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Broccoli Rabe Risotto with Balsamic Roasted Radicchio

5 from 3 reader reviews
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings 4
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Ingredients

  • ½ bunch broccoli rabe, roughly chopped
  • 2 green onions, roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
  • sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 head radicchio, cut into wedges
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon maple syrup
  • 6 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 large shallot, fine dice (about ½ cup diced shallot)
  • ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 1 ½ cups arborio rice
  • 2 tablespoons light miso
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • vegan "parmesan" for serving

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Make the broccoli rabe purée. Bring some water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the broccoli rabe and green onions. Once the broccoli rabe is bright green and stalks are slightly tender, about 3 minutes, drain and run under cold water. Transfer the broccoli rabe, green onions, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and ¼ cup of the olive oil to an upright blender. Blend on high until you have a rough purée. If the blades aren’t moving, add a splash of water. Set aside. Wipe out the saucepan and place it back on the stove.
  • Place the radicchio wedges on the baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the balsamic vinegar, and maple syrup. Brush this mixture all over the radicchio wedges and season with salt and pepper. Slide it into the oven and set a timer for 10 minutes. When the 10 minutes are up, flip the pieces over, and set a timer again for 5 minutes. Once it's slightly wilted and caramelized on the edges, remove from the oven and set aside.
  • Pour the vegetable stock into the saucepan and bring it up to a simmer. Leave it on a low simmer on a back burner. Set a ladle beside.
  • Heat a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Pour in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and swirl it around. Lower the heat slightly. Add the shallots and sauté for 8-10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent and soft. Add the smoked paprika and garlic and stir for about 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice. Stir and simmer until the stock is absorbed, about 5 to 7 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring often. After each addition, cook until the mixture seems just a little bit dry, then add the 2 ladles of stock. When you’re down to the last 2 ladles of stock, add the miso to the pot of stock and whisk vigorously to dissolve it before adding to the rice. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still has a bit of chew, about 30 minutes total.
  • Stir in the broccoli rabe purée and lemon juice, and add some pepper. Check the risotto for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Serve the broccoli rabe risotto with the caramelized radicchio on top and vegan “parmesan,” if using. Enjoy!

Equipment

Recipe Notes

  • I don’t drink alcohol, but I still use wine in my cooking for the flavour and acidity sometimes. The cooking process burns off the alcohol, which I’m fine with. If you want to avoid it entirely, just use an equal amount of vegetable stock and remember to finish your risotto with an extra splash of something acidic like lemon juice or white wine vinegar.
  • I used an aged, slightly syrupy balsamic vinegar here and it was lovely!
  • I don't recommend substituting brown rice of any kind. I just don't like the texture of it in risotto at all personally, and I don't think it works!
This vegan broccoli rabe risotto topped with balsamic roasted radicchio is such a cozy Winter supper! The risotto is creamy and the flavour of it is lifted up by umami-rich miso and a sprinkle of lemon. The slightly sweet but still bitter radicchio is a perfect compliment.