Vegetarian mains
Slow cooker butternut & leek risotto
This is the easiest risotto ever. It’s probably not for purists, but a great way to cook a creamy vegetarian risotto without spending a lot of time stood at the hob stirring away, and slow cookers use very little energy to run. Instead, you add all the ingredients to a slow cooker and let it do its thing. The butternut squash goes so soft that it becomes part of the sauce, adding a beautiful sweetness, colour and creaminess without the need to add much dairy. We used fresh tarragon but you can swap it for sage, thyme, parsley or any other fresh herb.
Cook's notes
Every slow cooker is a little different, so you may need to adjust your cooking time and the amount of liquid.
Ingredients
- 800g butternut squash, deseeded & chopped into 2cm pieces
- 1 leek, sliced into rounds
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled & chopped
- 3 springs of thyme, leaves stripped from stalks
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 300g risotto rice
- 800-1000ml vegetable stock (the rice should be covered by about 2-3cm of stock)
- 20g butter (optional)
- 50g Parmesan or veggie/vegan alternative, plus more for serving
- small bunch of tarragon, leaves stripped from stalks, chopped
- salt & pepper
Method
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Step 1
Add all the ingredients except the butter, Parmesan and tarragon to the slow cooker and leave for 1 ½-2 hours on a high setting, or 4-6 hours on low, until the rice is cooked and creamy. Check the stock level during cooking to make sure the risotto doesn’t dry out. If necessary, add a little more stock or water.
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Step 2
Stir in the butter, Parmesan and tarragon. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve topped with additional cheese.