For us, the best part of making a risotto is looking forward to making Arancini with the leftovers the day after.
Now, when you think of the glorious fried rice balls that are Arancini, the first two things that come to mind probably aren't 'vegan' and 'salad', but hopefully this recipe will show you what you've been missing out on.
These salads can make a great starter if you're having guests over, but they can also be enjoyed as a full meal any day of the week!
Ingredients (serves 6)
For the Arancini
500g Mushrooms (of your choice: I usually use button mushrooms)
150g frozen peas
1 White Onion
3 Garlic Cloves
500g Arborio Rice
250ml Vegan White Wine
1.5l vegetable stock
1 tbsp miso paste
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
Handful of fresh, chopped herbs such as parsley or basil (optional)
Black pepper
Several cups of dried breadcrumbs
Oil for frying
For the sauce
1x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cayenne peppersalt
For the salad
1 cucumber
200g plum tomatoes
several handfuls of fresh spinach
20g sunflower seeds
20g pumpkin seeds
drizzle of balsamic vinegar
Method:
To begin, cook the risotto according to my vegan mushroom & pea risotto recipe. Once ready, allow the risotto to cool slightly, or if cooking in advance for the next day, refrigerate overnight. The risotto doesn't have to have cooled completely before beginning to form the arancini, but it should be cool enough to comfortably roll in your hands.
Begin rolling the risotto into balls with the palms of your hands. Avoid making the balls too large, as this will make it more likely that they will break apart during frying.
Pour the breadcrumbs into a small bowl. Taking one of the risotto balls, roll the ball in the breadcrumbs to fully coat it. Repeat this step for each of the balls.
Heat some oil in a frying pan, and once hot, begin adding the arancini to the pan. Fry on a medium heat, rotating them every few minutes until they are golden on all sides. You will have to repeat this step several times until all of the arancini have been cooked.
Whilst the arancini are frying, add all of the ingredients for the sauce to a small saucepan and leave to simmer on a medium heat.
Start preparing the salad by washing the spinach leaves and after gently drying, divide this amongst the plates. Wash and chop the tomatoes and cucumber, adding these on top of the bed of spinach. I then like to drizzle a little balsamic vinegar over the salad - but not too much as there is more to come later.
Once the arancini are all ready to serve, divide them between the plates and arrange them atop the salad (I usually serve about 5 per person, but you will want to reduce this if serving as a starter). Then, take a spoonful or two of the tomato sauce and pour it over the top of the arancini. Take a handful of the seeds and sprinkle over the top, and finish off by drizzling over a little more balsamic vinegar.
I recommend waiting at least 5-10 minutes after removing the arancini from the pan before serving, so that they have slightly cooled and can be enjoyed properly without any risk of burning yourself.
Enjoy!