Vegan Butternut Squash Risotto

Meanwhile, fill a saucepan with water (see ingredients list for amount) and pop onto medium heat to slowly come to a boil. Stir in and dissolve the stock powder. Meanwhile, halve, peel and chop the shallot into small chunks. Peel and grate the garlic (or use a garlic press). Trim the green beans and chop into thirds. Remove the pistachios form their shells. Discard the shells and roughly chop the nuts.

Heat a splash of oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. Add the shallot, Italian seasoning and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and cook until soft, 3-4 mins. Stir in the garlic and cook for a minute more. Pour in the rice and stir together. Cook and stir for 1 minute so the rice is coated in the garlicky oil. Add the white wine vinegar and allow it to evaporate. 

Stir in a ladle of hot stock and when the stock has been absorbed by the rice, add another ladle of stock. Keep the pan on medium heat and continue stirring and adding stock. Tip: Let the rice absorb the stock before adding another ladle. This should take 20-25 mins. After 10 mins, stir in the green beans and carry on stirring. 

When the squash is ready, remove from the oven and transfer to a bowl. Use a fork to mash it to a rough puree. Add to the risotto as soon as it is ready and keep cooking and stirring until all of the stock has been used. TIP: The risotto is done when the rice is ‘al dente’ - cooked through but with a bit of firmness left. Halve the lemon and add a squeeze of juice to the risotto. Season to taste with salt and pepper.