Vegan Carrot Risotto with Hazelnut Gremolata

20 November 2021 by Natanja

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  • This creamy vegan carrot risotto with fresh hazelnut parsley gremolata is a delicious dinner that really brings the flavour!

    Carrot Risotto with a hazelnut Gremolata topping on a stone tray

    *Updated post from Sept. 2017

    It’s that time of the year again when people bring out the #pumpkinspiceeverything. Whether it’s a classic latte or pumpkin Reese’s Pieces (is it just me, or do they not taste like pumpkin at all?!), we are undeniably in a pumpkin spice frenzy. Don’t get me wrong, I won’t say no to anything pumpkin spice, but lately I’ve been feeling those “fall inspired, but not really” foods.

    I’m craving (what I like to call) transitional fall food. Yes I did make that up and yes it makes 100% sense. Carrots, nuts, caramel,.. all fall (pun intended) into that category. They are neutral enough to enjoy whenever but fit particularly well into fall. Do you agree with me?

    If you are, however, feeling the pumpkin spice blues, that’s all right too. You can head on over to my vegan pumpkin spice latte recipe.

    Enough on fall foods though, let’s get to the wonderful vegan carrot risotto here. While the carrot flavour is rather subtle, the risotto is anything but bland. Thanks to those lovely aromatics, namely the garlic and the shallots, the risotto already has a delectable base. Add wine, nutmeg and nutritional yeast to that and you got yourself a tasty little dish. But we’re not stopping there…cause why stop at good when you can have something UH-MAZING. This is where the gremolata comes in.

    Ingredients for hazelnut parsley gremolata in a food processor
    Finished hazelnut parsley gremolata in a food processor

    Hazelnut Parsley Gremolata

    Gremolata is an Italian condiment, typically consisting of fresh herbs, garlic and lemon zest. The base ingredients are sometimes embellished with other add-ins such as grated cheese or toasted nuts. For my version here, I decided to add toasted hazelnuts to the mix, since they go incredibly well with carrots. While the risotto is delicious on its own, the gremolata adds a certain freshness as well as a different texture, which really elevates the dish.

    Meal Prepping Carrot Risotto

    While risotto doesn’t freeze well (the rice gets an unpleasant texture), it is, however, suited for prepping a few days ahead. Risotto thickens as it cools and has the best consistency when freshly cooked. However, if you don’t mind a slightly thicker risotto, you can make it up to 4 days ahead. The gremolata will also last a few days and retain its flavor when stored in an airtight container.

    Carrot risotto with hazelnut gremolata topping next to a lemon wedge and cutlery
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    Carrot Risotto with a hazelnut Gremolata topping on a stone tray

    Vegan Carrot Risotto with Hazelnut Parsley Gremolata


    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Cook Time: 30 minutes
    • Total Time: 45 minutes
    • Yield: 4 servings 1x

    Description

    A creamy flavourful vegan carrot risotto topped with a fresh hazelnut and parsley gremolata


    Ingredients

    Scale

    Carrot Risotto

    • 300g carrots (10.6oz)
    • 125 ml water (1/2 cup)
    • 3 tablespoons vegan butter or oil
    • 2 large shallots
    • 3 garlic cloves
    • 300g risotto rice (10.6oz)
    • 125 ml white wine (1/2 cup)
    • 1 l vegetable broth (4 and 1/4 cups)
    • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
    • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
    • salt and black pepper to taste

    Hazelnut Parsley Gremolata

    • 40g fresh parsley (1 bunch), roughly chopped
    • 35g blanched toasted hazelnuts (1/4 cup)
    • 1/21 garlic clove, roughly chopped
    • zest of 1/2 organic lemon
    • salt and black pepper to taste

    Instructions

    Carrot Risotto

    1. Chop the carrots into rounds and fill a pot with 125 ml of water. Add the carrots and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and let the carrots cook for about 15 minutes or until soft.
    2. While the carrots are cooking, chop the shallots and crush the garlic.
    3. Once the carrots are soft, add into a blender along with the vegetable stock and puree until smooth.
    4. Add vegan butter to a large pot and sauté the onions until translucent. Add the crushed garlic and sauté for another 1/2 minute. Add in the rice, deglaze with white wine and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the alcohol has evaporated.
    5. Add enough of the broth mixture until the rice is covered and stir in the nutmeg. Reduce the heat to medium and continue adding 1/2 cup of broth mixture at a time, stirring continuously, until the broth is absorbed and the rice is al dente.
    6. Remove from heat and season with nutritional yeast, salt (if needed) and black pepper.

    Hazelnut Parsley Gremolata

    1. Add all the ingredients to a mixer and blend until no large chunks remain.
    2. Plate the risotto and garnish with the gremolata.

    Notes

    Find meal prep tips in post above.

    Keywords: vegan carrot risotto, hazelnut parsley gremolata, carrot risotto, autumn risotto, fall risotto, vegan risotto

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    2 Comments

    1. Jolina on 27. September 2017 at 2:30

      I totally get that haha! It’s technically fall but can you believe we currently have an extreme heat weather alert?? In Canada. At the end of September. Who knew?? This carrot risotto I would totally get into. Perfect transitional fall food 🙂 It looks so creamy and tasty!

      • Natanja on 20. November 2021 at 10:48

        Given the cold temperatures right now, a heat wave doesn’t sound so bad. 😄 Thanks for the kind words and for stopping by!

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