Risotto got my heart, even in summer! We have been so lucky this year to have had so many tomatoes in our London garden that I have just been feasting on them non stop! This risotto is creamy, decadent but with a lovely fresh flavour from the tomatoes which makes it perfect for this time of the year. I have used yellow cherry tomatoes as we have so many in the garden and I love the gorgeous golden colour, but you can use regular cherry tomatoes too! 

Ingredients:

Serves 2-3 people 

1 white onion – peeled and finely chopped 

2 garlic cloves – crushed 

300gr of good quality yellow and red cherry tomatoes  (if you can’t find yellow regular red cherry tomatoes will be totally fine) – sliced in half

About 1 litre of veggie stock

1 cup of arborio risotto rice 

A small handful of fresh oregano leaves 

Salt & pepper to taste 

A drizzle of olive oil 

Optional: 2-3 tbsp of nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavour 

Optional slow roasted tomatoes to add on top (highly recommended!)

200gr of cherry tomatoes 

A drizzle of olive oil

Salt & pepper 

Start by making the slow roasted tomatoes. Preheat the oven at 150 degrees Celsius fan. Slice the tomatoes in halves and place them on a large baking tray with the inside part facing up. Generously drizzle them with some olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast them for 35-40 minutes.

Add a drizzle of olive oil to a large pan. Add in the onion and gently sauté it on a medium heat for 5 minutes until the onion is translucent and caramelised. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute stirring continuously to prevent from burning. Add in the risotto rice and cook for 1 minute of so, then add in the tomatoes and give it a good mix. Pour in some of the stock until everything is covered. Put the lid on and turn the heat down to medium/low. Cook the risotto for a total of 25-30 minutes. Risotto is a bit like a labour of love so you need to make sure to stir it from time to time and as the stock gets absorbed add more in until you use it all. At the end add the oregano leaves, nutritional yeast (if using) and a crack of black pepper and mix everything together. Serve it with the slow roasted tomatoes on top and enjoy!