Vegan Pumpkin and Gouda Risotto- with Garlic Bread

 This risotto is made with roasted pumpkin, smoky vegan Gouda and vegan butter to create an ultra rich, creamy and flavoursome dish! This dish is perfect for cold autumn nights, and is lovely paired with homemade garlic bread.

This risotto is topped with pine nuts, basil, and crumbled homemade vegan Gouda.

This garlic bread is perfect served warm alongside the risotto.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

For the risotto:

• 1 small pumpkin
• drizzle olive oil
• pinch salt
• 1 white onion
• 1 tbsp vegan margarine
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1.5 litres vegetable stock
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp dried sage
• 320g arborio rice
• 125ml dry white wine
• 2 tbsp vegan margarine 
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• handful pinenuts, toasted
• fresh herbs for garnish e.g. sage or basil

For the smoky Gouda (adapted from this recipe for vegan brie):

• 75g cashews
• 1 small carrot
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp white miso paste
• generous pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 60ml warm water

This is the recipe I used for garlic bread.

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C.
2. Prepare the pumpkin by chopping away the tough skin and chopping the soft flesh into small (~1 inch) chunks. Add the pumpkin chunks to a large baking dish and toss with a generous drizzle of olive oil and some salt. Place the roasting dish into the preheated oven and roast the pumpkin for 30 minutes, or until softened and beginning to turn golden. 
3. Meanwhile, prepare the vegan Gouda. Peel and thinly slice the carrot, and add to a pot of boiling water with the cashews. Boil the carrots and cashews for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, line a ramekin dish with some parchment paper.
4. Drain the carrots and cashews, and add to a high-speed blender with the rest of the Gouda ingredients. Blend until completely smooth- you may need a splash more water. Taste and adjust seasoning. 
5. Pour this Gouda mixture into the lined ramekin dish and add to the preheated oven. Bake for about 30 minutes, until a golden crust forms on the top.
6. Meanwhile, continue making the risotto. Over medium-high heat, heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan or casserole dish. Finely dice the onion and add to the hot pan with a pinch of salt. Fry for 5 minutes.
7. In the meantime, heat the vegetable stock in a large pot and keep it simmering whilst you continue making the risotto.
8. When the onion is translucent, scrape the roasted pumpkin cubes into the pan with the onion. Stir and allow to cook for 8 minutes or so, until the pumpkin cubes have mostly broken down. 
9. Mince the garlic cloves and add to the pan with a generous pinch of dried sage. Stir everything through well and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Keep stirring to mash the pumpkin cubes. 
10. Next add the rice and stir it through the pumpkin mixture well. Cook for a couple minutes.
11. Pour in the white wine and cook for a couple minutes, until the wine has mostly evaporated. 
12. Start adding the boiling vegetable stock into the pan with the rice using a ladle. Add the stock one ladle at a time, allowing most of the liquid to cook off  before adding the next ladle of stock.
13. Keep boiling the risotto until the rice is fully cooked - you may not need all of the stock. 
14. When the rice is fully cooked at the risotto is thick and creamy, reduce the heat to low and stir in half of the baked vegan Gouda, 2 tbsp of vegan margarine, and a couple tbsp of nutritional yeast. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt/pepper/vegan margarine to taste.
15. Serve topped with fresh herbs (like basil or sage), pine nuts, and the rest of the Gouda crumbled on top. This dish goes great with homemade garlic bread too!

Enjoy! :)