This healthy vegan fennel and apple risotto recipe prove that you don’t need lots of butter and cheese to make a tasty risotto. Fennel and apple is a great combination.
There really is only one rice to use here – Italian arborio rice. This short grain rice is essential to creating the creamy texture of the dish.
Top tips for a good risotto
- Use the right rice – Italian arborio is the way to go. A long grain rice will simply not work.
- Decent stock: I do make risotto with instant stock but pick a good one, and specifically one that isn’t too salty.
- Get the rice to release starch to create a creamy texture. And how do you do that? Keep the rice simmering in just enough stock to cover the rice, and stir frequently. It is the action of the rice granules rubbing up against each other that releases starch. Boiling the rice in lots of water will not allow that to happen
- Keep your stock simmering during the process. You don’t want to cool down the rice every time you add a ladle.
- Add enough liquid at the end to make the final texture creamy. It should ooze! If you can shape the risotto into a tower, it is too dry.
- Don’t overcook the rice – like pasta, it should be al dente
Ingredients and substitutions
What makes this fennel and apple risotto work is a few great ingredients that compliment and balance each other, so, while there is some room for substitution, keep the balance of flavours in mind.
Fennel: You are looking for fennel bulbs for this recipe, and you want to find a nice plump one. Don’t go for a packet of small ones – they tend to be stringy.
White wine: Use a crisp dry white. For substitutions, vermouth works well, especially if you don’t want to open a bottle. I like to freeze the rest of the wine in half a cup to cup portions for later use.
Walnuts: I like the walnuts in this recipe because the slightly bitter notes balance the sweetness of the apple well. You can substitute pine puts, or even almond slivers
Currants: I used them for their nice zingy sweetness. If you don’t have currants, I’d rather leave them out. I feel raisins would be too sweet.
Apples: Bit of a brag here, I’ve been using apples from my own apple tree. I have not idea what the variety is, but something tart like granny smith is what you need.
Fennel and apple risotto
Equipment
- 1 small saucepan to keep the stock simmering
- 1 larger pot to cook the risotto in
- 1 soup ladle or cup to add warm stock to the risotto
Ingredients
- 1 whole onion
- 1 bulb Fennel
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- ½ cup white wine
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 1 apple Use a tart variety
- ¼ cup dried currants
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- black pepper
- ¼ cup walnuts
Instructions
- Finely dice the onion. Halve the fennel bulb, remove the root and slice it thinly.
- Bring the vegetable stock to a simmer in a small saucepan. You want to be able to add hot stock to the risotto as it cooks.
- In another pot, saute the onion and fennel in a little oil until the onion is translucent and tender. Add the garlic and apple and saute for a minute more. Add the dried currants.
- Add the rice and toast the rice for about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the wine. Let the wine cook for a minute to allow the alcohol to evaporate. Now, add a ladle of stock and stir.
- Keep adding stock a ladleful at a time until the rice is cooked but still has a bit of a bite. Add the nutritional yeast, and add a final ladle of stock. The risotto will continue to absorb liquid and you want the consistency to be creamy and not stodgy. This should take about 15-20 minutes
- Spoon the risotto into bowls. Garnish with reserved fennel tops and walnuts.