Lentils, Courgette and Coriander Risotto

Name: Lentils, Courgette and Coriander Risotto
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 yellow Onion; 4 cloves of Garlic; 1 tsp of ground Coriander; 1 Tbsp of Miso paste; 1/4 cup of dry white Wine; 1/2 cup of French green Lentils; 2 Bay Leaves; 1 green Courgette; 1 cup of Vegetable Stock or Water; 1/4 cup of Nutritional Yeast; 1 Lemon – zest; 1 tsp Lemon juice; 1 handful of Coriander; 2 Tbsp of roasted Sunflower seeds or Pine nuts; 1 Tbsp of Hemp hearts (optional); 1 yellow Courgette; 1 pinch of Salt; 2-4 turns of freshly cracked black Pepper; 1 pinch of red Chilli flakes (optional)

This easy Lentils and Courgette risotto is delightful, creamy, velvety and healthy. It combines the earthiness of lentils with the slightly sweet flavour of Courgettes and freshness of Coriander. It is comforting and full of Umami and nutty flavours. This risotto is protein-packed, oil free, dairy free and comes together in 30 mins. It’s perfect for a mid-week healthy meal.

Ingredients

1 yellow Onion
4 cloves of Garlic
1 tsp of ground Coriander
1 Tbsp of Miso paste
1/4 cup of dry white Wine
1/2 cup of French green Lentils
2 Bay Leaves
1 green Courgette
1 cup of Vegetable Stock or Water
1/4 cup of Nutritional Yeast
1 Lemon – zest
1 tsp Lemon juice
1 handful of Coriander
2 Tbsp of roasted Sunflower seeds or Pine nuts
1 Tbsp of Hemp hearts (optional)
1 yellow Courgette
1 pinch of Salt
2-4 turns of freshly cracked black Pepper
1 pinch of red Chilli flakes (optional)

About this recipe

This time of the year is great for the variety of produce, especially Courgettes. I see them everywhere in all shapes and colours and they are very affordable. Also, as I love Lentils, I really wanted to come up with a recipe using these 2 beautiful ingredients. I do like Risotto but Rice risotto is very time consuming so using the same principles I substituted the Rice for protein dense and super nutritious Lentils. It’s simple and fast to do as there’s no need to keep stirring and you can add the stock all at once. The Miso and Nutritional yeast bring Umami flavours and the fresh Coriander elevates this dish bringing herby tones making it so comforting and satisfying. The roasted Sunflowers Seeds add a crunchy texture and nutty flavour while the Lemon zest and juice adds balance and brings all these flavours together. It’s an easy meal that we adore here at home so I hope you will make it and it will become one of your easy to do favourites.

Instructions

Step 1 – Start by chopping the Onion and Garlic. Heat a Dutch oven pan over a medium burner. Once it’s hot add the chopped onions. We aren’t using oil so cover it with a lid to allow the trapped steam to start cooking for 2-3 mins. Stir frequently to prevent burning and continue cooking for about 10 minutes until the onions are transparent and lightly golden.

Step 2 – Add the chopped Garlic and stir for 2 mins or until fragrant then add the ground Coriander and Miso paste, stirring for another minute. Pour the white Wine to deglaze the pan and let it simmer for 3 mins to evaporate.

Step 3 – Add the dry green Lentils and stir to coat. Pour in the vegetable stock or water, add the Bay leaves and bring it to a gentle simmer, letting the Lentils cook for 25 mins.

Step 4 – While the Lentils cook, grate the green Courgette. Wash and separate the coriander leaves from the stalks. Chop the Coriander stalks thinly and roughly cut the leaves.

Step 5 – Add the grated green Courgette 5 mins into the cooking then replace the cover and keep simmering for a further 20mins.

Step 6 – Meanwhile pre-heat the oven at 200C grill or broil and prepare the yellow courgette. Cut the Courgette in 3 lengthwise and in 3 or 4 pieces. Slice the flesh in a diamond shape without touching the skin.

Step 7 – Top the cut Courgette with flaky salt and black Pepper to taste. To avoid soggy Courgette roast in the top 1/3 of the oven at high temperature with the flesh up and don’t over crowd the tray. Roast for 10-15 mins or until it develops some charred bits.

Step 8 – To the Lentil Risotto add the thinly cut Coriander stalks, Nutritional Yeast and freshly cracked black Pepper. Stir and let it simmer for another 2 mins. Turn off the burner and top with the Lemon juice and Coriander leaves but leave a few for decoration.

Step 9 – Serve starting with the Lentil and Courgette Risotto, add the roasted Courgette, top with Coriander leaves, roasted Sunflower seeds, Hemp hearts seeds if using and Lemon zest.

About the Ingredients

French green Lentils: You can substitute with any Lentils you like although I recommend to avoid red or split lentils as they will go mushy. I chose French green lentils for their colour and size as they are slightly smaller than green Lentils. Brown or Beluga lentils work well in this recipe too. You may need to adjust the cooking time according their instructions. Lentils are often overlooked even though they’re an inexpensive way of getting a wide variety of nutrients since they’re packed with B vitamins, magnesium, zinc, and potassium. They are made up of more than 25% protein and are a great source of iron. Some of the polyphenols in lentils, such as procyanidin and flavanols, are known to have strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects.

Coriander: This is my favourite herb and yes you will need a good amount of stalks and leaves to get a great herby flavour and it also adds to the green colour of our Risotto. You can substitute with Parsley or other herbs you have in hand but the flavour with change.

Courgettes: I’m using green and yellow courgettes but you can use any colour or shape. The best Courgettes are the ones you find around you and are in season. The grated Courgette adds creaminess and sweetness to the lentils while the roasted Courgettes bring a different texture and flavour. Courgette is a summer squash in the Cucurbitaceae plant family, alongside melons, spaghetti squash, and cucumbers and is botanically classified as a fruit. Courgettes are rich in both soluble and insoluble fibre, antioxidants, vitamin C and beta-carotene.

Hemp hearts: If you don’t have it just omit. They add another texture and mild nutty flavour as they contain over 30% fat. They are exceptionally rich in two essential fatty acids: omega-6 and omega-3. Hemp seeds are a great protein source as more than 25% of their total calories are from high-quality protein. They are also a great source of vitamin E and minerals such as phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium, sulphur, calcium, iron, and zinc.

Roasted Sunflower seeds: I add them to the oven with the Courgettes and let them roast for 4-5 mins but be vigilante as they can burn very easily. They add crunch and a lovely nutty flavour. Sunflower seeds are excellent sources of several nutrients including vitamin E, selenium and beneficial plant compounds that can help prevent chronic diseases. They are also one of the less expensive seeds you can find.

Dry white Wine: This is not essential but it brings a complex zingy flavour as in traditional Risotto. Use it to deglazed the bottom of the pan by scraping all the brown Umami bits and let it simmer to evaporate. If you omit, add a few extra drops of Lemon juice to taste.