky Red Pepper Swirl generously over the top and garnish with fresh parsley or chives. Serve immediately.
Notes
Keep the vegetable broth warm in a separate saucepan before starting; adding cold broth will cool down the rice and stop the cooking process. You can substitute a small leek for the onion, finely diced parsnip for the carrot, or kale (stems removed) for the spinach. Lemon juice can be substituted for apple cider vinegar. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: General
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups (approx. 300 g)
- Calories: 230 calories
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg